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Step IN!
Start date: Jan 7, 2015, End date: Jan 6, 2016 PROJECT  FINISHED 

The 12 months European Voluntary Service project was developed at Centro Social de Palmela, in Palmela's council between January 2015 and January 2016. The European partner was Centre des Sureaux - France and the local partners were Câmara Municipal de Palmela, other local cultural, youth and social organizations & networks. Marie Peierre Rousille, young female volunteer from France, created, supported and developed activities with children, youngsters and adults by using creative and dynamic non formal educational methods, in the kindergarten and Okupa - Youth department and in the community in general. The project Step IN! gave the opportunity to children, youngsters and adults to have access to certain activities, youth information/meetings and European awareness etc .Also motivateed youngsters to active participation, to participate on EVS and to better understand and live European values and its potentialities, but also problems as poverty and exclusion, together with employment social services located at Centro Social de Palmela. The volunteers worked together with animators, educators teachers helpers and youth workers, creating, planning, developing and evaluating activities. In the project there was space to the ideas of the volunteer in order to create a personal project according with the interests of the volunteer, the organization and the community. She created albums for the children parents, new flyers for the organisation, Palmlea's Monopoly game and many other outcomes. The project was developed at Palmela's council (35km from Lisbon), divided in rural (strong long term unemployment and strong geographical, educational and cultural isolation) and urban. Palmela is in the top of a hill, with a big Castle from where we can see Sado River (Setúbal), the ocean, the mountain (Arrábida Natural Park), Lisbon, etc. Main economic sectors: small industries (automobile) responsible for the main employment, the wine and seasonal agriculture. Setúbal is an important urban centre of Portugal, with more than 100 000 habitants. It’s a problematic area, since unemployment and exclusion are high. It is the administrative head of the local and regional area. The economical activities of the city are big industries, port activities, and, since the 60’s, we assisted to the growth of the Services. Significant parts of the population are immigrants, of other Portuguese regions or foreigners, in a very heterogeneous community witch, sometimes, create an urban tense environment. The origin of the project is connected with the needs of our social center and the needs of our local partners and community, urgently looking for better answers to their social, educational, participative, employment and inclusion needs. With a difficult current situation in Portugal, at social and economic level, its crucial to promote participation and to create new possibilities of inclusion, refreshing answers, teams, methods and motivate to action and change with positive thinking and creativity - Step IN! In general objectives of the project was to: - give an international and inclusive character to the activities of the organization - spread the European ideal and Erasmus+ opportunities; - promote the exchange of cultures, knowledge and traditions; - create a real possibility to young volunteers of non formal education in areas of their interests, contributing to their personal, social and professional development, promoting professional inclusion and entrepreneurship. - refresh and enrich the activities and projects of the hosting organization - educate for multiculturality and tolerance (team, youth, children, community) - be an example for other youngsters, concerning mobility, volunteer work and active participation. The main goal of this project was children and youth (and adults) social inclusion. As results of this project we can mention the personal result for the volunteer herself, that decided her professional path after this experience with children: she wish to become educator. Another result was the promotion of EVS with long term unemployed youngsters and more than 10 applications were created to send volunteers with fewer opportunities. New projects were also created with the sending organisation from France.

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