ESC: Voluntary service in a nursery in France (Strasbourg)

VISA-AD was created in 1959 and located in Strasbourg. It is a non profit Union of Associations which has been offering to young people a experience by engaging in a voluntary service project of discovery, experimentation and self-construction. VISA-Ad aims at promoting young people’s voluntary services within educational and social organisations and institutions. Through this voluntary service, VISA-AD contributes, in France and abroad, to the promotion of a European dimension, and the construction of a more supportive society. The union of organisations guarantees quality services, and provides young volunteers with training sessions and support to make sure their voluntary service goes hand in hand with their future life projects. We offer our volunteers to live this experience while adopting an ethical and social approach where the involvement and the gift of self will promote awareness, responsibility and solidarity. VISA-AD puts in contact volunteers aged between 18 and 30 years old with hosting placements. This connection aims at implementing a mission of general interest to the service of others, between 6 and 12 months. It proposes projects enabling to give a meaning to social bond, in the field of education for all, solidarity, culture and leisure, environment and health. VISA-AD organises the recruitment, the guidance, the support and the training of young people who are willing to engage themselves as volunteers. As such, it also supports hosting placements in the setting up of volunteering projects within their establishment. Volunteering partnership enables VISA-Ad to develop a real culture of solidarity in Europe and between Europeans on the long run. Europe is not a concept but a reality that needs to be lived every day. Having a financial and administrative visibility over several years enables to have a better anchorage of its actions, to commit more easily with partners and to build a better work based on permanent improvement and feedbacks. We can see year after year, with these young Europeans, the achievements of their volunteer experience: - a non-formal professional experience and intercultural learning, by facilitating social integration and discovery of community life, by getting involved, which will help them making future human, citizens and professional choices - a contribution to the development of local communities ; - a communication about the European program ; - a necessary follow-up that makes us discuss the experiences of other organizations ; - the development of networks of associations in France and abroad ; - a training in the citizenship consciousness that goes beyond interests .An invitation to see beyond the end of one’s nose and to expand its interests ; - experience of living together (meeting young people from various backgrounds) ; - valuing this experience in a professional career (25% do not have a project at the beginning VS 10% 6 months later) ; - a training in the citizenship consciousness that goes beyond interests ; - more maturity and more confidence to undertake and to go ahead in life. We participated in the setting up of the European Youth Program in 1996. The first hosting of young people in EVS was carried out in 1997. Since then, nearly 800 volunteers have been welcomed in France and over 200 have been sent abroad with EU program, and 5000+ in total with the other program. Today, VISA-AD has an agreement for several voluntary program : the Civic Service in France and abroad, the German volunteer program "Internationaler Jugendfreiwilligendienst" and the European Solidarity Corps.