The EVS project "Opportunity for Change" will be mainly focused on providing social assistance and intercultural experience for young people with minor mental disabilities who are obtaining vocational education in NGO Uus Sild in Estonia. In frames of this project we will host one EVS volunteer from Germany who will join our team for 9 months and will make his/her commitment into life of local community. The possibility to encounter a person from another culture and language environment will highly benefit our learners and their development. Most of them are reserved, come from disadvantaged conditions and have limited social skills. We believe that the intercultural experience will help young people to overcome their social and language barriers, to increase their interest to other people and life around and to encourage their social development. The project will take place in the training centre NGO Uus Sild which is located in Narva, the third largest city in Estonia and the easternmost point of the European Union. It lies 212 kilometers from Tallinn (the capital of Estonia) and 130 kilometers from St. Petersburg. Nowadays over 90% the current city population are Russian-speakers, mostly either Soviet-era immigrants from parts of the former Soviet Union or their descendants. The project will last from the beginning of October 2015 till the end of June 2016. The volunteer will participate in the following activities: - Participation in the training and practice for young people with minor mental disabilities (preparation of the learning environment and materials, assisting learners and a teacher during workshops, lessons and activities) – 30 % - Organizing outings and visits to the place of interests for people with disabilities (going for a walk, to a museum, a library, or any other cultural or sport activity) in order to encourage and support their social skills and life – 30% - Running German Language Cafe (for other learners and members of the organization, who have big interest towards German language and culture) - 10% - Volunteer’s mini-projects – (presenting his/her country, language, traditions, own workshops and activities) – 10% - Supervision and learning reflection - 10% - Russian language course – 10% We believe that during his/her EVS in NGO Uus Sild a volunteer can gain great benefits in terms of both personal and professional growth. The volunteer will learn different methods and techniques for developing disabled people's social skills and interaction. She/he will learn ways of communication with different disadvantaged groups of people, the basics of personal assistance and support services, team-work and activities management. The volunteer will learn tools and activities from non-formal education that he/she could use in different social, educational and recreational fields. We will welcome a motivated, flexible and initiative volunteer with a heart for working with disadvantaged people. The one who is able to overcome barriers in the communications with people with disabilities, to cooperate with them and support their social skills and life. Volunteers doesn’t need to have previous experiences in social work neither special education. Most important is that he/she is willing to work with disadvantaged and disabled people. Since most of our clients doesn't speak foreign languages and staff of the organization has just started to learn English we understand the necessity to host a volunteer with at least basic knowledge of the Russian language. If necessary the volunteer will be also provided with linguistic support before his/her arrival to Estonia, otherwise the intensive language course will be organized in the hosting organization. The selection process will be primarily made on basis of available application forms (incl. motivation letters and CVs) sent by the volunteer or his/her sending/coordinating organization. After pre-selection made on basis of CVs and motivation letters we will conduct an interview on Skype with the candidates and ask them about their expectations and possible contribution to our organization, as well as tell them more about our work and offered activities.