“European Summer in Ukraine”
Short-term EVS project, June-September 2010
We are looking for 8 EVS volunteers from different EU countries come to Ukraine and to work together with Ukrainian
volunteers at school camps for children who spend their summer in the city.
Every summer thousands of kids – especially from disadvantage families - stay in the city and spend their holidays at
home or at summer camps organized by local schools. As result they don’t have any adventures, discoverings, just
spent their time without no positive result.
According to the statistic very few percentage of Ukrainian youngsters have been abroad, that is why we decided to
bring this summer Europe to Ukraine by inviting young European volunteers to work in school camps.
Projects activities:
June – starting seminar: to introduce volunteers, to teach them some interactive methods of work, to make them to
know region, to develop language skills.
June-July-August – work in schoolcamps,
September – travel-time
Tasks for volunteer
Te main tasks for volunteers will be to work with group of children and to help them to be busy in the spare time.
Depending on skills and interests of volunteers they can choose group of children with whom they will work (age,
district of the city), they will be responsible for planning (with help of leader of the group) and caring out different
activities for children, communications-games, sport and out door activities.
For most of the children and local citizens contact with volunteers will be the first contact with foreigners, that is why
we expect that volunteer could offer to children and young people:
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information about their countries (about youth life, culture, traditions)
intercultural evenings and intercultural exchanges,
intercultural days with music, movies, dances etc
intercultural cooking and meeting with local communities
some language animation activities
sport activities
any kind of animation activities
practical workshops based on hobbies of volunteer (dancing, singing, etc)
We want to host EVS volunteers in our organization to give a possibility for young people, who we are dealing with
and also for the EVS volunteers to exchange their experiences, to break down stereotypes, to experience similarities
and differences between different European countries and to understand what the European Union means for them.
We want young people we are working with to learn about other cultures and to understand what is their own culture.
We are upbringing open and active young people who are ready to live in multicultural societies, therefore we want to
give them a possibility to work in a multinational group.
For the EVS volunteer it will be a unique possibility to understand Ukrainian culture directly through work and staying
with people. The volunteers will have the opportunity to work on personal development and self confidence through
the contact with young people and to improve their skills, abilities in group work with people of different personalities,
age and background (employees and Ukrainian volunteers of the Centre, other foreign volunteers, young people
involved in the Centre activities). Volunteers will also have a possibility to learn how to plan, implement and evaluate
youth work in practise.
Living conditions and language
Living conditions – volunteers will live in single or double room in hired apartments. They will have to stick to the
simple rule of being gentle, tolerant and flexible, as their flatmates and neighbors may have different habits and styles
of living. The standard of the apartments may vary, but generally they will be furnished as for students and other
young people. In will be access to the bathroom with hot water and to the kitchen with fridge, cooker and sink.
Language course
Because this part of Ukraine where project will be implemented is Russian-speaking, we would offer Russian
language course for volunteers. During the first week volunteers will have intensive course (everyday lessons), after
that 1 lesson a week provided by private teacher for the group of several volunteers together. We would appreciate a
lot if volunteer will already know Russian on some level.
Hosting organization – www.cent.dn.ua
Donetsk Youth Debate Centre is non-governmental, non-for profit, civil organisation. It was founded in 1997 under
the initiative of school teachers, debate clubs trainers and young people of Donetsk and Lugansk regions. The
grassroots of the organisation was the Debate program financed by International Renascence Foundation (Soros
Foundation). Nowadays the area of the Organisation's activities is much wider but we still use debates as a method.
At present the Organisation works as an informational and methodical centre for thousands pupils and students;
teachers of different educational establishments, including universities; leaders of civic organizations and wide circle
of young people of Donetsk and Lugansk regions. Our target groups are also journalists, state social workers, and
local government officials.
The mission of the organisation is
Promotion of the development of civil society in Ukraine by means of designing and implementation of
educational and social projects and programmes
Donetsk Youth Debate Centre works in four main areas:
Development of Civil InitiativeThe basis for civil society development is an active life position of every citizen. One
of the main tasks of Donetsk Youth Debate Centre is an overall encouragement, informational and consultative
support of any undertakings aimed at bringing positive changes into modern Ukrainian society. Elements of civic
initiative development are included into all programs of the Centre.
Human Rights educationHuman rights observance and opportunity of their practical protection in a case of violation
is one of the main features of a democratic society. Donetsk Youth Debate Centre contributes to the improvement of
legal situation in Ukraine through education, information, lobbying and rights protection of young generation,
providing opportunities to take part in the decision making process on different levels.
