UrbanAct – Volunteering Team in Portugal
2 weeks of community and international youth volunteering in Agualva – European Solidarity Corps
Welcome to the second edition of UrbanAct!
Youth Coop is looking for volunteers for action in the community of Agualva – Cacém (Sintra, Lisbon Region) in a short-term ESC experience (Volunteering in TEAMS!).
Urban Act is a 2-week community development, environmental, and youth participation project within a multicultural and community environment.
The project aims to carry out interventions in the physical space of the Centro Lúdico das Lopas to enhance the role of the centre as a reference in environmental and civic education and development at a local level. We aim to contribute to a more attractive environment for youth participation in the community centre.
Activities
We are planning:
- an ECO SPACE – an outdoor area with micro pedagogical gardens and a lounge space with urban furniture made from recycled materials~
- remodelling of the outdoor theatre by cleaning and painting panels related to the SDG – sustainable development goals.
- Decorate the entrance to the leisure centre – represent the contact between the centre, the community, and the world.
The volunteer team will consist of 12 participants from Italy, Germany and Portugal.
We are looking for volunteers who are motivated to do manual work, community dialogue, and work in a team, interested in the following topics: Sustainability, Community Development, Active Participation, Education.
Team Volunteering projects provide a high-impact experience in areas considered to be a priority. In this way, young people can express solidarity by carrying out short-term interventions that respond to local challenges identified at the European level.
Summary
UrbanAct – For a better planet // Volunteer Team
Location: Agualva-Cacém, Portugal;
Duration: 14 days + 2 days of travel // From the 04th to the 19th of September 2021 — NEW DATES
Target Audience: Young people aged between 18 and 30 who are resident in Portugal, Spain and Italy. We prioritize young people with fewer opportunities.
Areas: Sustainable Development, Youth Work, Community Development, Arts and Crafts.
Coordination and Host Organization: YouthCoop – Cooperative for Development and Citizenship
Participation fee: No fees. Participation is free and takes place in accordance with the conditions of the European Solidarity Corps program.
Contact: esc@youthcoop.pt
More information
Applications
Deadline for applications: 10/08/2021.
URGENT CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS FROM GERMANY AND PORTUGAL: 20/08/2021
Questions should be sent to: esc@youthcoop.pt
Applicants must register a user account on the European Youth Portal and it is mandatory to provide the personal reference number (PRN) from the platform if the application is accepted and confirmed.
Participants Profile
We are looking for young people who are motivated and available to:
- Working in a team and doing manual work tasks;
- Interested in sustainability in urban areas, community dynamics, and non-formal education;
- Interested in a short-term experience near a European capital;
- Open-minded, creative (and non-so much creative) and pro-solution people;
- Interested in the development of their practical skills and competencies;
- Who are interested in learning, collaborating (or even have experience) in the following areas: drawing and painting spaces, building street furniture, creating micro pedagogical gardens, manual crafts, among others.
It is a requirement that participants be between 18 and 30 years old and are resident in one of the European Union Countries, mainly from Portugal, Italy and Germany.
The selection will be made by YouthCoop, based on the motivation and profile of the candidate, being the preferred factor the participation of young people with fewer opportunities.
General conditions for participants
It is a residential activity – the volunteers are hosted on an ecological farm near the centre. Close to local transport facilities (Train and Bus). The city of Agualva – Cacém is 40 minutes from Lisbon and 20 minutes from Sintra.
- Meals will be provided to volunteers throughout the activity period (3 meals a day + coffee break).
- International volunteers are entitled to local and international travel respecting the budget given to the project and within the CES program (Italy – 275,00€ per participant; Germany – 360,00€). There is no travel budget for Portuguese participants.
- Note: The purchase of trips must take place after the explicit confirmation of the host organization, after completing the voluntary agreement and following the instructions for reimbursement.
- Technical and administrative support will be given to the volunteers.
- It includes an accident and health insurance for the duration of the project.
- Volunteers will also receive daily pocket money for small personal expenses outside the project (max 5,00€ per day).
- There is training upon arrival for the development of daily tasks.
- Technical training on safety in the use of tools;
- Planning of Urban Gardens projects.
- Volunteers will be accompanied by Youth Workers throughout the project.
- At the end of the project, the participants will receive the Youth Pass Certificate to validate their achievements and competencies acquired in this experience.
AdaptaTION TO Covid-19
The activities will consider the restrictions and recommendations of local and national health and civil protection authorities.
To prevent cases of contamination among participants, we will implement the following measures:
- Respect for social distancing rules during activities and during free time.
- Subject participants to rapid tests to detect COVID-19 in the first days of activity.
- Divide participants into small workgroups.
- Implement stations to dispense personal protective equipment (masks and gloves) and hand sanitation and equipment used by participants.
- Reinforce the cleanliness of work and food spaces, including increased care in the handling and delivering of food to participants.
- Reduce the number of participants per division of accommodation and in workspaces.
We ask that participants bring a set of 4 reusable community masks to avoid using disposable masks.
International participants will have to comply with the admission rules applied in Portugal for people’s entry – this will include taking covid PCR tests-19 hours before the trip. Important note: the rules may change, so we will keep participants informed about any restrictions and applicable regulations.
Youth Coop And CEntro Lúdico das Lopas
The project focuses on an artistic intervention at the Centro Lúdico das Lopas to support the community’s awareness of sustainability, solidarity and citizenship.
YouthCoop is a non-profit cooperative for the empowerment and awareness of young people, locally and internationally, working in citizenship and human rights education, youth participation and technical youth work using Non-Formal Education and community-oriented approaches.
Centro Lúdico das Lopas is a community and public centre in Agualva-Cacém, managed by the City Council, serving one of the most densely populated areas in Portugal. This space intends to offer recreational and educational activities for the community, also aiming to empower the youth of Sintra to be protagonists of the space they occupy, enhancing their skills to participate in their community actively.
YouthCoop develops activities in this community centre through a co-management partnership with the Municipality of Sintra. We aim to contribute to promoting technical youth work and the involvement of young people in the community, also strengthening environmental education and education for citizenship and human rights among the population, inspiring and actively involving young people in this space in the context of the objectives of the sustainable development, promoting solidarity and cooperation between people, public, private and social economy entities for a more significant social impact and community development.
Coordinator and Partners
UrbanAct is a project promoted by YouthCoop – Cooperativa para o Desenvolvimento e Cidadania, developed with the partnership and support from the Municipality of Sintra, the Civil Parish of Agualva and Mira Sintra, the European Solidarity Corps programme – represented in Portugal by Agencia Nacional Juventude em Ação – and the Instituto dos Missionários da Consolata.
