The project, funded by the Slovak Savings Bank Foundation, focused on activities to support the introduction of service-learning strategies into formal education. The project lasted from 1 May 2021 to 1 November 2021 and its aim was to promote the Engaged School brand which raises the profile of schools that support the education and training of children and young people for volunteering.
The second edition of the national Engaged School Award aimed to contribute to strengthening the motivation of schools to introduce education for volunteering into their curricula and to bring recognition to good examples of practice. By presenting interesting examples of linking formal and non-formal education, showing how to apply the knowledge gained in school to address real community needs, it sought to strengthen awareness of the role of schools in preparing young people for life in a democratic society.
The project included training of staff in various schools across Slovakia. The accredited Service-Learning in Education and Training of Children and Youth for Volunteering training, which we have in our training offer, is aimed at teachers, educators and school staff who want to develop education for volunteering in their pupils.
For more information about the Engaged School Award, please visit the official website:www.angazovanaskola.sk.
Volunteering as an Educational Opportunity (EDUVOL)
EDUVOL is an Erasmus+ funded international project in which 5 organisations have entered into a strategic partnership on the basis of previous cooperation on other activities.
The project aims to:
- develop the capacity of organisations working with youth to more effectively exploit the potential of volunteering as a learning opportunity,
- to support the development of young people's personality, key competencies and civic engagement through a service-learning volunteering experience.
We want to achieve these main objectives through training youth workers in the service-learning method, its concept and possibilities of use in working with volunteers and involving young people in local projects implemented using this method which will create opportunities for their development.
The project is based on the experience and expertise of the partners in the field of implementation of volunteering and the service-learning method. This method has been adapted and used in education in Western Europe and America for several years. Central and Eastern Europe is still getting acquainted with this method. Therefore, the project aims to develop and provide the public with service-learning training, training materials for trainers and a manual for youth workers and youth on how to implement service-learning projects.
The project is coordinated by the Platform of Volunteer Centres and Organisations.
Project partners:
Croatia: Rijeka, Udruga za razvoj civilnog drustva SMART, www.smart.hr,
Poland: Warsawa, Stowarzyszenie Centrum Wolontariatu (SCW), www.wolontariat.waw.pl,
Romania: Cluj-Napoca, Asociatia Pro Vobis – Centrul National de Resurse pentru Voluntariat, www.provobis.ro
Hungary: Budapešť, Önkéntes Központ Alapítvány, www.onkentes.hu
Project duration: 01.09.2019 – 31.05.2022
YOUTH SERVICES
The Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport and IUVENTA - Slovak Youth Institute regularly support our activities. They provide subsidies for the implementation of activities at the national level. These are aimed at improving services for the benefit of young people and ultimately at creating favourable conditions for the development of volunteering in the future.
The priority of the DCO Platform is to support the creation of a quality volunteering infrastructure in Slovakia to make it easier and more accessible for all to get involved in volunteering.
We cooperate with regional volunteer centres on national campaigns and support newly established ones.
To strengthen the status and positive perception of volunteering in society, we continue to work on improving the recognition of skills and experience gained through volunteering, promoting volunteering, the work of volunteer organisations and centres primarily through the use of online tools, and continuing to recognise volunteering in cooperation with regional volunteer centres.
We promote the quality of work in volunteering by training volunteer coordinators, continuing to introduce quality standards for work with volunteers and setting standards for volunteer centres. We continue to be available to local government organisations and businesses for consultation on volunteering related issues.
In connection with the Concept of Education and Training of Children and Youth on Volunteering, we will also focus on introducing volunteering into schools through the offer of training in the topic of Service-Learning and the implementation of a national round of awards for projects implemented through this method under the name of Engaged Schools
We are continuously continuing our advocacy activities aimed at creating a more favourable environment for the work of voluntary organisations.