Starting October 2017, YMCA Romania hosts for a period of 6 months 6 young people through European Voluntary Service -Erasmus Plus Program , in a project called “Youth Power Space” funded by European Commission. The volunteers are from : Austria – Angelika Petritz, France – Maeliss Vray, Italy – Cecilia Fini, Netherlands – Jonathan van Varik, Portugal – Barbara Pereira, Spain – Juan Antonio Gallardo Roca.
The project aims to promote inclusion and civic involvement by empowering children and youth, including those with fewer opportunities to become Ambassadors of the community, supporting diversity, tolerance, initiative, critical thinking, equality, initiative to create a society build on the principles of democracy and respect for human rights.
The will run inclusive programs for children and young people in Baia Mare, Cavnic, Somcuta Mare,Copalnic Manastur, personal development for children and pre-teens workshops, clubs on leadership and civic engagement education,on human rights, No Hate Speech, YMCA Youth Parliament program in civic engagement, media and ITC workshops, community projects, having mentoring and Romanian language classes.
They will used non formal education methods recognised at European level for its efficiency, atractivity and impact: experiential learning, learning by doing, simulations, role plays, energizers, reflection, teamwork, coaching, A class Divided, living library, YMCA Youth Parliament, workshops, clubs for children and youth,peer to peer, Punctum, Mandala, YouthPass Unfolded, Points of You. We strongly support the fact that non formal education fosters and lead to a learning process with great impact on volunnteers and beneficiaries, supporting creativity, active participation, initiative, critical thinking, inclusion.
The project is design aroung the EVS volunteers as main actors, they have the same role and position in our organization as the local ones. They are our colleagues, with very specific responsiblities, their voice is always listen, all the activities being ment to empower them to develop competences .
Since their arrival in Baia Mare the EVS volunteers participated in a 3 weeks Induction course- orientation and training, learning about the host organization, activities, volunteers, structure, programs, used methods, with the internal bylaws, code of conduct, safety measures, attending workshops on intercultural education, formal-nonformal- informal education and its methods, leadership, project management, about the Erasmus Plus Program and Youthpass certificate, civic education and youth participation, human rights, they started to learn Romanian language and had their weekly meetings with the mentors.
They had the chance to discover the museums and the touristical attractions of the city, learning about the city history and did some activities together with the
local volunteers.
“Youth Power Space” Project is funded through Erasmus Plus Program created by European Union and it is organized together with the sending organizations – partners of the project:
Verein4YOUgend-Austria, Asociacion Building Bridges-Spain, ProAtlântico – Associação Juvenil – Portugal, Ville de Nevers- France, Vicolocorto- Italy, Stichting UcDean- The Netherlands.
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