ESC: PRACTICAL WORK, SUPPORTING YOUTH AND LEADERSHIP

Globala Kronoberg is an international centre for young people and organisations in Kronoberg, Sweden. We work mostly with European initiatives such as the ERASMUS+ programme and European Solidarity Corps in which we offer mobility possibilities for young people, youth workers and organisations. Our mission is not only to provide opportunities for young people to develop competences and skills through informal and non-formal learning, but also to inform, support and encourage them to take part in the above mentioned international programs. Our target group are youngsters, youth leaders and organisations and municipalities. We are a part of the Network SIP. SIP stands for Social change In Practice and, as the name shows, SIP work is focused on building a more equal and democratic society through new ideas that have an impact on the community. Therefore SIP work with such areas like youth, mobility, integration, accessibility, employment issues and norm critical thinking. We work in an open-space office where employees, volunteers and interns with different backgrounds, skills, motivations and life situations work together on different projects. We like to see SIP as an open-minded and creative work space with easy access to opportunities for personal development, and at the same time that one contributes to create a better society and finds solutions for social challenges. Globala Kronoberg has been a receiving, sending and coordinating organisation within the European Solidarity Corps programme, the former European Voluntary Service and the Youth in Action programme since 2011. Within these programs we have worked together with other projects in the Network SIP as well as with other local associations (Palladium, Funkibator, House of Free Speech, the scouts, Atrium etc.) and municipalities (Växjö, Alvesta and Ljungby) in the region of Kronoberg. Due to these partnerships we are able to provide our long-/short-term hosted ESC-volunteers a varied environment, where they can choose a project that fits them the best, whether in culture, enhance social inclusion, disability, international cooperation and relations or integration and migration. Our role as a coordinating for other organisations includes helping the host organisations with all the administration work within an ESC project (from the Quality label to the final evaluation of the project) as well as providing mentorship and assistance to the supervisors, place for meetings and exchange of experiences, etc. We are also responsible for the practical arrangements with the volunteers (accommodation, pocket money, food money, travel arrangements, insurance and medical assistance) and we support the volunteers with their social life and their learning process. Besides the international projects, we regularly organise local activities like cultural evenings, language cafe's and information sessions about the European Solidarity Corps program and Erasmus+. We are located in Växjö, Småland.