ESC: Volunteering in Open Youthwork in Tyrol - park in

The youth centre Park In is a project dedicated to open Youth Work. The spacious house is a a non-profit, non-govermental institution and it is the main meeting point for youngsters in the region of Hall in Tyrol. It is funded by the city of Hall and the federal province of Tyrol. The youth-café offers young people Internet access, pool tables, table-tennis, table-soccer and a music recording studio. The Park In comprises a youth-café and a Center for all forms of Youth Culture. It provides young people with the opportunity to spend their leisure time in a positive and constructive way and offers a variety of workshops and activities. Besides being an open space to socialice for youngsters, the Park In also provides counselling for young concerning all forms of pyscho-social challenges. The Park In is primarily a place for all young people, regardless of their nationality, religious conviction or any otherl background. It has an open attitude towards different youth-cultures and youth-groups, and cares for young people’s needs, problems and wishes. The Park In organises a variety of leisure activities such as disco parties, video evenings, art and theatre workshops and concerts. Other major events include sports events for skateboarding, soccer and basketball. Excursions and creative projects are also organised frequently. Most of the visitors are between 12 and 18, a smaller percentage is between 18 and 25 years of age. Most of the young people visiting the Park In have a great potentials and skills but often they are not yet well established concerning a school or professional career. Some of the youngsters belong to marginalised groups of society such as refugees. The main aim in our work is to offer to the youngsters a place where they and develop, free of judgement and discrimination. Based on stable relationships to the youthworkers we want to provide a place where all forms youth culture are promoted and youngsters are able to grow.