🏢 About the local organisation
- ENGLISH - VILLA gGmbH is a non-profit youth, cultural and social organization at local and European levels. VILLA is promoter for social-cultural projects in Leipzig and focuses on the following task areas: Socio-culture and social participition, youth culture work / youth music activities, youth (social) work, media projects and youth protection, European projects and engagement. Main activities are realized through the socio-cultural centre “Die VILLA”, a modern youth, cultural and social institution closed to the center of Leipzig and contact point for many citizens and their initiatives. With 60-200 visitors and participants and over 100 events and courses a week, it offers a wide range of activities for every age group in a variety of genres (from an integrative group working on photographie to choir, youth theatre groups and senior tap dance). The centre has five differently equipped event rooms, a media area, a self-help bicycle-repair centre, the youth café “neulicht,” a band practice room, a shared apartment for young people engaged in voluntary service, an open club for children and youths, as well as the offices of various associations and initiatives. We have been active in the field of European Volunteer Service since 2001 and later in ESC. Meanwhile, we send 10-15 people per year abroad in EVS-projects and host / coordinate 10-15 ESC volunteers per year in projects all over the town. In addition we are active in realizing ESC volunteering teams, youth and professional exchanges. The main concern of the work of VILLA is that people in Leipzig participate in our society on an equal, self-determined and active basis. Encounters between people is the focus of our Job. We enable generations to meet. We enable people with a migration background to meet. And we make it possible that people with and without disabilities meet. The VILLA received various awards, including the concept award "Barriere? Frei!" of Landesverband Soziokultur Sachsen 2014, the prize for socio-cultural commitment from the Cultural Foundation of the Free State of Saxony 2016 and for the commitment to a European and cosmopolitan Leipzig the Saxon European Prize 2016. - DEUTSCH - Die VILLA gGmbH ist eine gemeinnützige Gesellschaft für Jugend, Kultur und Soziales auf lokaler Ebene in Leipzig und europäischer Ebene. Die Arbeit der VILLA zielt auf Soziokultur und gesellschaftliche Teilhabe, Jugendkultur, Jugendarbeit und Jugendsozialarbeit, Medienbildung und Jugendschutz sowie Europa und Engagement. Die Aktivitäten finden ihre Umsetzung im Soziokulturellen Zentrum "Die VILLA" als anerkannte Einrichtung der Jugend- und Kulturarbeit in Leipzig. "Die VILLA" ist ein Haus im Zentrum Leipzigs, das Anlaufstelle für lokale Bürger und deren Initiativen ist. Fest verankert sind Angebote der offenen Kinder- und Jugendarbeit, aber auch ältere Bürger in Leipzig nutzen das Haus, das täglich 60 - 200 Besucher zählt. Es gibt über 100 Angebote pro Woche und Aktivitäten für alle Altersgruppen in einer großen Variationsbreite (z. B. von einer integrativen Foto-AG über Chor- und Jugendtheatergruppen bis zu Seniorenstepptanz). Die VILLA verfügt über verschiedene Veranstaltungsräume, eine Medienwerkstatt, eine Fahrradselbsthilfewerkstatt, das Jugendcafé "Neulicht", einen Bandproberaum, einen offenen Kinder- und Jugendtreff, eine Dachgeschosswohnung, in der europäische Freiwillige wohnen, und eine Vielzahl von Büros verschiedener lokaler Initiativen. Wir arbeiten seit 2001 mit dem Europäischen Freiwilligendienst, später mit dem Europäischen Solidaritätskorps. Wir koordinieren jährlich 10-15 Freiwillige in der VILLA und anderen Aufnahmestellen in Leipzig ein und entsenden 10-15 Jugendliche aus Leipzig und Umgebung in den ESK. Zudem setzen wir Freiwilligenteams, Jugend- und Fachkäftebegegnungen um. Hauptanliegen der Arbeit der VILLA ist, dass Menschen in Leipzig gleichberechtigt, selbstbestimmt und engagiert an unserer Gesellschaft teilhaben. Das Begegnen steht dabei im Mittelpunkt unserer Arbeit. Wir ermöglichen die Begegnung der Generationen. Wir ermöglichen die Begegnung mit Menschen mit Migrationshintergrund. Und wir ermöglichen die Begegnung mit Menschen mit Behinderungserfahrung. Die VILLA erhielt verschiedene Auszeichnungen, darunter den Konzeptpreis "Barriere? frei!" des Landesverbandes Soziokultur Sachsen 2014, den Preis für soziokulturelles Engagement der Kulturstiftung des Freistaates Sachsen 2016 und für den Einsatz für ein europäisches und weltoffenes Leipzig den Sächsischen Europapreis 2016.
