Dear Friends
I would like to inform that ProAtlântico - Associação Juvenil has two new projects of EVS approved by our National Agency, to be held in Lisbon, Portugal.
We are looking for 2 volunteers to be involved each project:
1) 2006- PT-05 - Meeting Point
Long-term project (12 months)
http://europa.eu.int/comm/youth/program/sos/hei/hei_form_en.cfm?HEID=60000066714
2) 2006-PT-07 - Portugal for All
Long-term project (12 months)
http://europa.eu.int/comm/youth/program/sos/hei/hei_form_en.cfm?HEID=60000066957
The selection day will be between donne until 29th of January 2006 and the application will be realized at 1st of February 2006 deadline.
If you have any questions, feel free to ask by E-mail: geral@proatlantico.com , Tel: 00351 964083158, or Fax: 00 351 214218417.
If you are interested, send us an e-mail to: evs@proatlantico.com until 20th of January 2006, with:
- CV (with photo and telephone number)
- Motivation letter
- Brief information on the sending organization (with contacts)
Greetings
Nuno Chaves
Executive President
ProAtlântico - Associação Juvenil
Apartado 016 E.C.Porto Salvo
2741-901 PORTO SALVO
PORTUGAL
Tel: 00 351 964083158
Fax: 00 351 214218417
E-mail: geral@proatlantico.com
2006- PT-05 - Meeting Point
Project description
Project environment: profile of the organization, regular activities and local community
The host organization ProAtlântico - Associação Juvenil founded in 2001 is based in Porto Salvo, Oeiras, and carries out activities with children, young people, elderly people, and handicapped people, mainly in Oeiras Municipality.
Most of the activities with children and young people take place during the school breaks, such as sport tournaments, National and International exchanges, and entertaining and cultural activities; and after school, as educational support. We try to help these young people to develop life skills, to be more independent.
Along the year we have several projects with elder people, as summer camps, Cultural Trips, New Year party, and balls.
We work together with an Education and Rehabilitation Institution for handicapped people and a Children's Home, in a voluntary project that tries to keep the people that live there busy during the time that Institutions are not able to develop activities (during the week days at night, and weekends).
In 2003, we started to work with Youth Program, and we took part in youth exchanges in (Estonia, Romania, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Austria and France) and in several training courses and seminars around Europe. This is the first time we work with the European Voluntary Service.
Today ProAtlântico - Associação Juvenil with his 300 members, gives special attention to needy people, and those with less opportunity. And aims to give people the chance to establish contact with other cultures, in order to help them to find ways to deal with their own problems and to break the existing prejudices.
Oeiras is an important Village (45,8/km2) that offers the dynamism of large number of habitants (162.124) mainly young, near Lisbon the capital of Portugal (15 minutes), and 20 minutes from Sintra - World Patrimony, and 10 minutes from Cascais bay.
Oeiras has got many infrastructures of economic development such as TagusPark, LagoasPark and Quinta da Fonte (business and biotechnological centers). The Cultural opportunities are guaranteed not just because of the village environment and heritage (such as the Palace of Marquês, the gunpowder factory, the Poets Park and the recreation harbour) as for the preservation and good use of the space by the local authorities. The Shopping Center Oeiras Parque is a good example of an infrastructure that provides entertaining activities (shopping, cinemas) and rapid access to basic primary products to the inhabitants of the municipality.
Porto Salvo is a small village, part of Oeiras municipality, between the sea and the mountains. As far as public transportation is concerned, bus is the only service available, offering several regular connections to several train stations of the two lines (Cascais and Sintra) and that allow us to reach easily to the Lisbon (15 min), Sintra (30 min) and Cascais (20 min).
According to the last statistics information from 2001, the village of Porto Salvo (7,35/km2) has 13724 inhabitants.
In terms of social-economic context, the economics activity of Porto Salvo reflects a typical urban structure. The creation, in the last decade, of large business and commercial structures, has strongly contributed to the development and urbanism of he village, which has grown from a rural border area to a more dynamic place.
It is an area where most population can be considered average economic class, but has also some population with low financial incomes. In the surrounding Porto Salvo's village there are 3 social neighborhoods.
