The activities of Sodrujestvo is relevant to the European Solidarity Corps because the aim of the activities is to provide young people with easily accessible opportunities for engagement in solidarity activities effecting positive societal change, while improving their skills and competences for personal, educational, social, civic, cultural and professional development, as well as facilitating their active citizenship.

The activities are held to promote social inclusion and equal opportunities, in particular for the participation of young people with fewer opportunities. Sodrujestvo cooperates with local schools and children centers  where there are children of different background including those who face some social difficulties. Sodrujestvo aims to provide support for these children with the help of international volunteers.

Sodrujestvo has a very strong cooperation with local schools, children centers, local libraries and colleges. We organise a lot of educational activities in schools and libraries to promote solidarity, active citizenship and volunturism. We want to provide  equal treatment, equal opportunities and non-discrimination for all our participants. We also participate in youth forums as trainers and speakers to promote volunteering, social inclusion and active citizenship

Objectives of the proposed ESC project:

— to involve a European volunteer in the promotion of international voluntarism as a practice of active citizenship, intercultural education and personal and social growth in the local youth community;

— to give the volunteer the chance of active participation in the implementation and development of a specific project, which constitutes an opportunity of individual development;

-to start a discussion in the local community about the relationship between the Russian Federation and the EU, on its present state and future opportunities;

— to strengthen, throughout team work and confrontation, the mutual comprehension between youngsters of different countries.

The volunteer will have a mentor who will be helping in the learning process. Each period of the service represents this or that learning opportunity and so the mentor will help the volunteer to identify these learning opportunities and take advantage of them. Analysing and reflecting together with the mentor, summarizing the conclusions will make it more useful for the volunteer.

Volunteer will be involved in the following activities:

— with young members of the local project partners (Language School, local secondary schools, Agricultural and Pedagogical University, Children Center) the volunteer carries out weekly intercultural communication clubs discussing the acute problems of the modern world, such as intercultural communication, tolerance to other cultures and to people with different backgrounds, youth employment, drugs, and so on.

— in the office of Sodrujestvo with Sodrujestvo volunteers the volunteer can join weekly presentations and workshops about international youth volunteering worldwide

— write a blog on Sodrujestvo official website about international volunteering.

— be involved in organising awareness-raising events on the theme of international voluntarism as a way of education in the field of tolerance and inter-culture,

— work in the children center for disadvantaged kids, for example giving English or volunteer’s mother tongue’s lessons to the disadvantaged kids of this center.

— take part in local TV and local radio talk shows about international volunteering.

— prepare and take part as a volunteer in the intercultural children camp. This camp for local children takes place regularly each year in June, July and August as well as January in the Republic of Chuvashia. In this camp the volunteer can give presentations and non-formal education classes to local children about her native culture, language and also on the history and concept of European Union, human rights, tolerance, solidarity, active citizenship, cultural differences or other topics according to her interest

The volunteer will have multiple learning opportunities. The volunteer will have specific tasks as well as a lot of space to develop their own project, with the supervision and follow up of responsible person.

These activities will give the volunteers a chance to develop their creativity and to learn how to follow up a project, from its visualisation to implementation, with a constant support and evaluation from the organization staff. visualisation to implementation, with a constant support and evaluation from the organization staff.

Expected learning outcomes

During the proposed ESC the following skills could be acquired by the volunteer:

— To improve planning, logistical and organizational skills,

—  to deepen the knowledge about the Erasmus + program and to learn strategies of inclusion for youngsters,

—  to learn how to develop relations and to start an exchange of good practices with different subjects and actors who operate on an international dimension,

— to acquire or to broaden the knowledge in the field of communication,

— learn and practice non-formal methodologies and techniques,

— strengthen the tolerance and acceptance of different cultures and people,

— become an active citizen,

— identify, promote and share the national values,

— selfconfidence.