YfS with 6 other partners from CoE countries is organizing an information campaign focused on environmental education for children and youth. The campaign consists of diverse eco activities in international context encouraging children and youth to take care of European nature, their living environment. The campaign takes place at primary and secondary schools as children do not have there any environmental education and is run by young volunteers from NGOs that focus on environmental issues.
YfS partner is Ergli Secondary School where activities with youngsters are implemented.

The campaign will aim to activate young people in their local communities and show them the purpose of active citizenship. As all partner organisations are youth and deal with environmental protection and environmental education, the campaign will aim to encourage young people to be active in the field of environmental education for young people and children. 14 young people from 7 organisations from 7 countries (Czech Republic, Greece, Armenia, Romania, Latvia, Georgia, Russian Federation) will prepare the campaign and spread the international experience in the field of environmental education.

From YfS representatives are – Monta Grinberga (legal and administrative) and Kaiva Leiboma (actvities, facilitation and reports) with the support of geography teacher from Ergli Secondary School.

We specifically aim:

• to promote environmental human rights among children and young people
• to make youth understand human impact on nature
• raising awareness of sustainable lifestyle in Europe
• to share experience and knowledge about environmental education on the international level
• to provide workshops on environmental issues to primary and secondary school students
• to promote environmental awareness among youth, give sufficient information about nature, learn and respect it

Up-dates and more information from the ECO campaign you can read here

Project is supported by the Council of Europe programme European Youth Foundation and promoted by the organization Youth and Environment Europe.

Training course: Capacity building for the future promoters in EVS

Finnish National Agency has supported training course on the topic of European Voluntary Service to understand the concept and philosophy of YiA and EVS. Association “Youth for Society” is one of the partnerorganizations for this event.
Other participants coming from Finland, Poland, Estonia, Lithuania and Bulgaria.

YfS will be represented by 5 participants: Katrīna Liepiņa, Tonija Bizunova, Juta Šķipore, Marta Empele un Sandris Krūmiņš.
Project objectives:

• to understand the concept and philosophy of YiA and EVS;
• to involve young people with fewer opportunities in EVS
• to show and stress on intercultural dimensions of an EVS project;
• to improve the ability for co-operation and working in an EVS partnership;
• to share knowledge and expertise to ensure quality standards as spelled out in the YiA pro-gramme guidelines;
• to improve attitude, skills, and knowledge about the role/function/work of the different pro-ject partners;
• to raise confidence in organising EVS projects;
• to support the direct exchange and feedback between the participating organisations on EVS;
• to prepare sending and hosting organisations for the challenges they face while cooperating;
• to introduce Youthpass, as tool for learning.

Target group: As a Youth in Action TC, this project targets those active in youth work. The participants of the TC will be youth leaders, youth workers and NGO activists those who are going to be the future promoters of European Voluntary Service and:

• Have a possibility to multiply gained knowledge and activities for and with youth
• Are motivated and enthusiastic
• Can communicate and work in English

Info pack
Application form

Training course is supported by European Commission programme “Youth in Action”, thus 70% of travel costs are reimbursed after the project, 100% accommodation and food during the project are covered.

Partnership Building Activity: Volunteers for Environment

European Commission programme “Youth in Action” has supported partnership building activity that aims to connect youth organizations from EU and Eastern European/Caucasian countries interested and involved in environmental activities and working with volunteers. Association “Youth for Society” is one of the partnerorganizations for this event.
Other participants coming from Russia, Moldova, Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, Armenia, Portugal, Lithuania, Italy, Spain, Romania, Croatia and Albania.

YfS will be represented by Ieva Smilga.
Project goal:
to provide a platform to get acquainted with environmental issues, challenges, policies, campaigns and movements engaging young volunteers in protecting nature and to create possibilities for exchange of information and experience, best practices and volunteer management models, to develop new strategies/ideas for joint projects, to learn about possibilities that YiA provides and new opportunities of cooperation with EECA region, and to enhance skills in running quality projects.

Participant profile:

• Up to 30 years old (regulations of YEE-applicant organization)
• Experience of working in youth organizations
• Experienced in environmental projects, international projects and work with volunteers
• In a position to initiate and follow up European project on behalf of their organizations

Info pack

Partnership Building Activity is supported by European Commission programme “Youth in Action”, thus 70% of travel costs are reimbursed after the project, 100% accommodation and food during the project are covered.

YfS is one of key-partners in this project.The website will be followed by the publishing of a free magazine, containing a fine selection of best site’s contents, published every 3 month. With the cooperation of CULTURE GOES EUROPE (CGE) – Soziokulturelle Initiative Erfurt e.V. and five partner countries (Italy, Romania, Portugal, Latvia and France) we’re looking for young journalists, reporters, free minds and art’s vibe addicted – FROM ALL OVER EUROPE!!!
Call for articles

In the frame of the project implementation we are looking for young people interested to contribute as young journalists with their stories, pictures, documentaries, reportages, etc… If you think you can fit in this profile and you are interested in cooperation, please send an e-mail to eddypress@gmail.com and in copy to office@cge-erfurt.org

• SPread is a platform for an intercultural knowledge sharing through words, voices and images.
• SPread is art and fresh ideas.
• SPread is the remote screen of what’s happening among Europe; different minds divided by different languages and borders but gathered under the same will of change.
• SPread is a space for young journalists and art freaks

SPread is free and you can be part of it!

The project was supported by European Commission programme “Youth in Action”.

