Below you can get introduced with the stories of EVS-volunteers Youth Initiative Centre NGO has hosted through European Voluntary Service within the framework of the Youth in Action program.
Schuman Volunteers = Active Citizens
November 2013 – September 2014
The main theme of the project is promotion of non-formal education methods. The primary aim of the project is to create opportunities for volunteers to learn about non-formal education methods through organizing various leisure time activities and programmes.
Project Duration: 10 months
Project Venue: Gyumri, Armenia
Volunteer: Krystyna Lewińska
Volunteer Tasks: Conducting and running Photography Club, on-line distance classes, discussion club and Chinese club, presenting Polish language and culture at Polish community.
Active Citizens in Caucasus
October 2013 – October 2014
The general theme of the project is to promote active citizenship and inclusion of marginalized youth groups: unemployed young people, children and youth with special needs, young people from deprived and rural areas. The activities aim to strengthen the role and outreach of local youth organizations and support the development of youth work in the Southern Caucasus.
Project Duration: 12 months
Project Venue: Gyumri, Armenia
Volunteer: Alex Foss Drey, Judith Fürstenberg
Volunteer Tasks: Conducting and running German cultural club for the youth of Gyumri at YIC office, at Gyumri Pedagogical University, presenting German language and culture to the schoolchildren of t Gyumri German School, assisting the organization in on-going activities.
Open the Doors!
August 2013 – February 2014
The general theme of this activity is raising European awareness and fostering cultural exchange in the city of Gyumri. The project is a response to a strongly present interest in and a need to facilitate access to European culture in general, especially for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Project Duration: 6 months
Project Venue: Gyumri, Armenia
Volunteer: Thomy Sadatchy
Volunteer Tasks: Conducting and running French language club for the youth of Gyumri, maintaining the organization’s website, assisting PR department of Gyumri municipality, managing YIC youth radio.
Active Citizens in Caucasus
November 2012 – September 2013
The general theme of the project is to promote active citizenship and inclusion of marginalized youth groups: unemployed young people, children and youth with special needs, young people from deprived and rural areas. The activities aim to strengthen the role and outreach of local youth organizations and support the development of youth work in the Southern Caucasus.
Project Duration: 11 months
Project Venue: Gyumri, Armenia
Volunteer: Anna Schott, Johanna Traubler
Volunteer Tasks: Conducting and running German cultural club for the youth of Gyumri, presenting German language and culture to the schoolchildren of Gyumri German School. Organizing outdoor activities with the children of the local community.
Take Initiative – Gain Experience
December 2012 – July 2013
The general theme of this activity was raising European awareness and fostering cultural exchange in the city of Gyumri. The project was also directly aimed at expanding the scope of knowledge of local Armenian youth about European citizenship.
Project Duration: 8 months
Project Venue: Gyumri, Armenia
Volunteer: Nele Tast
Volunteer Tasks: Organizing and implementing cultural projects for local youth of Gyumri, doing weekly activities for the children of Armenian Caritas “Little Prince” Social Centre, conducting “Friday Cafe”, implementing own initiatives, assisting the organization in PR activities.
Next Step
October 2012 – June 2013
The general theme of this activity is raising European awareness and fostering cultural exchange in the city of Gyumri. The project is a response to a strongly present interest in and a need to facilitate access to European culture in general, especially for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Project Duration: 9 months
Project Venue: Gyumri, Armenia
Volunteer: Kristoffer Ørsnes
Volunteer Tasks: Organizing and conducting “European” and “EyoU” clubs, assisting in the organization web-site finalization, editing and designing YIC monthly newsletter, assisting in on-going projects of the organization.
Schuman volunteers learning by doing
October 2012 – May 2013
The main theme of the project is promotion of non-formal education methods. The primary aim of the project is to create opportunities for volunteers to learn about non-formal education methods through organizing various leisure time activities and programmes.
Project Duration: 8 months
Project Venue: Gyumri, Armenia
Volunteer: Aleksandra Ziebra
Volunteer Tasks: Conducting and running Polish culture club, stressing the culture, food and traditions, assisting in the preparation and implementation process of “European” and “EyoU” clubs, presenting Polish language and culture to the Polish community in Gyumri.
Mixture of Cultures
October 2012 – May 2013
The general theme of the project is raising the level of knowledge of the local youth on European citizenship, get them to know other cultures, to understand that whatever is different is not necessarily wrong but rather a new field of knowledge one should acquire.
Project Duration: 8 months
Project Venue: Gyumri, Armenia
Volunteer: Iustina Pascari, Luis Carvalo, Victoria Walter
Volunteer Tasks: Conducting and running European club open for public, “Portugese Club”, “Animation workshops”, “EyoU” (EU) club, as well as they have managed to realize their own initiatives such as “Friday Café”, “Color the city”, “Women week”, “Polish days in Armenia”, “Warm winter”
Discover the Other
March 2012 — September 2012
The general theme of this activity was raising European awareness and fostering cultural exchange in the city of Gyumri. The project was a response to a strongly present interest in French culture and language, and a need to facilitate access to European culture in general, especially for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. The project was a need to facilitate the “European Corner” held by YIC.
Project Duration: 7 months
Project Venue: Gyumri, Armenia
Volunteer: Flavie Laporte&nbs p;
Volunteer Tasks: Organizing French conversational and cultural clubs for YIC members. Flavie was also leading “EyoU” (EU) club with the other EVS volunteers of YIC. She was actively involved in ongoing activities of the organization.
Supporting Youth Initiative
March 2012 — August 2012
The general theme of this activity was raising European awareness and fostering cultural exchange in the city of Gyumri. The project was a need to facilitate access to European culture in general, especially for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. The project was a need to facilitate the “European Corner” held by YIC.
