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Shamrocks 4 all
Start date: Jan 5, 2015, End date: Oct 4, 2015 PROJECT  FINISHED 

The choice for this project fits perfectly into the general vision of CDV Aura and Ennis Youthreach. This vision states that we want to provide learning opportunities for youngsters by creating positive experiences. This exchange has as goal to be one of those positive learning opportunities. We want to provide positive, relaxing activities to the minors of both groups. Activities in which they can learn from each other, in which they will have to use their creativity and in which they will have to be open for another culture, with other habits, values and norms. By making time to evaluate with the minors each day, we believe the youngsters will obtain certain insights in their own handling. We chose to name the exchange ?Shamrocks 4 all?. We chose this name because of the great symbolic meaning. For starters, a shamrock is the national symbol of Ireland. It is believed to bring good fortune to those who find or have a shamrock. We also chose consciously to use the number 4. On the one hand because a shamrock counts 4 leafs, on the other because we want to build our exchange on 4 concepts: Culture, Creativity, Experiential Learning and Fun. Culture: Both countries (Belgium and Ireland) have a long history and rich culture. The minors at which our both organizations aim, often have lost touch with culture. By giving both groups the responsibility to take the others in tow throughout their own culture, they are given a chance to discover a new culture and rediscover their own culture. Creativity: Our organisations are commited to let youngster participate in outlining their trajectory. This requires a creative way of thinking to come up with answers to the challenges they face. Throughout the process of exchange, each youngster will get responsibilities which will force them to use their creativity. Experiential learning: The minors will receive tasks which they will have to overcome. Afterwards we will reflect profound and extensive on this with the whole group. Among our professional team, we have people who are very proficient in the various techniques that are used in experiential learning. Fun: We want to offer our minors, who usualy have experienced more negative than positive moments in live, a chance to a strong, positive and fun experience. The participants for the exchange are socially vulnerable minors. Because of a lack of consistent education model, unfavorable school experience or a weak social environment, these minors lack the necessary school and work attitudes and sometimes have severe behavior and relational problems. These youngsters usually come from broken families or weak social environments. They go to a lot of relational problems eg. Frequent fights, divorces,? Mostly our minors have to behave in an environment with little structure and clarity. To make sure the exchange is well planned, we want to plan a previsit with 2 of the Belgian supervisors to Ireland. This to make clear agreements. The expertise from the Belgians in doing exchanges can be shared with the Irisch people. This experience and tips can be used to plan the welcome of the Belgian group. Both organisations will select the minors on basis of the motivation of the minor, the length of trajectory, practical possibility, mix of gender, etc. The group will be prepared to welcome the other group a month ahead. The group will consist of 8 minors and 3 supervisors for each country. So the total group will consist of 16 youngsters and 6 supervisors. This amount of supervisors is necessary whit this kind of youngsters. With this exchange we want to expand the world of our minors. An exchange with peers form another country ? in which our minors get in touch with other habits, culture and nature ? will be of great value. The discovery of cultures and the cooperation with others will help them to question and perspective the situations in which our minors find themselves. We see a chance to enrich the lives of our minors in a way they would otherwise, because of their social background, never could experience. We believe that when youngsters have more self-confidence and experience the power of cooperation, this will lead to less exclusion from labor market. They will be better able to take active control over their laborsituation and transfer this on to subsequent generations. In this way we hope to help closing the gap between rich and poor.

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