European Voluntary Service project during European Basketball Championship event in Lithuania, 2011

Lithuanian National Agency of Youth in Action programme has supported EVS project. “Eurobasket of volunteers 2011″ gathered 12 young people from countries that had their teams playing in European basketball championship in Lithuania (France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Israel and Latvia). Project seeked to ensure intercultural learning in the local community and among the volunteers during one of the biggest sport events in Europe.
There were 3 volunteers from Latvia: Laima Kazēka, Ieva Aleksandraviča, Jānis Bukšs.

Volunteers contributed to the Basketball Fans Sports and Culture Festival which took place on September 3 in Kuršėnai. Volunteers organised presentations of their basketball culture and traditions, organised online and offline communication of the festival targeted to fans of their national teams, assisted embassies and cultural institutes in organising presentations of their cultures during the festival, assisted in organising workshops, sports competitions and helped in coordinating the whole festival. Before and after the festival foreign volunteers mobilised local young people to renovate one street basketball field in local community of Kuršėnai and motivated young people to take responsibility for their local environment.

Background:
The project was related to two grand European projects:
-European basketball championship which was held in Lithuania from 31 August till 18 September. Basketball is the most popular sport in Lithuania and the championship was seen as the most important European event ever held in contemporary Lithuania. Kuršėnai is situated just 25 km away from Siauliai town, where group games of the championship were held. National teams of Italy, Israel, France, Latvia, Germany and Serbia played in Siauliai town from 31 August until 6 September; later on qualified teams played in Kaunas and Vilnius. It was planned that many fans from other countries were going to visit Lithuania during the championship.
-European year of volunteering which aimed to draw public attention to volunteering and aimed to promote volunteering amongst European citizens. Number of people who volunteer and awareness of volunteering in Lithuania is relatively low, therefore, actions to promote volunteerism by civic organisations were of utmost importance.
The project was supported by European Commission programme “Youth in Action”.

Detailed information

Youth for Society has received grant from Latvian National Agency of Youth in Action programme to implement the youth exchange on environmental issues related with youth active participation.
Partners coming from Portugal, Austria, Poland and Slovenia. Youth exchange was be implemented in August 1-8, 2011.
30 youngsters from 5 countries spent time in Latvia to share, experience and learned about the importance of environmental resources in daily life – how to preserve the nature, what we can take from the nature without making damage in the future, and how we can enjoy nature through various outdoor activities.

The team of YfS consisted of:
• project coordinator – Guna Ģīle
• group leader – Monta Ģīle
• support of implemenatation and financial issues – Santa Grinberga
YfS participants were Madara Gūtmane, Katrīna Liepiņa, Reinis Klaužs, Guna Zvaigzne, Zane Rektiņa and Uldis Jaško.

The aim of the project was to involve youngsters from cities in open air activities to foster their understanding about importance of clean environment. As the target group of youth spends most of the time indoors (studying, working, playing computergames and watching TV) they do not recognize nature’s given opportunities of recreation and importance of it’s conserving.

Objectives of the project “ECO”:
•    To understand what does the youngster feel when he is polluting environment and when he sees such environment;
•    To make them find out what is more important – to clean up polluted environment or spread information about importance of conserving nature;
•    To attain youth vision how to solve environmental problems;
•    To enjoy nature together with other youngsters;
•    To work in team with one goal;
•   To develop and foster friendship, understanding, tolerance, respect and harmony between European youth involving them in projects connecetd with nature sciences;
•   To share experience and examples of youth activities among involved participating countries and consider potential future co-operation promoting European citizenship;
•    To motivate youngsters to be socially active.

The project was supported by European Commission programme “Youth in Action” and financed my Latvian National Agency “Youth International Programmes Agency”.

Youth for Society in cooperation with Youth Association DRONI had received grant from Latvian National Agency of Youth in Action programme to implement in Ureki (Georgia) the training course KDM which promoted youth active citizenship and initiatives at local level.
There were represented EU and EECA countries. Participants coming from Latvia, Poland, Portugal, Hungary, Belarus, Moldova, Georgia and Armenia.Training course was held in June 15-22, 2011.
YfS was represented by 3 participants – Katrīna Privka, Vija Olte and Almants Poikāns. In the team project coordinator – Sigita Zosule, one of the trainers – Santa Grinberga.

Proposed training course programme aimed at promoting the building and strengthening of open and democratic European societies. This programme was based on a philosophy of participation, volunteering and intercultural exchange for young people who are in a position to act as “multipliers”. The knowledge and experience gained at international training course “KDM – Know it better, Do it harder, Make it real” can be used by young people in their countries to develop initiatives at local and regional level:

• promoting and sustaining the role of young leaders and youth organisations in the development of local volunteering and participation at local level;
• promoting access of young people to decision-making and development of local initiatives;
• promoting citizenship education and participation of and by young people.

AIM: The main aim of the course was to facilitate the development and implementation of local initiatives and volunteering projects at local and regional level.
THE FOLLOWING ELEMENTS WERE TACKLED BY THE TRAINING:
-Active participation;
-Voluntary work and youth initiatives;
-Concept of civil society and democracy;
-European Charter on Youth Participation on local and regional level;
-Current needs and project development analysis;
-Developing project ideas for youth initiatives.

The project was supported by European Commission programme “Youth in Action” and financed by Latvian National Agency “Youth International Programmes Agency”.

16 Latvian participants spent 4 days in a Mediterranean atmosphere near Riga, even though behind window it was still winter time. The aim of TC was to discuss on EuroMed within cultural context, cooperation tools and to motivate interest about the neighbouring region of EU.
More information about TC you can read in Latvian here.