Nowadays, Porto Salvo has several restaurants, mini-markets, one market, 3 banks, 2 football clubs, a cultural society, several private clinics, 2 pharmacies, 5 primary schools, kinder garden, 1 university.
It has a Mediterranean continental climate with very hot summers, long and rigorous winters with low precipitation levels.
Concerning the stay of the EVS volunteer, ProAtlântico will provide the lodging in a rented studio or room, and meals according to their preferences. He/She may find a variety of eating choices in Oeiras (self-services, small local restaurants, supermarkets, local food markets, etc.). ProAtlântico members will help him/her become familiar with these.
Proposed activities for international volunteers
Through its work, ProAtlântico noticed that most Portuguese teenagers are unaware or misinformed of the European Issues as the European Identity, the organization of European Union. In order to help to change this reality, and contribute to the awareness of such issues, we have been encouraging young people to take part in the Youth Program, through basic courses, lectures and many other educational activities based in non-formal education. We believe that the EVS volunteers will bring an intercultural dimension to the project, and will offer young people, a small taste of what could lie outside their hometown.
The chance to work with EVS volunteers from other countries, with different backgrounds is a challenge and the opportunity to exchange experiences and good practices between all people involved in the project and the local community.
The EVS volunteers will work along side our current team of staff and local volunteers to enable the young people to access all the opportunities open to them and to ensure they reach their full potential. This will give them new abilities and knowledge that can be used in future projects even within their own communities.
Every EVS Volunteer will have a Mentor that will be directly responsible for his/her training, personal support and language training and to whom he/she can turn in case of problems. They will be able to talk with their mentor about what their weekly activities will be. The first few weeks after the volunteer's arrival will be considered as a period of preliminary induction, during which the volunteer will be introduced to the project team and will gain familiarity with the new living and working environment. After this initial adjustment period, a more comprehensive induction program will be formulated together with the volunteer.
After this, they will have training period within the area by qualified people, to obtain the necessary knowledge to perform well in their functions. During this process all the training will be structured according to the necessities of the candidates
During their stay the EVS volunteers will have the opportunity to integrate into the local community, to meet other young people, to socialize, to participate in leisure activities, etc.
The EVS Volunteer activities will generally be to give support the project staff in their daily activities. Half of their working time (3 hours) will be spent in Activities with Youngsters.
Activities with Youngsters take place in ProAtlântico Office, a place open to the public, where youngsters can go after school to spend their leisure time.
The EVS Volunteer will be able to take part in the school support and in the organization of Cultural, Sport and Leisure activities.
So, the young volunteers will have the chance to run these following activities:
- To help create dynamics of occupation of free times, trough the realization of games and group dynamics, cooking workshops, fashion shows, photos exhibitions, and thematic conversations;
- Go out with them like study visits;
- Establish contacts with other organizations, from European countries, in order to promote exchanges,
- Monitoring and helping the children and youngsters in their homework's, helping more intensively in areas where he/she feels more comfortable (for instance: English language tutoring, Math's, Geography, etc ), but also motivating them to study and to complete their objectives;
- Support in organizing the space for the youth: the adequate organization of the space is important for the specificities of the activities implemented.
The other half of the day (3 hours) will be spent working in the field Youth Information for Citizenship.
The Youth Information for Citizenship consists in the creation and development of strategies that contribute to the awareness of the young people, their role in the society, which they live in, and the opportunities available for them to become more active.
One of the strategies used is giving the youngsters the chance to have contact with other people through the participation in courses, seminars and youth exchanges. This is possible through the maintenance of information's boards of activities for young people, (in schools, and other public places), helping young people deciding which activities take part in the Information Desk, or creating specific activities to reach a certain result.
The EVS Volunteer will work with the team that is already running this project and will help them in their task, by taking part in the meeting of all activities in which they will participate. The EVS Volunteer will be encouraged to participate with their own ideas and experiences and during their EVS experience they will have the chance to introduce new activities according to their skills and interests, according with the team's objectives and possibilities, which will be implemented within the projects of ProAtlântico.
Considering the EVS Volunteer support, they will be accompanied by their mentor that belongs to their working team, which will help them to accomplish their tasks and will guide them through the process of preparing their project and activities.
