Élményakadémia - fiatalok figyelmébe ajánljuk

2010 september “Be responsible!” Programmes of Academy of Experience

In autumn 2010 we are having the following youth exchange supported by Youth in Action Program, using the themes of self experience (expedition, high ropes, low ropes, rock climbing); technical knowledge; supervision; experiential education theories. Please read about it bellow and if you interested contact us: kriszta.gyongyosi@gmail.com Or learn more about us at: www.academyofexperience.com .

MAKE YOURSELF USEFUL!

Date: 20/09/2010 – 28/09/2010
Topic: Volunteering and participation
Type: Youth Exchange (Youth in Action 1.1)
Target group: youth 16-25 especially with fewer opportunities plus group leaders
Venue: Csobánka, Hungary
Costs: 70% of the travel cost will be reimbursed, participation fee: 50 EUR
Partner countries are Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Hungary (for other countries it is possible to join but please consider higher travel costs.)
Project coordinator: Gigi kriszta.gyongyosi@gmail.com
The program is held by Outward Bound trainers.

ABOUT US

Who are we? ACADEMY OF EXPERIENCE is a non-profit outdoor experiential education center dealing with youth and yout workers.

We would like to help young people with fewer opportunities living in difficult circumstances, in segregation or fighting with learning difficulties and also the people taking care of them: teachers, trainers, social workers by enriching their lives with the results of our programs. Our aim is to do this in such way that by putting their experiences in practice they have an opportunity to achieve permanent changes in their knowledge and attitude.

Our main method is experiential education, which builds on the idea of “learning by doing”.

Academy of Experience Non-Profit Association was founded at the end of 2005 by 12 enthusiastic volunteers, who wanted to commit themselves to non-formal education and personal development of young and adult people. Our members come from very diverse backgrounds including teaching, sociology, economy, recreation, psychology and outdoor training and with our volunteer helpers we form an enthusiastic team.

Our objectives are to develop personal and group abilities, leadership skills, self-confidence, courage and entrepreneurship through experiential education in young people and employees of different organizations.

We are part of the international Outward Bound network.

About MAKE YOURSELF USEFUL!
WHAT IS IT?

It is a youth exchange, so that through getting to know each others' culture we become more open-minded, and grow towards the increase the acceptance of differences and one another and reduce exclusion.

Our topic is volunteering and participation. Why? Helping to increase the social participation is not only an important EU objective but also a social and personal interest, since it gives great advantages for all affected. In case of active, volunteering young people the work-socializing progress starts sooner, they could get lots of contacts, advantages and experiences.
Through a non-formal education they get skills and abilities as well as actual knowledge. Besides being useful for their environment and their society, their latter employers would also profit from their voluntary experiences.

AIM:

… to strengthen the feeling of social responsibility and participation through the recognition and popularization of voluntary work. Our objective is that during the programs the participants discover their own importance and
usefulness in society and their environment, they are also introduced to the the joys and possibilities of volunteering and can get a feel what kind of positive experience and knowledge they could get during voluntary work.
We would like give them tools and best practices so that after returning home they would start to live actively in their environment.

The project uses the tools of experiential education, by actively involving the participants it creates situations which are good to sense these positive affects and get their own experience.

2011 is the Year of Volunteering, so we feel it especially important to address and motivate young people.

VENUE:

The exchange will take place in Csobánka, Hungary.

The accommodations include 8 bed bedrooms, showers are on the corridor.

How to get there?

Arrange your trip to arrive on time at the arrival day!

Take a train or bus from your country to Budapest. Go to Batthyány square, where you can catch a HÉV (kinda train) to POMÁZ. From Pomáz take a bus to CSOBÁNKA – Cserkész Központ.

Please leave let us know when you are going to arrive, so we can help you organise your trip.

ATTENTION! You have to buy ticket for the vehicles in Budapest (price: 300 HUF). For each journey one ticket!

What to bring?

We are asking you to bring certain clothes for your physical safety, and make sure you cater for your hygienic needs.

Please make sure that you have enough clothes for eight days of intensive movement. We will do a lot of exercises outside, also sit on the floor in the training room. Consider that we will move many times a day between the accommodation and the forest around. This time of the year the weather is unpredictable, it can be from -5 – +25 degrees, wind, rain or hot sunshine as well... There is no washing machine at the accommodation - of course you can handwash.

Checklist:

• Towel
• Water bottle of minimum 2 L
• Warm clothes for outdoor & indoor activities and for after-movement times
• Long sports trousers - for both boys and girls it is obligatory that your trousers are at least
• knee length, covering your knee, min. 2 pairs
• T-shirts / tops for physical movement (girls: sports bra!)
• Socks made of a material that is healthy and breathable.
• Indoor shoes for physical activities: holds your feet, and allows maximum flexibility.
• Backpack
• Raincoat
• Hat, scarf and gloves
• Outdoor sports shoes, boots, which are holding your ancle and are waterproof!
• Sleeping mat
• Sleeping bag
• Some food and drinks from your country
• Your own medicines
• Documents
• passport or other official identification
• bills and tickets described in the attachment
• insurance (described below)
• Hungarians: TB card
•  

COSTS
Élményakadémia covers the following costs:

• accomodation
• food
• the costs of the programme
• maximum 70% of the travelcosts for foreign participants, funded by the Youth in Action Programmme, according to the conditions described in the attachment.

For this we received grant from the Youth in Action Programme, for participants from the countries mentioned above, 18 + years.

PLEASE NOTE: WE CAN PAY BACK maximum 70% OF YOUR TRAVEL COSTS IF YOU KEEP THE TICKETS AND THE RECIPES

Participants cover the following costs:

• The rest of your travel costs from your home to the project venue, which can be 0 – 100% of your travelcosts, depending on what kind of funding you are coming with.
• Your own insurance
• Participants’ contribution: 50 EUR To be paid in cash in HUF or € onarrival.
The procedure and the conditions of the reimbursement is described below in the attachment nr.1.

Please read it carefully and if you have questions, contact us in advance.

APPLICATION – SELECTION – CONFIRMATION

Send your filled in application
kriszta.gyongyosi@gmail.com

If you have any physical limitations, disease and/or use medication we need to know about, indicate it on the application form. If you are a vegetarian, or have a special diet, let us know, indicating what you cannot or don’t want to eat, and also what you CAN eat, so that we can arrange for suitable food.

Do not buy tickets till you get a confirmation letter.

Selection will be done according to the contents of your application forms, and the criteria given above taking into consideration the geographical, age and gender and social background-based balance of participants.

Note that by filling in and sending us your application form, you state that you have read, understood and accept the contents of this information letter.

We are looking forward to seeing you in Hungary!

Élményakadémia

website: www.elmenyakademia.hu

The project has received for grant form the Youth in Action Programme of the European Community.

Information on the Programme is available at http://europa.eu.int/comm/youth/index_en.html

However the content of the project doesn’t necessarily reflect the opinion of the EU and the Hungarian National Agency.

The project is not under the responsibility of these institutions.