Let’s live Europe in rural area in France - Bernay

Europe is looking forward to your contribution! Help develop the cultural openness of young people and participate in their learning of citizenship and tolerance.
Support their curiosity on intercultural aspects and encourage them to discover Europe!

Become a volunteer in the training center for teenagers and young people in the lovely town of Bernay-en-Champagne!

CONTEXT OF THE EVS PROJECT

This EVS project will involve 6 EVS volunteers from 6 different European countries. Each one of them will volunteer in one of the 6 local training centers for teenagers from the area of Sarthe, France.
The local training centers are called: the “Maisons familiales rurales” or MFR (literary translated as the “rural family houses”).

The volunteer will be hosted in one of the 6 MFR; in the town of Berna yen Champagne.
Volunteers will be regarded as full members of their team and will be included in the daily work of each center. They will have an opportunity to use and improve their own abilities: volunteers will develop their sense of initiative, gain skills and get new knowledges through organizing and realizing different activities for the MFR (workshops, courses, individual support, sports, games, plays, presentations, lectures).

During the project, the volunteer will mainly be in touch with the young people that are hosted in the MFR, but not only.
He will be encouraged to submit and implement his own project, with possibilities of partnership with other local organizations.
The volunteer will act as an ambassador of his country, and thus will try to promote values such as diversity and intercultural actions.

The purpose of the French MFR is to develop a global approach of education, by using strictly formal, non-formal and informal learnings. Their practices are based on the training system which mixes training and work. In other words, a rhythm that allows the pupils to share between a period of study/training at the MFR and a period of work in a farm, /association or companies

The MFR in figures: 440 MFR in France, 70 000 pupil, apprentices or trainees and more than 600 MFR abroad (in 30 other countries).

The MFR from Bernay en Champagne welcomes 275 youth, studying two fields:
Social and care-based jobs / agricultural education, from age 14 to 25.
They all have one week in the MFR and one week in traineeships.

- Two orientation classes, to get a first diploma and discover working environment. Student have one week in MFR, one week in traineeship. Traineeships are mainly in agricultural field.

- A professional baccalaureate degree in 3 years called “CGEA” (conduct and management of a farm).

- A professional degree in 2 years called “Careers in agriculture”.

- One class for the last year of the professional baccalaureate degree about social and care-based jobs (the first 2 years are in another MFR nearby)

- One higher education diploma called ESF “social and family economy”.

- One higher education diploma called ACSE “Analysis and management of operating strategies”.
MISSIONS

The volunteer will work full time with the team of the MFR from Monday to Friday, during the day, on a weekly bases of 35 hours/a week (transport & French lessons included).
Sometimes, they might be asked to take part in gatherings with the student that are organized in the evening.
From time to time, the volunteer will have the opportunity to work in Le Mans with the other EVS volunteers in order to build a common project.

The main missions for the volunteer will be:

1. European cultural openness

At various times during the pupils’ training evening gatherings, lunch time, breaks, study time etc.), the volunteer will set up activities meant to promote discovery, exchange and cultural approach of countries. They can be presentations of volunteer’s country (through photos, videos, arts, national cuisine etc.). The volunteer is also expected to help prepare young people for European mobility.

2. Educational and pedagogical mission

As a full member of the team, the volunteer will participate in the activities lead by the members of the teaching team, will lead activities in the MFR, and will enable communication (via videos, booklets, Facebook, interviews). The volunteer will have the opportunity to talk about his/her mission or country during other events organized outside the MFR.

3. Joint project with the 6 volunteers in the 6 training centers …

The volunteer will participate in the project to organize mini-Olympiads (sports, cultural, artistic etc.) around Europe for the general assembly of the Departmental Federation. As such, he will regularly meet the other volunteers in Le Mans and the members of the steering committee of the general assembly at the Departmental Federation of training centers.

PROFILE OF THE VOLUNTEER

The MFR is located on rural area so the volunteer should have a driving license and be ready to drive every working-days to reach the training center (up to 1 hour for a one-way trip: train + car).

Candidates should be motivated, ready to work in a team, flexible, creative, open-minded, pro-active, dynamic, communicative, and interested in working with teenagers and young people. Previous experiences in teaching and/or youth leisure activities are welcome.
Abilities for music, sports, handcrafts, dances, arts, and multimedia would also be a plus.
The future volunteer should bring in her/his own ideas into the project and be prepared to create, plan and execute her/his own projects during his/her time as a volunteer.

TRANSPORTS

To reach Bernay, the MFR will provide a car to the volunteer so that he can drive from Le Mans to Bernay (25 kilometers). The volunteer can also organize car-sharing with the volunteer from the MFR of Coulans which is near.

These transports hours will be included in the working time of the volunteer.

ACCOMODATION

The volunteer will be accommodated in Le Mans, with the other 5 volunteers taking part in this project. They will share flats in a collective residence for young workers (2 volunteers/flat).

http://www.flore-habitatjeunes.org/
http://www.flore-habitatjeunes.org/logements/appartements
This place also offers collective spaces, like a cafeteria provided with games, computers, etc. and is animated by youth workers.

Accommodation and transportation fees are under the responsibility of the host organization. Money will be given to the volunteer every month to cover food expenses, as such as pocket money. French lessons will be provided to the volunteer.
Insurance will be contracted by the host organization for the volunteer.