Concerning the schedule thought for the volunteer's project, the volunteer could develop its activities from Monday to Friday from 10h-13h and 15h-18h. Saturday and Sunday are free days.
One extra hour will be used for personal development as language course, in order to help the EVS Volunteer in the process of integration into the Portuguese Culture. The duration and frequency of the trainings will depend on personal needs and abilities of the Volunteer.
During their stay the EVS volunteers will have the opportunity to integrate into the local community, to meet other young people, to socialize, to participate in leisure activities, etc.
Target group
At the Meeting Point project, there will be specific requirements; we are looking for volunteers self-motivated, willing to take on new challenges, and open to working with people of all backgrounds and cultures.
We will look for volunteers who are interested in working with, young people with a commitment to volunteering and more specifically youth work, and, had chosen our project because of the experience and development they will gain not only because it's in Portugal.
We would also be looking for a volunteer, who over time could bring something of their own experiences and culture, to enrich the hosting projects and local community.
2006-PT-07 - Portugal for All
Project description
Project environment: profile of the organization, regular activities and local community
The coordinating organization ProAtlântico - Associação Juvenil founded in 2001 is based in Porto Salvo, Oeiras, and carries out activities with children, young people, elderly people, and handicapped people, mainly in Oeiras Municipality.
Most of the activities with children and young people take place during the school breaks, such as sport tournaments, National and International exchanges, and entertaining and cultural activities; and after school, as educational support. We try to help these young people to develop life skills, to be more independent.
Along the year we have several projects with elder people, as summer camps, Cultural Trips, New Year party, and balls.
In 2003, we started to work with Youth Program, and we took part in youth exchanges in (Estonia, Romania, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Austria and France) and in several training courses and seminars around Europe. This is the first time we work with the European Voluntary Service.
Today ProAtlântico - Associação Juvenil with his 300 members, gives special attention to needy people, and those with less opportunities. And aims to give people the chance to establish contact with other cultures, in order to help them to find ways to deal with their own problems and to break the existing prejudices.
Cooperativa de S. Pedro - Education and Rehabilitation of the Citizens with Mental Handicaps is an institution of public utility, created in 1975, based in Barcarena in Oeiras municipality and directed to the education, rehabilitation and integration of the people mentally handicapped.
Cooperativa de S. Pedro has several valences: Service of House Support, Early Intervention, School of Special Education, Center of Resources and Assistive Technology, Occupational Activities Center and Residential Home.
Service of House Support's valence emerges from the necessity felt by the clients' families, with deficiency and/or dependency and it's main goal is offer a service of basic needs, physiotherapy and occupational therapy in the client's house, providing the well-being and life's quality to client's with deficiency and/or with dependency, resident in the Oeiras municipality.
Early Intervention is an integrated service that, in alliance with the Health Center of Oeiras, the team of Coordination of Educational Support of Oeiras and C.R.S.S., Local Service of Oeiras, Cooperativa de S. Pedro implemented in the area of the Health Center of Oeiras.
The main goal of this valence is the early prevention and intervention with families and/or children with serious alterations in their development (children at risk, between 0 and 6 years old).
The system of regular education adopts more each time the policies of inclusion of children with special education needs. However this is a reality that doesn't apply to every child, yet. Being aware of this situation, Cooperativa of S.Pedro maintains their School of Special Education and gives support to integration projects by promoting the educational success and stimulating the critical periods of learning, according with the potential of every student, in an environment the less restrictive possible. This is valence was created for students between 6 and 18 years old, resident in Oeiras council, for which the regular school doesn't have the adequate conditions to their inclusion.
With the goal of giving support to people with deficiency and/or with dependency, through the attribution of assistive technology, in a way to minimize the difficulties of mobility and autonomy to people with deficiency and/or dependency, from the Oeiras council, a center of resources and assistive technology was created in partnership with Barcarena's Social Center and the Oeiras municipality.
Occupational Activities Center is based in people's with mental deficiency quality of life, in a way that allow a personal and social valorization of their capacities, promoting significant activities and occupations.
This valence main goal is to promote activities and occupations, according with their interests, age and capacities, promoting social integration of people with age above 18 years old, residents in Oeiras council.
