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Improving
the surroundings of an environmental education centre
near
Heidelberg The area around the Landschulheim needs to be cleared of woodland which has been neglected over recent years. This includes removing alien species, cutting trees and bushes or cleaning a small pond. Besides, the two sports grounds need to be taken care of. There will be various tasks to do around the house and you will be sometimes supervised by teachers of the school or work together with pupils. Language: English Accommodation: The Landschulheim offers very comfortable conditions and has sleeping rooms with 4-8 beds. Location: Schoenau is a small town, approximately 15 km from Heidelberg, situated in the Odenwald hills. The present settlement of Schoenau grew up around a monastery, which gives example of historical movements. The nature in the area is very beautiful and many tourists are visiting this region every year. Train station: Heidelberg, Neckarsteinach Airport: Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Karlsruhe
Age range: 18 - 30 years old
Restoring
a stream and reviving a biotope in Pluederhausen Volunteers will help to keep the stream’s water under control and the water level low. This means building of “stoppers” and natural steps in the stream and around it, for example with stone or wooden palisades. Tools used for this are picks and scoops. Another effect of the palisades is that they provide possibilities for insects and small animals to find a shelter. Next to the stream, a biotope died of lack of water. After the construction of a new water source, it should get back to life. Therefore, bushes and trees around have to be cut. Professional workers will support, instruct and guide the participants at work. Volunteers should be prepared to work in all weathers and work may be hard sometimes. Some volunteer projects have already taken place in the town, so the locals are experienced in hosting them and are looking forward to welcome you. As the projects are organised very carefully, all participants should be very motivated. Language: English Accommodation: The group will live in a school. There is a big kitchen and a place for barbecue outside. Beds are provided. Location: Pluederhausen is a small town with approximately 9.500 inhabitants. It is situated approximately 50 km northwest of Stuttgart. The participants will have the chance to experience a nature park by hiking or enjoy swimming in the lake. More sporting activities like beach volleyball, tennis or miniature golf will be organised by the municipality. There are also a few bigger cities to visit like Stuttgart or Heilbronn. Train station: Pluederhausen Airport: Stuttgart
Age range: 18 - 30 years old
Renovation
of children's playgrounds
Volunteer project: The city Gevelsberg is
located in the beautiful valley of the Ennepe. With your help, playgrounds will
be renovated and rearranged in order to make them more attractive for kids. Language: English Accommodation: You’ll stay in circus wagons. Location: Gevelsberg is in North Rhine-Westphalia, 15 km from Hagen, 30 km from Dortmund, 65 km from Cologne. The city offers a broad cultural program. In the youth centre you can play billiard and mini-golf, and there’s an adventure swimming pool. There are possibilities for trips to Dortmund, Bochum and Cologne. Train station: Gevelsberg Airport: Dortmund
Age range: 16 - 26 years old
Environmental maintenance of
biotopes, gardens and
watercourses in Bavaria Volunteer project: The beautiful village of Babenhausen is close to Memmingen and Ulm, not far from the Bavarian Alps. Under the guidance of an environment-educationist from the Youth-Education-venue “Babenhausen” and the support of local workers, you will be involved with different tasks, such as taking care of ecological sanctuaries (Biotopes), rebuilding natural watercourses and help enlarging the Garden of senses belonging to the youth centre. You will be introduced to the topic of amphibian life and the importance of water protection; you will be working artistically and creatively. In your free time, you can make trips to Lake Constance, to Munich, to Ulm, to Kempten, to Augsburg, or undertake one of the many hiking-tours offered in the Alps. If the weather is good, you can go swimming in the lake close-by. In order for you to discover the region, you can borrow a bicycle. Language: English Accommodation: Shared rooms in a house, close to the lake. Location: Bavaria; 120 km away from Munich, 40 km from Ulm, 60 km from Kempten and 90 km from Lake Constance. Train station: Sontheim (Schwab) Airport: Munich
Age range: 18 - 26 years old
Running
a summer holiday play scheme for kids in Marbach Volunteers will take care of the children during the play scheme and they will offer own workshops and activities – this means volunteers should bring creative and handcrafting skills. Working hours will be Monday to Friday, start in the morning till late in the afternoon. Special requirements: Volunteers should have German language skills and send a motivation letter in German showing their interest in working with kids. Language: English and German Accommodation: The accommodation will either be home stays in families in town or the group will be accommodated all together in a building of the community. Location: Marbach is known as the birth place of the classical poet Friedrich Schiller. The Schiller National Museum and the German Literature Archive are popular destinations. The town has a picturesque centre with several churches and many historical houses. Train station: Marbach am Neckar Airport: Stuttgart
Age range: 18 - 30 years old
Construction
of a leisure park
for
