Volunteer Abroad Program - Volunteer Uruguay

Uruguay

Montevideo
Term: Academic Year, Fall, Spring, Summer, Throughout the year, Trimester, Winter
Durations of Program: 1-2 weeks, 2-4 weeks, 5-8 weeks, 9-12 weeks, 3-6 months and 7-12 months
Typical Duration of Program: 5-8 weeks
Dates: from June to September

Description: AUDELE (Uruguayan Association for the Diffusion of the Spanish Language) is a non-profit youth and adults organization working with people aged 15 - 40. We work in teamwork with different organizations all of them work with children and people with less opportunities, hospitals, rural areas.

During the school year, we organize language courses, computer courses, afternoon workshops and club activities for young people and children where they can gain new skills, find friends and have fun. We also help them to investigate their own personality and become more independent.

During the summer and winter holidays as well as during the weekends we organize summer camps, hiking trips which are a lot of fun and they also stimulate the cooperation between the young people and strengthen the team spirit of the group.

In AUDELE young people often visit us and we help them to solve their problems with studies, work, jobs and free time.

Our organization is based in Montevideo, wich is the capital city, largest city, and chief port of Uruguay. As of April 2006, Montevideo is ranked by Mercer Human Resource Consulting as the city in Latin America with the highest quality of life. Montevideo is situated in the south of the country, at the northern mouth of the very wide River Plate (Río de la Plata) estuary. The climate is mild, with average temperatures of approximately 13°C, achieving 38°C.

AUDELE is in the center of the old city that we called Ciudad Vieja and it has the most beautiful buildings from the colonial era and the first decades of independence and is organized in such a way that all important facilities are within walking distance. There is a good bus connection with the other towns of Montevideo and also with other cities.

The aim of this project is to find an enthusiastic volunteer from a foreign country, who enjoys working with children and young people (aged 5-18). The volunteer will organize free time activities, workshops for children and youngsters. The volunteer will not work in AUDELE, he will work in another organization which AUDELE know and work with. However AUDELE is the host organization.

We would like to help the volunteer with our experience in the field of youth work, we offer him/her our support and friendship. We believe that this cooperation will result in a new intercultural dimension of our regular activities.

AUDELE still do not have experience with the European Union, but we do have experience with volunteers from USA as a hosting organization

Accommodation
The volunteers share a flat. If they like, it is also possible to stay in a host family witch is a great opportunity to know the real people, the traditions and costums of Uruguay.

Food
If the volunteers live in a host family they will have their foods there. If they live in a flat lunch will be provided in a canteen during the week days. The volunteers will be given once food once a week to cook . There is a kitchen in the volunteers' flat where they can prepare meals. Shops and restaurants are close-by (a 5-minute walk).

Language training
Spanish language learning is an essential part of the intercultural learning process in this EVS project. The first two weeks after arrival, the volunteers will be given an intensive language training. Later on, they will have Spanish lessons if they would like to. All volunteers will have lessons together.

Everybody in AUDELE speaks English and volunteers can get by with English in the town as well. However, Spanish language is an essential part in the workshops.

The youngsters are very excited to take part in the activities but many of them speak none or very little English.

Training and support

During the first two weeks, the volunteers will be given time and support to get to know their new environment, everybody in AUDELE and their mentor, the way activities are organized and to learn the basics of the language. During this time, the volunteers will also decide, what kind of workshops they want to organize. The volunteers are welcome to take part in any already-running workshops and observe.

The volunteers and AUDELE staff will regularly meet to evaluate the EVS project, reflect upon the past weeks, comment and suggest some improvements. Any personal problems will be dealt with immediately.

All staff and volunteers from AUDELE are involved in EVS projects so there is always somebody to help out or simply just to talk to. Professional support will be given to volunteers by the AUDELE staff as well as youth workers from partner organizations.

All of us involved in this EVS project understand that staying in a foreign country requires a lot of courage and stamina from the volunteer. Therefore, we will try hard to help the volunteers in any situations and make their stay in our organization as pleasant as possible.

Tasks
The intercultural dimension is one of the main motivations for our organization to take part in an EVS project as a host organization. Meeting people from different countries, cultures and background is very important for the volunteers in this project as well as for the local community to become tolerant and more open towards people from different countries.

Our organization AUDELE is becoming very popular with the youngsters in the region. For many of them, AUDELE activities are the only possibility to meet people from other countries or explore the other cultures in a non-formal way.

Furthermore, the intercultural learning will be an essential part of the life of the four volunteers. Not only will they experience the Uruguay way of life and learn the language, culture and customs, but they will also become familiar with the way of life and culture of the other volunteers. Experiencing together not only their professional life (organizing activities in AUDELE) but also their private life the volunteers will have to accept and tolerate the other volunteers' way of life and culture, which is a highly beneficial experience.

