Voluntariado europeo en Letonia en escuela de primaria

Dates

Project’s duration: October, 2017 till 30th of June, 2018 (9 months).

Introduction to EVS

The main criteria for us are:
* ability to live in small town (about 8000 inhabitants);
* good knowledge of English (as our pupils and teachers need to practice to improve their skills);
* motivation and interest to work with different generations, mainly with 6-12 years old pupils.

About the project

We are willing to host and involve in our activities a motivated and active youngster from Spain with some interests in sports, arts, musics, handicrafts, theater, indoor and outdoor activities, nature, science etc. who is ready to work in school with different generations:
• 6 till 12 years old children – assist teachers in lessons, help in daily activities, offer various activities for children in lunch breaks and after lessons, present own culture, help to organize events, cooperate with students’ self-government;
• teachers (staff) – to offer help during lessons in first grades, cooperate on different tasks, give English and/or mother language lessons;
• local community (pupils’ families, town’s seniors, other interest).
Right now we are very successfully hosting our first volunteer.

We become from Secondary school into Primary school (around 250 children). Volunteer will take a part in this process by helping us to make our environment visually and emotionally more attractive for Primary school children. We will give a space for volunteer’s activities.

We are very open for volunteers ideas and initiatives.
We would prefer youngster who is ready to spend 9 months in a small town (8 ooo inhabitants) and has good English skills.

Tasks:

Acording to the Latvian state school education program every day for pupils in each grade has a structure. It includes standart lessons at school on main subjects,
handicraft and other creative lessons (music, art, sports), different clubs (theatre, handicraft, dancing, sports etc.), breaks for different in- or outdoor free time activities, learning daily habits. Pupils go in excursions, walks, participate in different competitions, activities outside school, play, organize activities, present school to
others.
Volunteer is expected to take a part in planning process and to give support for the Hosting Organization in organizing daily activities during the year:
– different daily activities with first grades

– assistance to the teachers in learning process, different in- and outdoor activities, walks, excursions, going to swimming pool, sports center etc.;

– activities with pupils in lunch breaks – workshops, playing games or assistance to the teachers;

– participation in 4 th – 6 th grade lessons ( English, sports, handicraft etc.) – supporting teachers and together with teachers preparing lessons for pupils;
– working together with pupils in student self-government (supporting in activities, giving organizational support);
– tematic afternoons with pupils for learning English and Spanish;

– participantion in school’s events – organization, implementation;

– once in 1-2 month to make some own initiative – activitie with some class (sports event, excursion, class’ evening, Spanish culture event etc.)
– offerning and managing activities for school’s staff and local community (parents, families, grandparents, other stakeholders) – language lessons (Engish, Spanish),
thematic workshops etc.;

– publishing own new experience on school’s homepage http://15.gulbene.lv/vsk/ and writing blog together with pupils;
– annual traditional festivals;

– presenting own culture and traditions;

– learning Latvian language and traditions;

– together with pupils creating informative poster about Voluntary work.

Volunteer is expected to take part in planning process and to give support for the Hosting Organization in organizing bigger activities during the year such as
Christmas, St. Valentine’s Day, Sports event for pre-school children, Easter event, Europe Day etc. Volunteer is expected also to share his/her knowledge, culture and
traditions with students in other schools of town, together with our pupils visit some other schools.

Volunteers must:

– participate in EVS promoting activities such as presentations, workshops, short seminars in other institutions in Gulbene municipality.
– come up with new ideas and initiatives to make project more interesting and suitable for the needs of children, society and volunteer, including volunteer’s own cultural and traditions activities.

So although school has a daily structure for staff workers and teaching staff can be flexible in offering volunteer activities and open volunteer’s own ideas.

Working hours and holidays:

Working day will be 6-7 hours per day. Officially school is open from Monday till Friday from 7:30 – 17:00. Volunteer’s working hours could be 3 days per week
between 9.00 and 17.00 and 2 days per week from 10.00 – 18.00 including 1 hour lunch break. Volunteer can have lunch together with staff or pupils in the canteen or
can be free to go out. Activities will be organized together with class teachers, coordinators or school self-government. EVS project coordinators in Host
Organization will be available every day.

