Bona Fides Association is looking for 3 volunteers from European Union countries to join amazing ESC project: “Mut tut gut – Bravery helps!” in Furtwangen, Germany. The volunteers will work at an educational center for children and young adults with mental disabilities, helping to prepare its students for future independent life!
To apply for this opportunity please send your CV and motivation letter to: mariachiara@bonafides.pl and anna@bonafides.pl. Please write in the title: ESC in Furtwangen, Germany.
Location: Furtwangen, Schwarzwald, Germany
Duration: 11 months
Mobility period: September 2023 – August 2024
Deadline: ASAP
About hosting organisation and the project
Reha-Südwest is an organisation formed by parents in 1960s, which originally existed for the purpose of helping its own members. Today it is a organisation that unites several institutions related to education and personal care, with headquarters in Karlsruhe and around 2000 employees.
Bregtalschule Furtwangen is one of Reha-Südwest’s institutions. It is an educational center for children and young adults with mental (and sometimes accompanying physical) disabilities. The school is educating people of 6 up to 20 years old. Each class consists of a small group of five to ten pupils and aims to prepare its students for future independent life. Children, teachers and educators do not only have regular lessons, such as the German language and mathematics, but also cook and clean together, go shopping and perform other important household and real life tasks.
Additionally to that, there are singing, art, woodworking and sports lessons, including horse-riding, swimming, riding a bicycle and playing football. Volunteers are a part of the pedagogical force of the class, assisting teachers and educators in their work. The tasks vary, depending on the necessities of the children and individual abilities and interests of the volunteer. The core of the daily routine consists of the time at school (8:15 -15:00 o’clock).
Accommodation, food and transport arrangements
Accommodation: International volunteers will live together in an apartment, sharing a modern kitchen and a bathroom; each will have a private room. The flat is situated in the middle of the town, just a two-minute walk away from the local university, a supermarket and the bus station. It takes about half an hour on foot to get from the apartment to school.
Food: The kitchen is fully equipped for cooking.
Transport: Regional transport ticket is provided, covering about 1/4 of Baden-Württemberg (area close to Offenburg, Basel, Freiburg, Konstanz) after school end and on weekends and holidays.
Training during the activity
Through work with our children the volunteer will have a chance to learn about various forms of disabilities. It is also possible to ask the class teacher about reasons and goals of an activity. After classes there are regular (normally weekly) meetings dedicated to the children of the class. 2 seminars as part of EVS program. Weekly meetings with mentors, experience exchange with other volunteers. Additional courses, such as First-Aid course, internal seminars dedicated to autism, epilepsy are possible.
Participant profile
Basic or fluent German skills are very helpful, helping the integration happen quicker. A volunteer will perform a role similar to the teachers’/educators’ work at school. He or she will always receive help if a difficult situation occurs and will be a part of an educational team. An interest and/or experience in pedagogic and social work is of a big advantage. An interest in and open mind for disabilities, as well as desire to help people by improving their lives, is expected. Physical contact while assisting children at their tasks or hygiene-related routine can be necessary.