Residential home's valence was created to give a residential response, where the well-being and life quality comes first, through activities centered in the client. Its goal is to give response to people with low levels of autonomy that aren't compatible with residential projects and in the absence of a natural solution (to children, youth and adults, that frequent other valences of the institution and that need residential support, temporary or permanent)
To fulfill the objectives of all the valences, we have a multidisciplinary team that involves the several areas: occupational, physical and speech therapy, psychology, hipotherapy, hydrotherapy, swimming, physical education and snoezelen
Both organizations, ProAtlântico - Associação Juvenil and Cooperativa de São Pedro are based in Oeiras Municipality, in two close localities (Porto Salvo, Barcarena), 2 minutes by car from each other.
Oeiras is an important Village (45,8/km2) that offers the dynamism of large number of habitants (162.124) mainly young, near Lisbon the capital of Portugal (15 minutes), and 20 minutes from Sintra - World Patrimony, and 10 minutes from Cascais bay.
Oeiras has got many infrastructures of economic development such as TagusPark, LagoasPark and Quinta da Fonte (business centres). The Cultural opportunities are guaranteed not just because of the village environment and heritage (such as the Palace of Marquês, the gunpowder factory, the Poets Park and the recreation harbour) as for the preservation and good use of the space by the local authorities. The Shopping Center Oeiras Parque is a good example of an infrastructure that provides entertaining activities (shopping, cinemas) and rapid access to basic primary products to the inhabitants of the municipality.
Barcarena is is a small village, part of Oeiras municipality, between the sea and the montains. As far as public transportation is concerned, bus is the only service available, offering several regular connections to several train stations of the two lines (Cascais and Sintra) and that allow us to reach easily to the Lisbon (20 min), Sintra (35 min) and Cascais (40 min).
According to the last statistics information from 2001, the village of Barcarena (9,2/km2) has 11847 inhabitants.
In terms of social-economic context, the economics activity of Barcarena reflects a typical urban structure. The creation, in the last decade, of large business and commercial structures, has strongly contributed to the development and urbanism of he village, which has grown from a rural border area to a more dynamic place.
It is an area where most population can be considered average economic class, but has also some population with low financial incomes.
Nowadays, Barcarena has several restaurants, mini-markets, 1 market, 3 banks, 5 sports groups, 8 cultural associations, 2 police departments, 1 fire department, doctors, 3 pharmacies, 3 privative clinics, an university, 6 primary schools, 2 public and 2 private kinder gardens, 6 occupational youth centres, an extension of the Health Center, a municipal swimming pool.
It has a Mediterranean continental climate with very hot Summers, long and rigorous Winters with low precipitation levels.
Concerning the stay of the EVS volunteer, ProAtlântico will provide the lodging in a rented studio or room, and meals according to their preferences. He/She may find a variety of eating choices in Oeiras (self-services, small local restaurants, supermarkets, local food markets, etc.). ProAtlântico members will help him/her become familiar with these.
Proposed activities for international volunteers
For Cooperativa de S. Pedro the motivation to host EVS volunteers is strongly related with the opportunity it offers the mental disable people, the staff and other volunteers to meet and socialize with a person from other part of Europe, becoming aware of the realities, values and culture of the volunteers while they interacts with the Portuguese reality in the Institution and in the local community.
The integration of the EVS volunteers in the projects of the Cooperativa de S. Pedro is a good way to develop the skills of everyone involved, to acquire knowledge, implement different methodologies and establish friendly relationships. The mental disable people that use the services of the Cooperativa de S. Pedro, are generally very open and happy to meet new people, this will be for most of them the first experience with people from other countries.
For EVS volunteers taking part in this project will be a lifetime opportunity, because they will have the chance to see and participate in the daily activity in one of the most successful Institution working with Mental Disable People. The will also have the chance to learn specific techniques to work with this population, and within different fields, that can be used by the participants in their life's after this experience.
By other side the Volunteers will benefits from a great environment lived in the organization that will help them to fell part of local community. This will able them to understand and experience Portuguese culture, language and traditions.
The EVS volunteer can be a healthy influence for the development of the mental disable people. Beside the benefits that the volunteer will bring to the mental disable people and also to all the staff and volunteers involved, the motivation to host also comes with the chance to contribute to EVS volunteers personal development.