The volunteers will also be encouraged to travel around Uruguay and the neighboring countries (Argentina and Brazil) to get to know them.

Regular task include: organizing creative workshops for children and young people (10 hours a week) The volunteers will choose activities according to their personal interests and preference (e.g. outdoor and indoor sports (volleyball, football, basketball, etc), photography workshop, internet and website creation workshop, discussion clubs, drama club, art workshops, music, etc.). He/She can also teacher the language of their home country. The workshops are a instrument for non-formal education of the young people and the volunteer.

* taking part in adventure activities such as skiing, sailing, hiking and cycling trips, etc. (4 hours a week) The volunteers will spend informal time with the youngsters while exploring the countryside of the region and Uruguay.

* intercultural evening (4 hours, twice a month) the volunteers will speak about their country, show videos or photos from their country, cook the national dish, teach national dances or tell the national folk tales. Furthemore, informal games and communicative activities aimed at intercultural learning will be carried out.

* taking part in irregular AUDELE activities such as youth exchanges, international trainigs, etc. Apart from their regular workshops and regular activities, the volunteers have the option to actively participate in preparation, implementation and evaluation of AUDELE international activities such as European youth exchanges, international conferences and other projects where the intercultural dimension will be extremely strong.

The volunteers will have weekends off. If they take part in activities during the weekend, they will have extra time off.

The volunteers will take part in adventure activities, summer camps, horse riding camps, hiking trips, sailing activities, cycling trips and outdoor games for children and youngsters.

The volunteers will take part in preparation, running and evaluation for these activities for children and youngsters. They will choose activities according to their personal interests and preference. As these events take part also during the weekend, the volunteers' working hours and personal holidays will be taken into consideration and agreed upon with them.

AUDELE prefers to host more volunteers at the same time. Each volunteer chooses the type of activities he/she wishes to organize depending on his/her personal preferences and interests.

Responsibilities for certain tasks, specific guidance and support in the case of highly demanding tasks:

During the first two weeks, the volunteers are given time and support to get to know their new environment and decide, what kind of workshops they want to organize. They will be given extra training and professional support if it is required to carry out their tasks during workshops.

The volunteers are fully responsible for organizing their workshops and activities, while they receive full support from the host organization. In other activities, such as, sailing, hiking and cycling trips, youth exchanges etc. the level of responsibility will always be made clear and agreed upon with the volunteers. If needed, extra training and support will be provided.

As it is a part of their personal development and process of learning, we hope the volunteers will come up with ideas for individual projects. We will support the volunteers and help them to carry out their personal project.

Example of a weekly timetable, indicating working hours, free time, holidays:
Weekly timetable for each volunteer includes:

6 hours a week - Spanish lessons
10 hours a week - organising 4 different workshops for young people :
5 hours - 2 personal workshops * 5 hours - 2 workshops with another volunteer

5 hours a week - preparation for workshops and activities, or space for individual activities in AUDELE, cooperation with supervisor.

2 hours a week - adventure activities with children and young people (hiking, cycling trips etc).

4 hours per month - intercultural evening. We hope the volunteers would like to help us organize irregular activities hiking trips and weekly stays, international youth exchanges, youth activities, conferences, seminars etc. The volunteers' part and level of responsibility will be discussed with them and agreed upon beforehand.

During summer and winter holidays the volunteers will take part in adventure activities, summer camps, horse riding camps, hiking trips, cycling trips and outdoor games for children and youngsters. The volunteers will take part in preparation, running and evaluation for these activities for children and youngsters.

They will choose activities according to their personal interests and preference. For extra activities, the volunteers get extra time off.

Apart from pre-scheduled activities, we are very flexible concerning working hours because we want to give the volunteers a chance to travel around Uruguay.

Highlights: The Internship/volunteer Uruguay Program include:
Spanish lessons, accomodation, full board, intercultural experiences, volunteer project coordination with children and youth.
Audele is kind to help everybody to match his perfect project in Uruguay.

Qualifications: The aim of this project is to find enthusiastic volunteers from a foreign country, who enjoys working with children and young people. The volunteer will organize free time activities, workshops for children and youngsters.

Typical Volunteer: 25 years old , can understand and speak in English, understand some Spanish, like work with children and youth, want to have an unique cultural experience.

This Program is open to American, Australian, Canadian, European, Kiwi, South African and World Wide Participants. This Program is also open to Families, Couples and Individuals

Scholarships are Available. - For youth people that are working with youth in their home countries. Also we have scholarships for people with Spanish Language skills

AUDELE's Mission Statement: AUDELE is a non profit association funded in December 2005, and approved by the Ministery of Education and Culture from Uruguay as an Education and Cultural Association. The main objectives of our organization are to promote the Spanish Lenguage and Uruguayan Culture and intercultural experiences.We are working on sending Uruguayan students abroad and reciving students from abroad.