About the host
Concordia is a French national non-governmental and non-profit making organization, founded in 1950 by English, German and French youngsters. Their aim was to enhance the values of tolerance
and peace after the 2nd world war by organizing international workcamps of young volunteers. The main objectives of Concordia are the following:
- Education in helping young people to grow up by acquisition of collective life.
- Culture in favoring the youth exchanges on an international level, always emphasizing the values of peace, friendship and mutual respect.
- Social in taking part in concrete actions of solidarity, as well as supporting a civic attitude.
- Social economy contributes to realization of local development, in favor of the environment, patrimony, tourism and socio-educational animation.
Project environment
The project takes place in La Boissière-École, a French commune located in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France region. La Boissière-école is located at the south-eastern limit of the Yvelines department (formerly Seine and Oise) not far from the Rambouillet forest. The village is very extensive, shared between the locality of Basse-Boissière where the castle of La Boissière is located and access to the Olympe-Hériot and Haute-Boissière school which constitutes the heart of the village with the large majority of inhabitants. La Boissière-Ecole is 74km from Paris and 52km from Versailles.
As we believe that doing an ESC is also to be involved in the activities of the association, we ask the volunteers to take part to the local events and activities that Concordia and the area organize ( Open doors of the school, international workcamp, opening days of Concordia) Moreover, we encourage volunteers to develop a personal project besides their initial mission
Task and activities
- Collaborate in the work of the teaching team by bringing an intercultural dimension
- Support individual or collective youth projects, or any other non-formal education project in themes chosen
collectively and according to your areas of interest (cooking / dance / heritage / digital / citizenship / health /
sustainable development / art / career guidance future) on time outside of school. - Investment in the daily life of children (outside school)
- Promotion of actions to raise awareness of river rehabilitation sites with a view to ecological continuity,
animation and promotion action for ecological improvement within the river on the Haras de Bory - DEMOS project: Philharmonie de Paris (classical instruments practice, once a month the students meet for
instrumental and choral practice). Participation in the logistics of the project. - Development and participation in international volunteer workcamps
- Support sustainable development initiatives within the establishmen
In addition, the volunteer will also be invited to take part in the time of the associative life of Concordia and will have the opportunity to meet the other volunteers. The detailed activities will be proposed by the volunteer according to his/her skills and interests and with the support of the pedagogical team. The project will also allow the volunteer to know and develop new pedagogical techniques in term of work with kids
Profile of participants
- Interest for education toward young pupils;
- Convinced by non-formal education principles and benefits;
- Speak good English and/or French or to be motivated to learn French;
- Motivation for European projects and international workcamps;
- Cultural, artistic or sport skills are more than welcome
- Be flexible, autonomous and open to meet/live with new people, to think outside of the box
- Availability to start in January
Practical conditions
35h/week with 2 days-off per week. The volunteer will have more holidays according to the school calendar. Thereby, some weeks the volunteer will work more and recover this time during the holidays. Working and living conditions: The volunteer will stay in the EPRD School with access to an individual house with two bedrooms (one for each volunteer), toilets, shower, kitchen and a living room. The volunteer will eat with the staff during the week and at the house during the weekends, and take shifts and split the various chores (planning, cleaning, shopping). We will encourage the purchase of local and seasonal products.
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