children, youth and adults
in
Haiterbach Volunteers will help to set up parts of the leisure park. This means for example to help with the construction of the play scheme or the beach volleyball-court. According to the needs, there are different tasks to do, and volunteers will be supervised by professionals. Work might be demanding sometimes and will be outside, so volunteers should be prepared to work in all weathers. Language: English
Accommodation: The volunteers will be accommodated in a newly renovated
historical building called “Zehntscheuer”. In the Middle Ages it was used by
farmers for storing corns and crops. After a recent renovation, this historic
building was transformed into a modern community house including a big courtyard
used for cultural events and rooms for a kindergarten and different activities
for young and old people. Location: Haiterbach is a town with about 5.800 inhabitants consisting of five districts. It is situated in the eastern Black Forest, 20 km northeast of Freudenstadt and 30 km west of Tuebingen. About 1000 years ago it was first mentioned and historical traces can be found in the town. The Black Forest is a famous wooded mountain range. The highest peak is the Feldberg with an elevation of 1.490 meters. There are numerous paths suitable for day walks. Train station: Nagold Airport: Stuttgart
Age range: 18 - 30 years old
Organizing a summer feast in a Home for mentally handicapped people Volunteer project: In the Koepenick district on the outskirts of Berlin, within close proximity to two rivers, lakes and extensive forests, there is a Home for mentally handicapped people run by the social foundation “Koepenick”. Your main task will be to organise and run a summer fete together with the residents. We would hope that the preparation of decorations, games, entertainment (for example, music and theatre) and food would mirror the varied cultural backgrounds of the participants. Other tasks are the creation of a herb and vegetable bed for each of the groups living in the home, and taking day trips with the residents. Most of the residents work in workshops until early afternoon and you will need to be flexible in arranging your working time and be prepared to work in the afternoons. Language: English Accommodation: In rooms belonging to the protestant parish of Berlin-Oberschöneweide. Location: Berlin. Köpenick is the largest geographic section of Berlin. Seventy-five percent of the district is water, forests, and meadows. For the people of Berlin, this district serves as a recreational area. Train station: Berlin Airport: Berlin
Age range: 18 - 26 years old
Improve
your German and help in workshops for disabled in Berlin Volunteer project: This volunteer project takes place at the Spandau branch of the “Mosaic Workshop for the Disabled” which includes twelve different workshop areas, such as industrial assembly, laundry, joinery, home-grown produce, canteen, etc, and provides work for 260 mentally disabled people. The facility also provides care, support and education. During the second and third week you will work for about 4 hours in the Mosaic workshop. Your tasks will be to rearrange the surrounding area, to plant flowers and to arrange sitting areas. Furthermore you will have the chance to gain an insight view into the work of this workshop. If you want, you can help and learn how to cooperate with disabled people. Study part: In addition to working at the Mosaic workshops, this project gives you the opportunity to learn more German. During week one, you’ll have four to five hours of language tuition per day. Your tutors are experienced teachers of German as a foreign language and also participate in the workcamp. During the next two weeks, you’ll spend about four hours each day in the workshop areas, where you can practice and improve your newly acquired knowledge of German. An hour’s German tuition straight after work should help to ensure that you retain whatever new words and phrases you learned that day. Special requirements: This project is for participants with a basic knowledge of German. Language: English and German Accommodation: You’ll stay at the Grunewald centre, in the middle of the Grunewald forest and close to lake Grunewald. Location: Berlin. The centre of Berlin is within easy reach by public transport. You will receive the tickets for this. The 3 hectare big area is big enough for camping, an outside theatre, for BBQ, and to play football. Train station: Berlin Airport: Berlin Age range: 18 - 26 years old
Extra fee: 300 Euro
Creating
a
new meeting center for
migrants in Bremen Volunteer project: The intercultural workshop “Tenever” is a society which aim is to encourage a better and smoother integration within the city of Bremen. Within the district “Tenever” of Bremen, about 80 different nations live together, sometimes in poor conditions. This summer the workshop will move to other premises and we will need your help for setting up this new meeting point. You will do some painting, re-arrange and design the interior decoration, and much more handcraft work. You can leave your creativity full bent. You will work together with the society members and learn a lot about their background, lives as migrants in Bremen and further projects of the association, such as meal service counter, addiction help centre or taking care of public parks. Language: English Accommodation: You will stay in a school or an empty building. Location: In Bremen; 120 km away from Hamburg. From the district “Tenever” it is easy to reach Bremen’s downtown. This city exists since 1200 year and therefore has lots of historical interest points. Furthermore, you will find nice places for shopping and interesting museums. On the weekends you will have the opportunity to visit the North-See coast, Hamburg and other interesting places around. Train station: Bremen Central station Airport: Bremen or Hamburg