Every EVS Volunteer will have a Mentor that will be directly responsible for his/her training, personal support and language training and to whom he/she can turn in case of problems. They will be able to talk with their mentor about what their weekly activities will be. The first few weeks after the volunteer's arrival will be considered as a period of preliminary induction, during which the volunteer will be introduced to the project team and will gain familiarity with the new living and working environment. After this initial adjustment period, a more comprehensive induction programme will be formulated together with the volunteer.
As for the calendar of the activities, the project is defined in two periods:
This first period will be under the responsibility of the coordinating organization, ProAtlântico - Associação Juvenil, which will guarantee that the right reception is given to the EVS volunteers. During the first period, which include the first month after arrival, the main objective is to create the right conditions for the development of the project, giving the volunteer the opportunity to learn the Portuguese language, in a basic language course, the opportunity to have the first contacts with the local community, with Cooperativa de S. Pedro and with the different projects that will be developed during their stay. The volunteer will also participate in activities organised by ProAtlântico - Associação Juvenil for the cultural training, the integration in the Portuguese culture and dealing with cultural chocks. In this period, the EVS volunteers will have the opportunity to settle down, observe and plan the tasks in which they will be involved.
The second period, will begin in the second month until the end of the project, during this time, the volunteer will work directly in the tasks defined in Cooperativa de S. Pedro, with all the support of his/her Mentor and all the staff of Cooperativa de S. Pedro. Before the beginning of each task, the EVS volunteers will have the necessary briefing and/or training by qualified people to obtain the necessary knowledge to perform well in their functions. During this process all the training will be structured according to the necessities of the EVS volunteers.
The EVS Volunteer activities will generally be to give support the project staff in their daily activities. Their working time (6 hours) will be in Cooperativa de S. Pedro, a shelter home, where they will be involve in Activities with Mental Disable People (and have all the necessary conditions for this work).
The EVS Volunteers will have the chance to work in one or more valences of Cooperativa de S. Pedro: occupational (being with them and helping them to fulfill their leisure time), physical therapy (corporal activities, sportive activities, games, exercises) and speech therapy (take part of the sections with the therapist, and helping the youngster with his/her prescription homework), psychology (establish friendly relations with youngsters), hipotherapy and hydrotherapy (helping the participants with their exercises, playing games), swimming (games, helping with exercises), and snoezelen (helping the youngsters to explore the material and stimulations available) in the Occupational Activities Center, or taking part of the organization of Cultural activities such as visits (museums, cinema, tours, and exhibitions), theatres, folklore, according to the EVS Volunteer motivation, and capacity.
The presence of the EVS volunteers in this activities will give the chance of maximise the potentialities of the institution, because working with this target group need most of the time one person for each participant.
Considering the EVS Volunteer support, they will be accompanied by their mentor that belongs to their working team, which will help them to accomplish their tasks and will guide them through the process of preparing their project and activities.
The EVS Volunteer will work with the team that is already running this project and will help them in their task, by taking part in the planning of all activities in which they will participate. The EVS Volunteer will be encouraged to participate with their own ideas and experiences and during their EVS experience they will have the chance to introduce new activities according to their skills and interests, according with the team's objectives and possibilities, which will be implemented within the projects of Cooperativa de S. Pedro.
Concerning the schedule thought for the volunteer's project, the volunteer could develop its activities from Monday to Friday from 10h-13h and 16h-19h. Saturday and Sunday free days.
One extra hour will be used for personal development as language course, in order to help the EVS Volunteer in the process of integration into the Portuguese Culture. The duration and frequency of the trainings will depend on personal needs and abilities of the Volunteer.
During their stay the EVS volunteers will have the opportunity to integrate into the local community, to meet other young people, to socialise, to participate in leisure activities, etc.
Target group
At the Portugal for All project, there will be specific requirements; we are looking for volunteers self-motivated, willing to take on new challenges, and open to working with people of all backgrounds and cultures.
We will look for volunteers who are interested in working with, young people with a commitment to volunteering and more specifically youth work, and, had chosen our project because of the experience and development they will gain not only because it's in Portugal.
We would also be looking for a volunteer, who over time could bring something of their own experiences and culture, to enrich the hosting projects and local community.
[sursa euproject]
