Wider Horizon short term EVS project has as main general goal to increase the inclusion and employability of young people with fewer opportunities across Europe.
The target group of the project are “young people with fewer opportunities” – a term which includes youngsters from many different backgrounds who, for a variety of reasons, face some form of exclusion in their lives, and are therefore also often excluded from Erasmus+ projects.

In the last 10 years Olde Vechte Foundation has been developing this project, expanding the working opportunities and reshaping the structure in order to create a safe space for the participants to experience something new, increasing their self confidence and initiative, widening the perspective on their own life and chances.

During their 2 months stay the participants will engage in volunteer work in local organizations five days per week, for approximately 36 hours, including one day a week dedicated to workshops with different topics and goals according to the phase of the program and the needs of the group.

During weekends volunteers are free to organize activities and short trips around autonomously.
Throughout the all period, participants will live together and be responsible for their daily routine (waking up on time, managing budget, cooking, etc.), with the support of 3 professional qualified mentors.
Volunteers will have the chance to get involved in the Dutch culture and society while contributing with their volunteer work.

The program is specifically targeted at individuals from vulnerable social groups and individuals who usually have no opportunity to participate in an Erasmus+ program:
• Special needs: people with mental (intellectual, cognitive, learning), physical, sensory or other disabilities;
• Educational difficulties: people who have not completed their basic / compulsory education, or with learning difficulties;
• Economic obstacles: people with a low standard of living, low income, dependence on social welfare system; young people in long-term unemployment or poverty; people who are homeless, people in debt or with financial problems;
• Cultural differences: immigrants or refugees (first or second generation), people belonging to a national or ethnic minority; people with linguistic and cultural inclusion difficulties;
• Health problems: people with chronic health problems, severe illnesses or psychiatric conditions;
• Geographical obstacles: people living in remote or rural areas, small islands or peripheral regions, or
less serviced areas (limited public transport, poor facilities);
• Social obstacles: people who face discrimination on the grounds of their sexual orientation or identity, age, ethnicity, religion, etc.; people with limited social skills or risky behaviours: (ex-)offenders, (ex-)drug or alcohol abusers; orphans; children of single parents or dissolved families.

Aim of the project is to give the young participants an opportunity to increase their independence and ability to take action, and thus create new opportunities in their personal and professional life. All what they learn can be used to bring new energy, inspiration and power in their own living situations back home.

Keywords are:
Autonomy and empowerment: the focus is always on each and every participant’s abilities, and the acknowledgement of their results, solutions, learnings and potential.
Interdependence: living, working and spending free time together with people from other cultures, participants discover different approaches towards life, and how to create cooperation within a group, setting rules and limits, supporting each other and learning from each other while enjoying.
Employability: volunteers acquire knowledge, practical capacities and attitudes that can help in gaining employment and in being successful in the chosen occupation, discovering in themselves the capacity to build a fulfilling life.
Life skills: creating and maintaining a structured and healthy daily routine and being an active member of society through volunteer work, increases the ability to adapt to different situations, to maintain positive behaviours, and to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of everyday life. In the frame of the general goals of the project, a
wide space is left to each and every participant to define their own goals and pursue them. Mostly, personal goals are connected with making next meaningful steps in life, as applying for jobs, for other experiences abroad, or more generally taking ownership of one’s own life, creating something beautiful out of it.

The Wider Horizon short-term EVS happens in 2 phases:
Wider Horizon I: 27th February – 28th April 2018 (2 months) 15 volunteers;
Wider Horizon II: 1st May – 30th June 2018 (2 months) 15 volunteers.

Please read here the participant guide for this EVS project : G EVS Info Letter participants

Please send the application form till 30 November 2017 ( for the first phase: February 2017-April 2017) and till mid February 2018 for the second phase ( May-July 2018) to office@ymca.ro : G EVS 2018 Application form