Given the actual economic, climate and the pandemic crises situation, unemployment is very high and the young incessantly seek answers for integration and inclusion, it is urgent to understand how Volunteering and active participation can be a bridge for inclusion, a way of acquiring / developping skills and knowledge, trial professionals rhythms, acquisition of know-how, change attitudes, awarness of projects/organisations creation, etc…
Its crucial to understand in what extent volunteering projects in general affects positivily life and lead to a better/faster inclusion by gathering users, organisations, youth workers/project managers, mentors, stakeholders and experts, to assess the outcomes.
Volunteering – A Bridge to Inclusion?! is a seminar action with the main goal of being an online meeting point to debate, reflect, understand and cluster good practices about the role of European Voluntary Service/Volunteering & active participation, on the life of young people, in what concerns the acquisition and development of personal, social and professional competences (and the recognition of non formal educational approach), leading to real inclusion.
Which is the real impact of Volunteering activities on ex-volunteers, hosted and sent? Which is the opinion and conclusions of partners (hosting and sending organisations), in special what concerns fewer opportunities youngsters? What tell us the studies made by national and European organisations? Are the competences gained/developed under a non-formal learning setting, recognised and useful for the creation of the young people life project leading to inclusion?
APPLY
In February 2016, ”EVS – a bridge to Employability” Seminar, similar debates were developed, in a presential way, in the European Youth Centre in Lisbon. This seminar made possible to organize some conclusions, more focus on employability, spread around the participants and partners.
This 2nd edition intention is to upgrade the level of the Seminar, going wider and deeper. With the different experiences, inputs and conclusions from participants and guests, is expected to be produced a Booklet, more focus on “fewer opportunities” groups and the real recognition (in the private sectors also) of the non-formal educational/learning processes.
The Seminar outcomes and conclusions, according with a new group of participants, tackling possible new “general inclusion” issues, besides employment, will include also the “Inclusion Strategy” from the Portuguese National Agency and / or Inclusion Strategies at European level.
Objectives:
- To offer a space for former EVS / Volunteers participants to share experiences on the “1st person”;
- To share organisations long term experiences;
- To debate on the effective potentialities/impact of EVS / Volunteering in the Youth Inclusion;
- To share European and national experts and studies made on Volunteering impacts and the recognition of NFE/Learning;
- To register the conclusions / information in a final Booklet to dessiminate them and aloud a multypliying effect at national and international level;
- To give visibility to european inclusive past and actual youth programmes, in special Erasmus+ and ESC;
- Contribute to improve the quality of future Volunteering activies and its impacts & recognition;
- To celebrate the volunteering day within the inclusion strategies.
In order to facilitate participation, following the experience of other National Agencies and trainers, being an online Seminar, the program was organized for 4 working days – from 7 to 10 december – working morning sessions planned to start at 9h30 and finish at 13h30, with small breaks in between sessions.
One of the days the online sessions will happen also in the afternoon.
In the other 3 days afternoon, different tasks will be launched by the trainers, in order to make possible participants team and individual work to organize and collect recommendations, ideas, good practices, testimonials, conclusions, aso. During the development of the afternoon tasks, trainers will support participants with group and/or individual mentoring.
With the results of the collective work, trainers will produce the final Seminar Booklet.
Important note: From 13 to 17 december (approx), the Booklet will be organized by the trainers, with the participants contributions collected during the Seminar. During this week, trainers might request some additional information to participants/working groups in order to be able to develop a sucessuful work in the organisation of the outocomes collected. This process will be prepared during the seminar.
Target group: organizations and participants with past or current experience on EVS / volunteering projects and activities.
Methodology:
The program will be structured with a balanced combination of introductory plenary discussions, round tables, exchange of experiences, lectures and working groups.
The use of on-line non-formal education methodologies will ensure the active participation of all individuals involved. Working groups and active methods will be also used in order to create an environment that encourages a dynamic involvement of all participants. The diversity of approaches will be used in order to addresses the group various ways to better engage and contribute to the discussed topics.
The on line facilitation of experienced trainers/facilitators during the all program will definitely contribute to create a productive and efficient working environment to enable the participants to take the best out of the working days.
Technical requirements
Being an online activity, its requested that participants have a computer with camera, microphone and a good internet connection.
The platforms, tools and programs to be used are: Zoom (communication), Canva, Jamboard, Padlet, Mentimiter, Power point, Kahoot, Google drive, Google forms, Whatsapp, Videos, aso.
