ESC: Volunteering in Insectarium Esapolis, Padova, Italy - 6 months

Xena is a non-profit cultural association for the social promotion, based in Padova (Padua, North- Eastern Italy), which was founded in the autumn of 1994.
The association is active in the field of intercultural education, non-formal education, vocational training, promotion of active citizenship, promoting projects both at local and international level. Its main objective is to increase and improve the level of contact and interaction among different cultures. It promotes projects mainly within the frame of European Programs – such as Erasmus+ (former EVS, Youth Exchanges, Mobility of youth worker, VET, strategic partnership), ESC and others - with the following main aims: promote intercultural learning dynamics; prevent and fight racism and prejudices; offer young people the opportunity to join mobility programs in the vocational and social-cultural sphere, to promote comparisons between different cultures and systems; promote opportunities for meetings among different cultures and encourage greater knowledge of what is foreign; to promote the active participation of youth in society.
Xena works directly in contact with many youngsters with different backgrounds and socio-economical status, both in the transnational projects and at local level, with cultural activities, courses, workshops as well as in youth centers that are running with other organizations for Padua's Municipality. It works in co-operation with other bodies (European institutions, associations, municipalities, enterprises, schools, trade unions, informal groups, etc.) in Italy and abroad.
Xena has been working with former EVS for more than 20 years, it began hosting young European volunteers in 1996 and sending Italians abroad since 1999, and operates now as a European Solidarity Corps supporting (with sending and coordinating role) and host organization. At the moment Xena coordinates around 10 welcoming projects in the province of Padua, Rovigo and Imperia, mainly in the field of promotion of cultural activities, theatre, insect’s museums, editorial news, environmental sustainability, unaccompanied minors and refugees. In 2003 Xena started a local cooperation with Centri servizi per il volontariato (voluntary work service centers) province of Padua, as well as several youth information points, and other associations to promote and disseminate mobility opportunities for young people.
Although this is not the only target, Xena is also working in hosting and sending volunteers with fewer opportunities and special needs, since there are cases of young people with serious educational problems and/or living in a geographically and/or economic disadvantaged situation, and also with second generation Italian youngsters.
Moreover, since 2015 coordinated and participated in the development of the Go deep! methodology to work in local community development and shared leadership within the project, Go Deep! KA2 Strategic Partnership in the field of Youth. In the following years the partnership grew and two more project arose to adapt the methodology to the adult education system and social inclusion: Go Deep in Education, GotoDiverse.
Since 2011, Xena has also provided international activities to improve the quality of people working as EVS/ESC mentors with 3 training courses and an international seminar realized in Italy from 2011 till 2014. An international course for youth workers dealing with is also planned in Italy in 2015 and it will concern the facilitation of groups of youngsters throughout different methodologies and sharing.