Location: Ekenäs, Finland

Project name: Dagtek’s Arts&Crafts Workshop

Hosting organization: Kårkulla federation of municipalities

Sending organization: “Common Sense” Youth Organization

Purpose of the project: 

In Dagtek’s arts&crafts workshop (Konst och hantverk in Swedish) there are four workshops with different textile crafts, visual arts and ceramics. Each workshop has a coach who coordinates and leads the activities. At the moment Dagtek’s arts&crafts workshop community consists of 25 participants, who are mostly women with different types of intellectual disabilities or minor learning challenges and four workshop coaches/mentors.

Through European Solidarity Corps volunteer cooperation, Dagtek wishes to offer its community members the possibility to build networks and get a wider perspective on the world around us. At the same time, they hope to have one more person to be present for the clients and assist them in the daily workshop activities, as well as in social and practical situations during the day. In the arts & crafts workshop, the role of the volunteer is to support the clients with special needs in their textile crafts work, art activities and all kinds of daily activities. According to their skills and interests, the volunteer can also organise activities and teach the clients new skills especially related to arts & crafts. Despite their learning disabilities or other special needs, many of the clients of Dagtek workshop are quite independent in their daily activities. The role of the staff and volunteers is to coach and guide them in the arts & crafts activities and to support their independence in different everyday situations.

Number of volunteers: 1 volunteer between 18-30 years old (Only Azerbaijani citizenship)

Project period – 01.02.2022 to 31.01.2023 (12 months)

Deadline: 5th December 2021

How to apply?  

1. Please get registration number through European Youth Portal

2. Please download, fill in the Application Form and send it to the esc@maailmanvaihto.fi with the subject of “Dagtek’s Arts & Crafts Workshop” 

How to get a registration number?If you don’t have account on European Youth Portal, please watch our instruction videos from this Link

All costs are covered by European Solidarity Corps

No participation fee! 

Language: English

Accommodation, food and transport arrangements: 

The volunteer will be accommodated in a local host family if a host family is found. Otherwise, the volunteer will live in a shared flat together with another volunteer of Dagtek. Lunch is offered at Dagtek. Other meals will be provided by the host family or cooked by the volunteer (in which case the volunteer will get a food allowance). The possible daily commuting costs will be covered for the volunteer.

Application conditions and requirements for volunteering: 

We are looking for a volunteer interested in working with adults (18–60-year-olds) with different types of intellectual disabilities, autistic disorders or minor learning challenges. It is important that the volunteer is socially active, flexible and motivated to participate in community life, meaning being there for the clients and communicating actively with them. It is also important that the volunteer has open communication with the staff team and shares their ideas and observations with them. The working language of Dagtek is Swedish, so it is important that the volunteer is motivated to learn Swedish. We hope to find a volunteer with specific skills or interest and motivation in visual arts, handicrafts or art in a wider perspective; for example ceramics, photography or dancing. Having a volunteer with interest in arts would enrich the community and give the volunteer a genuine possibility to share their skills and experience. We wish that the volunteer has good social skills and is open to meeting new people. We appreciate flexibility and a positive outlook on life and other people. It is also important that the volunteer is able to tolerate fast-changing situations. If you feel like you have the ability to motivate and encourage people and awaken their interest in participating and being active, you are a good match for Dagtek’s team!