Project Duration: 6 months
Volunteer: Kert Kivaste
Project Venue: Gyumri, Armenia
Volunteer Tasks: Main task of the volunteer was presenting Estonian and European culture. Kert was organizing Estonian cultural club, as well as “Book reading” club for YIC members. He was conducting English classes for the kids at the “Little Prince” Social Centre. Kert was actively involved in on-going projects and activities of YIC.
Schuman Volunteers Changing Frontiers
October 2011 — June 2012
The purpose of this project was to encourage healthy lifestyles for the youth of the Huys Children House and the Armenian Caritas Little Prince Social Centre, and to make their free time more constructive through organizing different art, cultural, and linguistic activities.
Project Duration: 9 months
Project Venue: Gyumri, Armenia
Volunteers: Adam Kowalczuk, Andrzej Podsiadlik
Volunteer Tasks: Organizing leisure activities and programs to improve the out-of-school lives of Huys orphans, and organizing and assisting with various sport activities at Armenian Caritas Little Prince Social Centre. Both volunteers and the organizations gained huge experience.
Danish Spirit in Gyumri
October 2011 — March 2012
The general theme of this activity was raising European awareness and fostering cultural exchange within the city of Gyumri. The project also directly seeks to enlarge the scope of knowledge of the local youth about European citizenship, expose them to other cultures, encourage them to appreciate cultural differences and to view differences as a potential new area of knowledge to acquire.
Project Duration: 6 months
Project Venue: Gyumri, Armenia
Volunteer: Kasper Badstue Jacobsen
Volunteer Tasks: Organizing Danish language and cultural clubs for YIC members, and conducting regular linguistic and cultural activities at Armenian Caritas Little Prince Social Centre. The project aimed at raising European awareness and fostering cultural exchange in the city of Gyumri and we believe we completely achieved the goal. The project actively involved the local youth in creating their own future and building their personal life and the life of the community they live in. The presence of the Danish volunteer in Gyumri was a good chance both for the Armenian children and youth and the volunteers to experience and benefit from the cultural exchange.
German Culture in Gyumri
June 2011 — November 2011
The general theme of this activity was raising European awareness and fostering cultural exchange in the city of Gyumri. The project was also directly aimed at expanding the scope of knowledge of local Armenian youth about European citizenship.
Project Duration: 6 months
Project Venue: Gyumri, Armenia
Volunteer: Granit Berisha
Volunteer Tasks: Organizing German conversational and cultural clubs for YIC members, and conducting regular linguistic and cultural activities for the pupils of Gyumri German School. Granit also led regular Juggling Workshops for the young people of Gyumri and was actively involved in ongoing activities of the organization. The presence of the German volunteer in Gyumri was a good chance both for the Armenian children and youth and the volunteer to experienc e and benefit from the cultural exchange.
We Can Do More!!!
October 2010 — June 2011
The overall aim of the project was to provide rehabilitation and life skills development to the under-privileged youth at the Daily Care Centre in Gyumri, and to make their free time more constructive by organizing different art therapy activities, as well as cultural and linguistic activities, with them.
Project Duration: 9 months
Project Venue: Gyumri, Armenia
Volunteers: Piotr Dudanowicz, Łukasz Skoczylas
Volunteer Tasks: Coordinating leisure activities and various programs for disabled children at the centre. Although the main focus of the volunteers’ work was on organizing activities at the centre, the volunteers were also actively involved in the local and international projects of YIC.
We are Living with HUYS
June 2010 — March 2011
The overall aim of this project was to promote healthy lifestyles for the youth of the Huys Children House and make their free time more productive by organizing different art, cultural, and linguistic activities with the children.
Project Duration: 9 months
Project Venue: Gyumri, Armenia
Volunteers: Krzysztof Karczewski, Monika Sujewicz
Volunteer Tasks: Organizing leisure activities and programs to improve the lives of Huys orphans, assisting YIC in organizing, conducting, and initiating various youth clubs. The project aimed to better the life of the kids of the Children House, and during their voluntary service the volunteers did their best to ring colors to the lives of the kids. The children were given opportunity to learn new things, to experience new culture, as the volunteers were sharing their culture with them.
Italian Spirit in Gyumri
November 2009 — March 2010
The general theme of the activity was raising European awareness and fostering cultural exchange in the city of Gyumri. The project was a response to a strongly present interest in Italian culture and language, and a need to facilitate access to European culture in general, especially for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Project Duration: 3 months
Partner: AFSAI
Project Venue: Gyumri, Armenia
Volunteer: Andrea Filippi
Volunteer tasks: Preparing and conducting “Italian Club” for YIC members, which included organizing a language club. Assisting Armenian Caritas in Gyumri taking photos and then writing reports for the particular projects (Old Aged Care centers, Orphanages, Social Centers, etc.) he visited. The result of this activity was that youth of the northern regions of Armenia have learnt much more about European culture, and the activities and goals of the Youth in Action Programme. This was accomplished by the exchange of not only language but also may other activities like movie festivals, cultural events and trainings.
New HUYS for Children
October 2009 — July 2010
The overall aim of the project was to provide assistance and help of children of Gyumri “HUYS” Children’s. The project also directly aimed at enlarging the scope of knowledge of the local youth on European citizenship; get them to know other cultures.
Project Duration: 8 months
Partner: Fundacja dla Wolności
Project Venue: Gyumri, Armenia
Volunteers: Lukasz Maciejczuk, Anna Paradowska
Volunteer tasks: Organizing the leisure time of the kids of “HUYS” Children House, conducting Polish club for the young members of YIC , assisting YIC in on-going projects and daily activities. The project helped to promote young people’s active citizenship in general and their European citizenship in particular and promoted European cooperation in the youth field.”HUYS” Children House, Conducting Polish club for the young members of YIC, assisting YIC in on-going projects and daily activities.