International IntegrationThe Organization's activity in this direction allows Ukrainian citizens to realize themselves
as an integrated part of the World Community. Donetsk Youth Debate Centre implements programmes, which
provide children and youth with an opportunity to get knowledge in diverse fields, to learn experience of different
countries in problem solving, to learn culture and traditions during international seminars, conferences, internships.
The Organization also works on public information about integration processes taking place in Europe and their
impact on the situation in Ukraine.
Personal DevelopmentDonetsk Youth Debate Centre provides an opportunity for personal development of children
and young people. This is achieved by implementation of educational and psychological programmes aimed at
getting socially important knowledge and skills by the participants. Usage of modern interactive methods during
educational process allows teaching children to use their knowledge in different spheres of civil life. Debate Centre
pays big attention to the conception of equal opportunities for all children and young people regardless of their sex,
nationality and social status. Hence among beneficiaries of the Centre there are school and university students,
working youth, teachers and lecturers, representatives of risk groups, people who are in conflict with law, leaders of
civic organizations, and representatives of state authorities and institutions of local governing.
The main activities of the Debate Centre vary in accordance with the methods of the realization of the main
organizational aim and objectives. They usually include the follows:
- interactive seminars and trainings;
- practical workshops;
- conferences and round tables;
- public hearings;
- informational support;
- pilot activities;
- small grants programs;
- TOT's
In the Centre we have 5 full –time employees as well as few volunteers (3-4 Ukrainian and time to time foreign ones).
We are generaly based on a teamwork.
Project environment
Our office is placed in the centre of Donetsk city, in the south-east part of Ukraine. The city has around 1 mln
inhabitants.
Donetsk lies in the steppe landscape of Ukraine, surrounded by scattered woodland, hills (slag heaps), rivers, and
lakes. The northern outskirts of the city are mainly used for agriculture. The Azov Sea, 95 km south of Donetsk, is a
popular recreational area for those living in Donetsk. A wide belt of farmlands surrounds the city.
Donetsk currently has a population of over 988,000 inhabitants (2007) and has a metropolitan area of over 1,566,000
inhabitants (2004). It is the fifth-largest city in Ukraine.
While the majority of people in central and western Ukraine speak Ukrainian, most residents of Donetsk are Russianspeaking Ukrainians and ethnic Russians.
The main forms of transport within Donetsk are: trams, electric trolley buses, buses and marshrutkas (private
minibuses).
Donetsk and the surrounding territories are heavily urbanized and agglomerated into conurbation. The workforce is
heavily involved with heavy industry, especially coal mining. The city is an important center of heavy industry and coal
mines in the Donets Basin (Donbas) and Ukraine.
Donetsk's economy consists of about 200 industrial organizations that have a total production output of more than 5
billion hryvnias per year and more than 20,000 medium-small sized organizations.
After the fall of the Soviet Union, Donetsk and other neighbouring cities of the Donbas suffered heavily, as many
factories were closed down and many inhabitants lost their jobs. However, in spite of the difficult economic situation
in Ukraine, Donetsk is a developing city.
Donetsk is a well-known educational location of the surrounding area, accompanied with several universities, which
include 5 state universities, 11 institutes, 3 academies, 14 technicums, 5 private universities, and 6 colleges.
The nightlife in Donetsk is quite active. We have lots of clubs, pubs and bars, many of which are made for students. It
is possible to choose different music, style, menu and price. We have several cinemas in different parts of the city
and also the theaters that offer the entertainment at higher cultural level.
The gastronomy (from fast food and milk bars to restaurants) is well developed, diversified and easy to find at any
time of the day and night.
At the moment we are hosting 3 EVS volunteers – you can ask them more about Donetsk and our organization – if
you are interested do not hesitate to ask for their contacts!
Application process:
Profile of volunteer:
-
-
Young people 18-30 years
EU citizens (according to the rules of Youth in Action Program we can accept volunteers
from European Union)
Speaking English
Desire to work with youngsters, open-minded, tolerant, ready to meet cultural
differences, independent
Possibility to come to Ukraine between June-September 2010
Willing to learn Russian
How to apply?
Send us your CV and letter of motivation.
Donetsk Youth
Debate Centre
Pr Illcha, 79-31
Donetsk, 83003
Ukraine
+380623859839
www.cent.dn.ua
debate@cent.dn.ua
Contact person:
Olga Sobchenko