All volunteers are to be split up in teams of two, one from a Programme Country and one from a Neighboring Partner Country in such a way as to strike a balance in terms of competences, intercultural learning and European dimension.

Two main tools developed during the last three EVS programmes are to be used also during the current EVS project: EVS White Book, KIT on Community Youth Development and KIT on Social Animation Techniques.
Basically, all volunteers are to go through the whole process of Community Youth Development based on participatory processes, ranging from community discovery, community outreach, etc. and up to inter-community networking stages.  
On top of that, social animation is to be taught and used as a method to intermingle with local communities, organize a public meeting, negotiate conflict, etc. 
Support in the communities: thanks to the pilot programme Strategic Partnership for Local Active Citizenship, ARDR is benefitting for a wide local network comprising 15 communities. In each community ARDR has developed a Centre for Information, Counselling and European Cooperation- Euro House Centre that has the following support local group: one schools’ representative in the community working on extra-curricular education in conjunction with EVS volunteers and other community stakeholders, one young student working as information multiplier for youths, and one public administration representative working as contact person for ARDR for projects management. 

RuraLearn shall be implemented in Gorj County in the following sites:

Bâlteni, Baia de Fier, Rovinari, Bumbesti Jiu, Hurezani, Novaci, Târgu Cărbunesti, Tismana, Turceni.

Community Youth Development and European Active Citizenship

During the first two weeks, all volunteers are to be accommodated in a guest house in 2 bedded rooms with TV set and own bathroom.

After the two weeks, all volunteers will be distributed in pairs to the 9 different rural and small urban communities. The volunteers will live either with host families or share a living location together. The living location will meet decent living standards (private room, free access to kitchen and bathroom, current cold water with the possibility of providing hot water at least one hour/day, functioning heating system, clean and secure location). ARDR and YWB in cooperation with each hosting community will make all efforts to find the best accommodation location for the volunteers. All accommodation and utility costs (water, gas, electricity) shall be covered by the hosting organization.

Buying and preparing the food is to be the sole responsibility of the volunteers. For preparing the food the volunteers will have free access to an equipped kitchen.

In the case of volunteers staying in host families a solution will be to serve meals with the family. The hosting organization will provide each volunteer with a monthly food allowance from which they shall cover the alimentation costs. The allowance is enough for insuring a very good living standard (being much higher than the amount and average citizen from the region spends for food). However the allowance will not be enough for ensuring every day eating in a restaurant or bistro or leading a luxurious life.

The local transportation costs of the volunteers necessary for the activities implementation will be covered 100% by the association from the project budget.

The international transport of the volunteer from his/her home to the site of the project shall be covered 100% - two ways (Economy flight tickets and/or 2nd class train tickets).
The personal transport of the volunteers (local, national or international) will be not in the responsibility of the association.

Due to the importance of communication with the people from the hosting communities (most of them can not speak any foreign languages) will be of crucial importance for the volunteers to learn the Romanian Language at a good speaking level.

The volunteers will have the responsibility to attend all language courses according to the schedule as well as to make every effort in studying and learning the language.

The Romanian language lessons shall be provided by experienced language tutor. The content and structure of the language courses will be projected together with the volunteers, taking into consideration their learning abilities and needs. The language courses will be provided free of charge for the first two weeks on a daily basis and for 2 hours/week in their own community for the entire duration of the EVS project; in the hosting communities private tuition language classes are delivered by a local school teacher to each team of volunteers.

Each volunteer is entitled to receive a 60 Euro monthly allowance – pocket money, which they can spend as they choose/want.

* Stimulate the intercultural learning process and enhance the European Awareness and Active Participation within the hosting communities from Gorj County. 

* Provide the context and the opportunities for all volunteers to develop both personally as well as socially by acquiring and improving new skills and competences as well as boost their self- confidence. 

* Increase tolerance towards different cultures by learning and accepting the cultural differences. 

* Contribute to the community development by boosting the participation and active involvement of young people in their local communities. 

* Encourage the participation of youngsters with fewer opportunities 

* Widen and strengthen the partnership and co-operation relation in between all project promoters 

The project aims to involve the volunteers as community change agents, promoters and multipliers in order to spur European Awareness and active citizenship and establish bridges of communication in between sites in their home country and the areas they are established.

All the activities will be developed in 3 dimensions: personal development, development within the host organization and community development. The Communities where the Euro House Centers are established will stand as the main working headquarters for the volunteers. 

Therefore, there are three strands as the whole RuraLearn programme is designed onto:

1.Proceeding with community youth development - there are few communities where community youth work needs to be started from scratch- hardly anything has been done in terms of long term community youth work;
2.Designing, organizing, and implementing, in conjunction with local counterparts and youngsters from their hosting communities, a variety of activities such as: sports events , environmental activities, cultural camps, group games, thematic workshops, walks in the cities, visits to different sights and events, theatre and art creative workshop, music and dance, cultural awareness and learning activities, etc. 
3.Getting involved in other local/national and/or international programmes and activities developed by ARDR;
4.Advocating for community changes - local authorities are still close minded in terms of supporting youth actions in a structured way and give priority to youth affairs; hardly any finances for youth work, hardly any local action plan for youth affairs. Here, volunteers will be involved in advocacy events. 