Age range: 16 - 26 years old
Organizing a holiday program for mentally
and physically disabled people Volunteers and disabled people will spend their time together to be creative, have fun, do handicrafts, go on excursions, playing games, do sports,.... In total there will be around 20 disabled and non-disabled children, youth and adults, which will be divided into groups according to the needs and abilities (the group with severely handicapped will for example be offered quieter activities). An introduction seminar for all volunteers will take place on the first Sunday to explain the rules, responsibilities and tasks. Local volunteers will work together with the international group and they will have lunch altogether. The weekends will be free and you can either spend leisure time in the families you live together with or with the group. Special requirements: Project language will be German and English! Please add a motivation letter to show your interest and experience in working with disabled people (What kind of experience do you have? Do you have experiences in taking care of disabled persons including sanitary aspects?). Language: English and German Accommodation: The accommodation will be in families, which means an experience of “real German culture”. Location: Sindelfingen has about 60.000 residents and is about 15 km south west of Stuttgart. It has an economy fuelled mostly by the automobile industry and the weaving industry. Nice excursions in the Black Forest for hiking tours are possible as well as sightseeing trips to cities like Stuttgart or Heidelberg. Train station: Sindelfingen – Goldberg Airport: Stuttgart
Age range: 18 - 30 years old
Support
the organizing and running of
summer festivals for children The international participants will help and support to take care of the kids at several different activities at both festivals. The volunteers will support the staff in supervising a set programme of indoor and outdoor activities such as sports, games and crafts. They are generally helping the children enjoy their summer holiday. The activities of the festivals are running from 8 am until 3 pm each day, so the group should be prepared to work long hours, but it is very rewarding. Working tasks will be different due to the topics of the festivals. Special requirements: Project language is German. Motivation letter in German is required. Language: German Accommodation: The group will stay in a beautiful and well equipped self-catering house belonging to the “Franziskanerklösterle” (little monastery) close to the city centre. Around the house, there is a big garden belonging to the monastery. In the monastery itself, there are monks living separately but there is always the chance to get in contact and to get to know each other's lifestyle. All sanitary facilities and kitchen are available. Location: Wangen is a beautiful city situated in the southern German region called “Allgau”, close to the borders of Austria and Switzerland. The region lies close to the Alpes and therefore provided with a diverse nature of mountains, meadows, waterfalls and the like. There is a lot to discover in terms of history and nature. Old castles, mountain trails, the Lake Constance. But also Wangen itself has much to offer. The history of the city dates back to the year 815. The charm of Wangen lies within its historical buildings and southern German architectural style. Train station: Wangen Airport: Munich, Stuttgart
Age range: 18 - 30 years old
Park
maintenance and renovation project
in the
Black Forest
According to the plans of a landscape
architect, there are different tasks to undertake in the park: new
footpaths have to be installed, old footpaths have to be cleared, alien
species have to be removed, trees and bushes have to be cut, new trees
have to be planted, dry stone walls have to be surveyed and
reconstructed and other different tasks. Language: English Accommodation: In a school in the village of Waldulm, a part of Kappelrodeck. Two sleeping rooms, a kitchen and sanitary facilities are provided. Location: Kappelrodeck is a small community situated in the popular “Black Forest” and has around 5700 inhabitants in total. The region attracts many tourists who find recreation in the beautiful landscapes. Besides, the area is famous for its delicious red wine. Hiking in the nearby nature as well as excursions to cities like Strasbourg or Stuttgart are possible. Train station: Kappelrodeck Airport: Strasbourg (France), Karlsruhe
Age range: 18 - 30 years old
Teenage Orientation Camp
Volunteer project: The medieval city
”Allstedt” in the federal-state of Saxony-Anhalt, already attracted the poet
laureate Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Between 1176 and 1802, he often came to the
city in order to take care of state affaires. While he was accommodated in the
castle, he wrote the first act of the famous play “Iphigenie”. People say, that
he enjoyed spending his time at the border of a pond, on the dyke. Furthermore, this Teenage Orientation Camp in Allstedt will invite you not only to discover the life of the famous poet Goethe, but also to discover what you personally want from the future! Time, space and assistance will be given to you in order to find out, what you want to do in and with your life, which orientation you would like to take and which job or study you would like to choose. Different workshops will be held about “planning your life” and “Future Wishes”. Language: English Accommodation: You will stay in tents. Location: In the federal-state of Saxony-Anhalt; close to Halle (40 km away), Erfurt (about 50 km away) and Magdeburg (60 km away). Train station: Sangerhausen or Artern Airport: Leipzig or Berlin