At the beginning of EVS project Host Organization will offer a structure for volunteer

– which activities in each class/grade every day. Later after adaptation Host Organization is open for volunteer’s own initiatives. After few weeks volunteer will learn and find out about all possible activities and definitely will understand what he/she likes the most. Then HO will offer an opportunity and necessary assistance to
organize and realize own initiatives and activities. HO will provide all practical materials for volunteer’s activities.
Every month volunteer can get 2 extra holidays, total 18 working days per 9 months.

These days can be summed and used later but before must be agreed with the HO.

There are national holidays in Latvia that will be also for the volunteer – November 18 (Independence Day), December 24, 25 and 26 (Christmas), December 31, January 1, April (Easter), May 1, May 4 (Independence Renewal Day), June 23-24 (Summer Solstice Festival).

Practical arrangements.

Travel arrangements:
– The travel arrangement to go to Latvia is made by the Sending Organization (SO) or volunteer personally. Arrival tickets and departure tickets must be
bought separately and only after contacting the Coordinating Organization.
Volunteer first must buy one-way tickets to Riga International Airport. Return ticket will be bought by the Coordinating Organization before Activity ends or
by volunteer, how agreed.

– The reimbursement of the ticket will be made after receiving original invoice from the volunteer, copy of the ticket and original boarding pass of the flight
by transferring money to bank account of volunteer.

– The volunteer will be picked up from the Riga International Airport by representatives of HO/CO. Going from Riga to Gulbene will be by car. The same schema will be for going back home.
– The maximum costs for travel from volunteer’s home to Riga (both ways, including all transports – train, buses) are 360 EUR.
– Traveling can be only with the cheapest tickets (economy class, budget class etc.).

Food:

There is self-catering for the volunteer. She/ he will get 140.00 EUR in the beginning of every month to his/her own Latvian bank account, which will be made in the first days of the staying in Latvia. Volunteer must gather food checks to prove how the money is spent.
Accommodation:
– The volunteers will be accommodated in a 3 room flat in Gulbene center – 1 minute walk away from HO. Rooms are isolated. Volunteer will live with 2 more volunteers (one from Austria, other – no information yet).
– There is a kitchen and bathroom in the flat.

– There is a fridge, washing machine, furniture, dishes, towels and bed linen in the flat.
– There is the Wi-Fi in the flat.

Local transport:
-Gulbene is a small town (around 8000 inhabitants), distances are short so it is easy to walk from one place to another, and therefore local public transport is not needed.
-Expenses of public transport within Latvia will be covered by the project if the reason of transportation is connected with project activities.
– Personal travel expenses are volunteer’s own responsibility.

Language support:

There will be weekly Latvian language lessons organized by HO/CO and it will happen during the whole project.
Equipment (phone, internet etc.):
– At the first day of staying in Latvia the volunteer will get Latvian cell-phone SIM card. The HO/CO will not provide a mobile phone.
– There is a phone in HO which could be used to phone to home country in case of emergency.
– School has a free Wi-Fi access.
– The HO will provide all practical materials for volunteer’s project activities.

Pocket money:

Pocket money 80.00 EUR per month will be transferred to volunteer’s Latvian bank account in the first days of every month.

Insurance:

-The insurance for the volunteer is arranged by SO.
-At the moment volunteer arrives to Latvia, he/ she has to have Insurance card with him/ her.
Risk assessment/crisis management.
– Conflict situations based on daily work will be solved on the spot by speaking with all involved people; also mentor will be involved if needed.
– In case of more difficult situations and conflicts SO will be involved by e-mail, phone conversation or skype.
– In case of interrupted project the volunteer has to write official letter with explanation and both SO and HO/CO has mutually to agree on traveling arrangement.

How to apply