Solidarity Corps volunteering
AUGUST 2019 to MAY 2020
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Outreach Youth Work in the Archipelago
SKUNK´s project Outreach Youth Work in the Archipelago is meant to train two volunteers who will travel around the archipelago of Åland, together with our youth coach, offering the youth new activities, either in their island or another place/city. The goal of this project is to connect young people from the archipelago of Åland with other young people from different cultures and backgrounds while we develop youth activities to increase their opportunities for social life and give them the chance to share their personal life experiences with others. In both senses, the youth and the volunteers, we want to develop a project based on solidarity, understanding it as an attitude of unity based on which we cooperate without expecting anything in return, with the application of what is considered good. Likewise, we are interested in strengthening social bonds, consequently uniting members of the archipelago of Åland. |
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SKUNKs organization and working methods
We are Skunk; a Youth Organisation that works in the archipelago of Åland Island, Finland. Åland is a small independent region in the Baltic Sea; six municipalities form its archipelago, populated by a minimum number of people. Because of its geographical difficulties, the young people of these islands spend much time isolated in them. To solve this problem, and gather youth from the archipelago, our organisation organise after-school activities, trips abroad, activities on the main island, and especially camps.
The schools in the archipelago have classes until 9th grade, after that, and to finish their education, the youth have to move to either the main Island, Åland or mainland Finland, or Sweden. That is the reason that our target group are mostly youth between 7th-9th grade from the archipelago of Åland, (about 40 in total of the archipelago) and up to 20 years old in the city of Mariehamn.
Our keywords are curiosity, initiative, responsibility, democracy, employment, entrepreneurship, empowerment, social abilities, creativity, participation, gender awareness and norm-critical approach.
Our work is developed within the frames of youth work, non-formal education. Our goal is to develop leisure activities in order to facilitate the social development of young people of the archipelago. To achieve this, we carry out different activities:
Camps: We gather the young people of the archipelago for about 2-3 days. We organize workshops, games, and other types of activities. We motivate young people to take some responsibility, such as leading games.
After-school activities: We travel to the islands as much as we can, organizing activities after school. The activities tend to be of relaxation, in order to create and strengthen a bond with young people.
Activities in the main Åland: as some of the young people move from the archipelago to the city, we do some in the city. Some of the young people move to live alone, so we organize dinners or meeting nights.
The schools in the archipelago have classes until 9th grade, after that, and to finish their education, the youth have to move to either the main Island, Åland or mainland Finland, or Sweden. That is the reason that our target group are mostly youth between 7th-9th grade from the archipelago of Åland, (about 40 in total of the archipelago) and up to 20 years old in the city of Mariehamn.
Our keywords are curiosity, initiative, responsibility, democracy, employment, entrepreneurship, empowerment, social abilities, creativity, participation, gender awareness and norm-critical approach.
Our work is developed within the frames of youth work, non-formal education. Our goal is to develop leisure activities in order to facilitate the social development of young people of the archipelago. To achieve this, we carry out different activities:
Camps: We gather the young people of the archipelago for about 2-3 days. We organize workshops, games, and other types of activities. We motivate young people to take some responsibility, such as leading games.
After-school activities: We travel to the islands as much as we can, organizing activities after school. The activities tend to be of relaxation, in order to create and strengthen a bond with young people.
Activities in the main Åland: as some of the young people move from the archipelago to the city, we do some in the city. Some of the young people move to live alone, so we organize dinners or meeting nights.
Outreach Youth Work in the Archipelago
SKUNK´s project Outreach Youth Work in the Archipelago. This project is meant to train two volunteers who will travel around the archipelago of Åland, together with the youth coach, offering the youth new activities, either in their island or another place/city.
The goal of this project is to connect young people from the archipelago of Åland with other young people from different cultures and backgrounds while we develop youth activities to increase their opportunities for social life, and give them the chance to share their personal life experiences with others. In both senses, the youth and the volunteers, we want to develop a project based on solidarity, understanding it as an attitude of unity based on which we cooperate without expecting anything in return, with the application of what is considered good. Likewise, we are interested in strengthening social bonds, consequently uniting members of the archipelago of Åland.
For SKUNK, it is fundamental to offer the youth new alternatives in their leisure time in their islands: when we are developing out activities like camps, we organise them in the archipelago, proving that it is possible to develop activities there. But also to offer them the possibility to discover other opportunities abroad, in the EU program, the volunteers are the best ambassadors of the EU projects.
The short-term aim is the first step of the project; the volunteers will understand the small society in the archipelago, the importance of practical and little things like checking the schedules of the ferries or how many students are in each island and its characterisation. These facts are essential things to organise activities. For the volunteers, this experiences of traveling among the archipelago, improving skills and knowledge, and developing their events, will give them the opportunity to understand youth work in a small society.
The goal of this project is to connect young people from the archipelago of Åland with other young people from different cultures and backgrounds while we develop youth activities to increase their opportunities for social life, and give them the chance to share their personal life experiences with others. In both senses, the youth and the volunteers, we want to develop a project based on solidarity, understanding it as an attitude of unity based on which we cooperate without expecting anything in return, with the application of what is considered good. Likewise, we are interested in strengthening social bonds, consequently uniting members of the archipelago of Åland.