Age range: 15 – 17 years old
Restoration
of an old Roman watchtower
in
Odenwald
forest The group will work on the rebuilding of a stone wall of the watchtower. In detail that means stones have to be arranged, concrete has to be mixed before setting the wall back in place. The working place is located in the middle of the forest. The group will be supported by professional workers of the building yard department of Buchen. Language: English Accommodation: The participants will stay on a family campsite area called “Eckbuckel” which was rearranged by the workcamp last year. This campsite lies idyllic and isolated outside of Buchen in a cozy village – surrounded by meadows and forests. Beside the cabins that are used as sleeping rooms, a separate building with a kitchen and sanitary facilities is available. There is also a place for barbecuing. For more leisure activities the participants are free to use the big sports ground as well as ping-pong tables at the centre. Around 2 km away lays a private lake for swimming… Location: Buchen is a small town located in the north of Baden-Wurttemberg in the forest “Odenwald” with around 18900 inhabitants. Volunteers can enjoy the landscape by hiking or experience the wonders of a stalactite cave. In Buchen you can also find a forest swimming pool and more opportunities for sporting activities. Bigger cities like Stuttgart or Heilbronn are also worth visiting. Train station: Buchen Airport: Stuttgart
Age range: 18 - 30 years old
Maintenance
of a recently restored river in Kehl Volunteers will clear the banks of the river and cut the grass and bushes. They will work with machines and it may be physically hard and muddy. This is a good project to learn about nature prevention and conservation. Language: English Accommodation: The group will live in a youth centre close to the river where all facilities are provided. There is a big kitchen and different rooms to stay and spend time in. Outside you can find a place for barbecuing, a lake and trick fountains to enjoy. The area around the youth centre is rather spacious and provides many activities and things to experience. Location: Kehl is a medium sized town on the bank of the river Rhine facing the French-German border. The Alsatian town of Strasbourg is situated on the other side of the river Rhine. It will be interesting to visit the beautiful town of Strasbourg, crossing the border to France. The youth centre is only a five minute walk from the inner city of Kehl. Other interesting sightings can be the Black Forest and the nature of the southern area in general. Train station: Kehl Airport: Strasbourg (10 km), Frankfurt (150 km)
Age range: 18 - 30 years old
Creating
and cultivating nature biotopes
in the beautiful south of
Germany The volunteer group will create new biotopes as well as cultivate already existing biotopes. They will work with different kinds of tools. The work can be physically demanding – especially in any kind of weather. Volunteers should be prepared to work hard. Language: English Accommodation: The group will stay in a building of the fire department where they will have a sleeping room, a living room with couches and games, all sanitary facilities and a kitchen. The house is situated next to the building yard department from where the group will leave to the biotopes each morning together with the professionals with whom they will work during the weeks. Location: The community of Willstaett contains several villages with all in all around 9000 inhabitants. It is situated in the beautiful southern part of Germany close to the border to France. It is characterised by its beautiful architectural style of carcass houses. There is also a lot to see and discover in the landscape close to the Black forest with its spectacular sights (waterfalls, castles…). Close bigger cities like Freiburg or Strasbourg offer a wide range of cultural events. Train station: Appenweier, Kehl Airport: Strasbourg, Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden, Stuttgart
Age range: 18 - 30 years old
Developing an environmental
conservation area in Lower Saxony Volunteer project: This autumn, the small town of Edewecht in the beautiful Ammerland district would like your help to convert an area of agricultural land into an environmental conservation project. There is a variety of outdoor tasks for you, supported by local expertise. Your work will involve planting, the maintenance of existing young plants, designing information boards and building a wooden observation platform. You’ll have the opportunity to take part in small group excursions to learn about local flora and fauna, and during these two weeks you could gain a lot of knowledge about nature conservation and countryside maintenance. And of course this is a great opportunity to spend time outdoors before the winter sets in. With a bit of luck you’ll have two weeks of great weather due to the “Indian Summer“.
Language: English Accommodation: In a school in Edewecht. Location: Lower Saxony, Oldenburg is 20 km away and Bremen - 65 km Train station: Bremen, Hamburg, Hanover Airport: Bremen, Hamburg
Age range: 16 - 26 years old
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In
your free time, you could explore the region’s excellent cycle lane network
(bicycles are provided), visit the lovely university town of Oldenburg (20 km by
public transport) or, at weekends, take a trip to Bremen or the North Sea.
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here for
volunteer programs in other countries