1.Centrum Animacji Spolecznej HORYZONTY - Poland

2.VIA e. V. - Verein fuer internationalen und interkulturellen Austausch – Germany

3.Barcelona Voluntaria – Spain

4.Federation Youth Clubs of Armenia FYCA – Armenia

5.Civil Society Institue CSI – Armenia

6.PANOIPC – Lithuania

7.YMCA – Latvia

8.Jaunatne par iesaistisanos – Latvia

9.GAIA Alentejo - Portugal

10.GAIA Porto - Portugal

11.Youth Association DRONI - Georgia

12.Civitas Georgica - Georgia

February

"SAY NO TO SMOKING" - Bilteni, 7th - 15th of February 2010

"Say NO to smoking" campaign that was held from 7 to 15 of FEB. It was conducted at high school in Bilteni. The campaign included the following attributes:
*Power Point Presentation paper
*Videos
*Photos on the walls inside the school
*T-shirts with an antismoking slogan, a picture, duration of campaigne, and the logo of ARDR. As the T-shirts are few for all of the schoolchildren from 6 classes, I made a competition between them, and during 5 minutes who will think about some good slogan about antismoking, he/she will receive a t-shirts.
The campaign had a success, in sense that schoolchildren got interested in that and Anahit got support from the English teachers and the director.

January

"Click on EVS" - Targu Jiu, 11th - 22nd of January 2010

The caravan was initiated and implemented by ARDR in collaboration with 6 volunteers with the support of student League from C. Brancusi University on a period of 2 weeks. The campaign consisted in promoting the EVS among students from the 3 of the Faculties from C. Brancusi University as: Faculty of Letters and Social Sciences, Faculty of Economics and Faculty of Engineering. During this 2 weeks were formed every day team of 3-4 volunteers which were run during the campaign. European Voluntary Service was promoted by using posters, fliers and a roll up, but also by free dicusions between volunteers and students interested of the EVS. This Caravan was also an opportunity from volunteers to share thier thoughts regarding their’s EVS in Romania, to offer information regarding EVS Projects in other countries, to estabilsh contacts, to explain the procedure to apply for an EVS Project but also was an opportunity for students and volunteers to practice English and not only. Through partnership with students league was facilitated entry and location of all materials within Faculties.
Volunteers treated seriously this campaign and the action became a succes.

December

"SARA DE PIŢĂRĂI" - Tismana, 23rd December, 2009

"SARA DE PIŢĂRĂI" is a Christmas spectacle which was showed for the very first time in the Cultural House of Tismana. The organizers tried to reproduce a special atmosphere representative for the winter holidays and that specific archaic caracter of the night of the birth of Jesus, called in the Romanian culture and traditions "PIŢĂRĂI". In the spectacle a theatre group and a group of singers which the volunteers helped set up, have participated. One of the surprises was Santa Claus wich offered some gifts for spectators, especialy the children. After the show, according to PIŢĂRĂI tradition, people went door to door to wish a good health and a better year.
The local television was present to record the entire show and broadcast it on local television.You can see the entire spectacle in the Media/Video section of our website.

"Theatre group" - Targu Jiu, September 2009 and onwards

Soon after the arrival of Gehorg in Tismana, a talented writed began work on a script for a play. The mentor together with the volunteer spent two weeks looking for the right pupils/actors for the play. They spent the next 4 months meeting every weekend to practice. The result was that the pupils have performed during a Christmas spectacle in Tismana called "SARA DE PIŢĂRĂI". Not long after that they have also performed in the High School of Bilteni, where they organized a spectacle together with the support of Anahit. One of the best things that have happened is that two adults have taked the responsabity to lead this group, make sure that it will continue to exist long after the departure of the volunteers.

"Smile for tomorrow campaign" - Targu Jiu, 10 - 23rd December, 2009

“Smile for tomorrow” is a social project which was launched at the initiative of one of the voluntary and enjoy the support of 8 mayors (Rovinari, Musetesti, Balteni, Tismana, Lelesti, Polovragi, Godinesti, Tirgu Jiu), the Gorj County Council and of 2 partner stores: Succes and Kaufland. The action consist in raising clothing products, food, financial aid and other useful materials which will make happy holidays to those who have social problems. "Smile for Tomorrow" aims to develop social responsibility among economic agents and, also, the citizens from Gorj County. Project stretched on 15th December and ended on 23th of December in Tirgu Jiu and addressed to 10 communities from the county of Gorj: Godinesti, Lelesti, Polovragi, Rosia de Amaradia, Hurezani, Tismana, Musetesti, Balteni, Rovinari and Motru where have been identified a substantial number of families with social problems.