For SKUNK, it is fundamental to offer the youth new alternatives in their leisure time in their islands: when we are developing out activities like camps, we organise them in the archipelago, proving that it is possible to develop activities there. But also to offer them the possibility to discover other opportunities abroad, in the EU program, the volunteers are the best ambassadors of the EU projects.
The short-term aim is the first step of the project; the volunteers will understand the small society in the archipelago, the importance of practical and little things like checking the schedules of the ferries or how many students are in each island and its characterisation. These facts are essential things to organise activities. For the volunteers, this experiences of traveling among the archipelago, improving skills and knowledge, and developing their events, will give them the opportunity to understand youth work in a small society.
Life for the volunteers
The first weeks, we will introduce the clues about Youth work, our organisation, getting to know some youth; in general, small meetings and tasks that they can get to understand the organisation and our work. Also, it is fundamental that the volunteers get to know some local organisations we collaborate with, it will be a mixture of meetings, researching, and study visits. Our goal for this period is that the volunteers can train and educate themselves on the understanding of different types of works, workshops, roles, methods, while they are meeting the staff and some local organisations. The first trips to the archipelago will be with the Youth coach: to introduce the volunteers the students, teachers and some local residents, and build a network around them so when in the case will come by themselves, they have already some people they know and can help them with the things are needed. Being in contact with the teachers, in a small context, will give the volunteers the opportunity to experience the formal education and educational system in a small society, even have the chance to shadow them in their work.
The volunteers will shadow Skunk´s activities, and together with the youth, they will speak about our keywords: curiosity, initiative, responsibility, democracy, employment, entrepreneurship, empowerment, social abilities, creativity, participation, gender awareness and norm-critical approach..
As our methodology is based on leisure and free-time activities with a scientific perspective, there is a purpose for everything we do; this will be done by reading some material, shadowing the workers, and travelling to all the archipelago's schools and joining the activities. The volunteers will learn about youth work at the same time they will start to plan some small activities, helped by the workers. It will be a continuous process through the project but will be more enlightened in the beginning. The volunteers will learn about the lifestyle of the youth in the archipelago: this will help them to understand the archipelago and the circumstances that they have to count on to prepare activities there. The theory and the practice are always connected in our work; it is necessary to be active and eager to do new duties, and open-minded to learn new things
The volunteers will shadow Skunk´s activities, and together with the youth, they will speak about our keywords: curiosity, initiative, responsibility, democracy, employment, entrepreneurship, empowerment, social abilities, creativity, participation, gender awareness and norm-critical approach..
As our methodology is based on leisure and free-time activities with a scientific perspective, there is a purpose for everything we do; this will be done by reading some material, shadowing the workers, and travelling to all the archipelago's schools and joining the activities. The volunteers will learn about youth work at the same time they will start to plan some small activities, helped by the workers. It will be a continuous process through the project but will be more enlightened in the beginning. The volunteers will learn about the lifestyle of the youth in the archipelago: this will help them to understand the archipelago and the circumstances that they have to count on to prepare activities there. The theory and the practice are always connected in our work; it is necessary to be active and eager to do new duties, and open-minded to learn new things
Practical arrangements
If it is possible, we will arrange an APV to help the volunteers to understand better our organisation and the work we do. We will help to organise the trip from Stockholm to Åland as it can a bit difficult. The SO will help with insurances and travel document. If not, our organisation will take responsibility for that.
We think that APV is essential when we host volunteers for one year; there are many details that people who are coming have to take into consideration, our region is unique, and to work here can be different. The APV will give the volunteers a better understanding of what they can expect but also that we will get a better image of the volunteers.
-Accommodation, and food: We will rent and take responsibility for organising an shared apartment or residence that is suitable for the volunteers. The accommodation will be in the city Mariehamn. When the workers and volunteers are in the archipelago, accommodation is at the schools. For that, it is necessary to bring a sleeping bag and a mattress.
-Working schedules and tasks. The volunteers will plan their working schedule together with the youth coach; there isn't one week like another, the timing is flexible and is a balance between the wishes of the volunteers and the organisations´ activities. The working hours for the volunteers are seven per day, five days a week While the volunteers are at the office, they have to prioritise their work related to their volunteer period; writing down the report for their organisation (if they have), filling up the evaluations form of their learning process, preparing the future activities, reading material, meetings with the youth coach, study visits, cleaning the common spaces at the office, have the Swedish training that is provided.
We think that APV is essential when we host volunteers for one year; there are many details that people who are coming have to take into consideration, our region is unique, and to work here can be different. The APV will give the volunteers a better understanding of what they can expect but also that we will get a better image of the volunteers.
-Accommodation, and food: We will rent and take responsibility for organising an shared apartment or residence that is suitable for the volunteers. The accommodation will be in the city Mariehamn. When the workers and volunteers are in the archipelago, accommodation is at the schools. For that, it is necessary to bring a sleeping bag and a mattress.
-Working schedules and tasks. The volunteers will plan their working schedule together with the youth coach; there isn't one week like another, the timing is flexible and is a balance between the wishes of the volunteers and the organisations´ activities. The working hours for the volunteers are seven per day, five days a week While the volunteers are at the office, they have to prioritise their work related to their volunteer period; writing down the report for their organisation (if they have), filling up the evaluations form of their learning process, preparing the future activities, reading material, meetings with the youth coach, study visits, cleaning the common spaces at the office, have the Swedish training that is provided.