💼 What the programme involves
!!!WE ONLY ACCEPT APPLICATIONS THROUGH OUR FORM: https://forms.gle/tD3iuGNL8ipYSvnCA!!! The project "Freies Lernen Jahnishausen" (Free Learning Jahnishausen) started in 2022, where members of the nearby community revived the old village school of Jahnishausen with a new primary school based on a free learning concept: There is little frontal teaching, instead students work together on their learning. The school currently has around 20 pupils and follows a very inclusive approach, so that we can respond to the needs of the pupils. We also spend a lot of time on outdoor activities and are very open to your ideas. Two minutes walk from the school is an old knight's estate which houses our community (Lebenstraumgemeinschaft Jahnishausen) where the volunteer will live. Our community is part of the GEN network (Global Ecovillage Network) and we are very committed to an environmentally sustainable way of life. We have about 57 residents (including 9 children).
🏠 Accommodation on site
You will live together with other residents of the eco-village in a shared flat, with your own single bedroom. Furthermore, you will receive food- & pocket money as well as a ticket for public transportation. It is a very rural area, but there is a lot going on in our community: we cook together every day, have music events, play games, etc. You should be open to our way of life, you will take part in our plenaries and become part of our community. It is a 20-minute bike ride to the nearest town, Riesa, from where you can take a train to Leipzig or Dresden, which takes 50 minutes.
🎒 Leisure activities
During the ESC: the volunteer receives a basic language training (no official language course), also other training needed to carry out agreed tasks and the volunteer attend the On-Arrival training and Mid-term seminar offered by the NA. In addition, there will be realised several project days towards topics of solidarity in Europe / participation / social projects for all ESC volunteers.
More information on this website: https://villa-leipzig.de/europaeischer-solidaritaetskorps/hosting
⚠️ Requirements
The Participant profile: !!!WE ONLY ACCEPT APPLICATIONS THROUGH OUR FORM: https://forms.gle/tD3iuGNL8ipYSvnCA!!! Aged between 18-26 years, interest in working with children, some organizational skills, open-mindedness, own ideas, able to communicate in english (speaking german is not a requirement, but it’s great if you already know a bit of german), willing to live in a community in a rural area of Saxony, if you like to live sustainable in a vivid community, this is the place for you.
Deadline: 15/06/2025 23:59
ℹ️ Additional information
The project is implemented under the European Solidarity Corps Programme, financed by the European Commission.
The participating organisations have to be mindful of these needs as they are responsible for providing a respectful and trusting hosting environment. At the same time, the organisations participating in the initiative devote a great deal of time, energy and resources to set up a high-quality activity; they should therefore expect that European Solidarity Corps participants show a similar level of respect for the local communities and the people that are directly concerned by the activities (
https://youth.europa.eu/solidarity/mission_en).
What do we provide ?
- Training before and after the project
- Health insurance during your project
- round-trip travel reimbursement
- accommodation and food
- pocket money
- language course
- Return Week-end
- Youth Pass and SVI international Volunteer passport
Before applying for this volunteering project, you need to enroll yourself at European Solidarity Corps Platform (
https://europa.eu/youth/solidarity_en) and specify your European Solidarity Corps Participant Number (PRN).
This organisation holds a European Solidarity Corps Quality Label.
Contact the ESC coordinator at +32 2 888 67 13 to get more informations.