ESC: Volunteering for community impact

Since our foundation in 2003, KERIC has been active in youth work and in non-formal education and training. Our aim is to connect Kysuce and Slovakia with the whole world and to help people to be more open and tolerant of other cultures.
We do this through non-formal education and volunteering - both local and international. We are an active coordinating, sending and hosting organization for various international and local volunteering tips. The main theme of our organisation is intercultural education and active participation of young people (YP).
We run language courses, IT courses, organise entrepreneurial workshops, ICL workshops and seminars for youth and adults where they can gain new practical skills and experience. Every summer we organise summer camps for children and youth.
Another aim is to create a network of local partners in the fields of education (primary schools, secondary schools), public life (municipal council, local government), social work (senior homes, charities, social facilities for mentally handicapped children and adults, crisis centres), culture (cultural centre, library), community life (community centres and activities) and sport (sports clubs, swimming pool). We are also actively building a network of international partners from around the world, building long-term and trustworthy partnerships for international activities.

KERIC also put emphasis on ecological education at different levels:
- ECO activities for primary schools, secondary schools, eco-education during summer camps with topics: Do you know, what do you eat? Ecological principles – everything is connected! Sustainability and 3R (reuse, reduce, recycle)
- environmental education for hosted volunteers in KERIC – how to separate waste in Slovakia, ´zero´ waste and 3R workshop, how to reduce the ´carbon footprint´, etc. Organizing ECO day for and with volunteers connected with learning Slovak – cleaning forest, parks, interactive ECO activities, etc.
- KERIC team is promoting the ecological ways of working in general: less printing, reusing paper, waste separation, compost, no paper posters – just using board, eco stickers on the light, water tap, windows with info how to behave to spare more energy, etc.
- International youth exchanges, trainings for youth workers with topic of environmental education We are not a member of any umbrella organisation. There is no membership – KERIC is open to anybody interested to take part in activities. Young people with less opportunities are a priority.
Members of the Local Volunteer Group are actively involved in our activities as leaders and organizers. We create space for young volunteers to conduct activities offered by us and realize their own ideas, organize their own events and take advantage of the opportunity to be active within the activities of KERIC.