“Smile for tomorrow” involved large and small shops in three different ways: financial contribution, donating food and materials and ability to deal directly with buyers.

For the beginning have been made food boxes where the donated products will be collected, money boxes for those who want to put some money, about 500 fliers and 50 posters which helped volunteers to make themselves known in the partner stores. On the other part the entire duration of the campaign was envisaged through its media: radio, TV and newspapers.

Started action was realized with the support of 15 volunteers which stood almost every day for several hours in front of the shops with money and/or food boxes and approaching the customers by telling them about this action in order to obtain subsidies from their part (money, food, clothes). All 15 volunteers divided in more groups:

- three groups of 2 volunteers stood in front of shops collecting food/money

- two groups of 3 volunteers went door to door with hope of obtaining funds for poor families.

Within this campaign have been distributed packages with toys, sweets, clothes, domestic items, folding beds and many other things and for 53 families in Rovinari representing donations from some German volunteers. The beneficiaries of packages have the age between 3 and 80 years, are people separated from families or anyone who does not work, are families with many children and others with serious social and financial problems.

The result of this campaign was a satisfactory one, volunteers managed to raise both food and an amount of money which certainly have brought smile on the lips of poor families, but beside this the volunteers have the satisfaction feeling by doing something for someone that really needs.

November

Life's good...when it's green - Tismana, November 13th, 2009

In the city Tismana on November 13, 2009, ARDR in partnership with the ALIAT and GSI Tismana, conducted an extensive environmental action called "Life's Good ... when it's green". This action was the greening of the accumulation lake in downtown of Tismana City, and involved a total of 130 youth volunteers and teachers from the GSI Tismana with the support of the director from GSI, Ms Lupu Mihaela. This activity is part from the extracurricular educational activities for active citizenship from European Voluntary RuraLearn project run by 18 volunteers from the Caucasus, and EU.

City Hall Tismana supported this campaign through to provide the garbage bags and protective gloves, but also facilitate the hundreds transport of tens garbage bags filled with recyclable materials collected by the young volunteers. At the end of the environmental campaign on its own initiative, young volunteers from the city Tismana made a tree of some recycled materials, representing a symbol of environmental, so the young people wanted to pull an alarm for an education and civic involvement in terms of environmental protection.

At the end of the action, the ARDR offered to the most active volunteers t-shirts inscripted with “Life’s good… when it’s green”.

Footbal match between Rovinari and Hurezani, November 13th, 2009

Enriko is really passionate about football so that is why one of his main desires is to organize a football competition between all the communities. Of course the object is not to create competition between the communities but that to create communication, or otherwise develop networking between the communities. He does not have much experience in organizing such big events so he started with a volunteer that wanted to help him: Leyla from Hurezani.

Traditional turkish dance lessons for the kids in Hurezani, November 12th, 2009

Leyla the turkish volunteer found a group of kids that wish to know more about turkish traditional dancing. It didn't take long to organize dancing lessons. Now there is a small group that always participate in her lessons.

October

Cultural evening - Musetesti, October 31st, 2009

EVS volunteers organized a cultutal day in the rural community of Musetesti.

They day started with a soccer championship in the community where all the youngsters from Musetesti participated. The championship ended with a match between volunteers and a team of football enthusiasts from the community.

It was a way to create a better relation with all inhabitants and to meet a lot of people.

The main point of this day was culture and so, they organized a projection with videos about the countries of the volunteers. For each country, the volunteer was ready to receive questions. It was a way for the children to travel, to discover new cultures and to open their mind.

The evening ended with one of the volunteers joggling with fire.

30 31 October - Monthly Evaluation

On October 30, 18 EVS volunteers gathered in Musetesti. They shared valuable information about their activities and problems for the ending month. It was the first evaluation in which the volunteers that ARDR hosts from the YWB. It wasn't long until they all became friends.

During the first evening the volunteers talked about what they have done during this month and left the planning for the next day.It was also starting with this month that the volunteers introduced the voting for the volunteer of the month, the project of the month, the team of the month.

Senior citizen's day, Bustuchin, October 15th

The volunteers do more that just implement their own ideas. They are very open to other ideas, activities and events. Such an event was the Senior Citizen’s Day that was in Bustuchin on the 15th of October. This event was not organized by Karolis and Matis, they only helped with the organizing.

This event was also a good opportunity to get noticed by the senior citizens of Bustuchin.

English & Spanish lessons:starting this month and onwards

The two volunteers from Tismana have developed English and Spanish lessons with the kids from the schools where they conduct the EVS activities. These activities are part on the daily program.

Irene, the Spanish girl, is doing spanish lessons in Pocruia and Celei (two small villages near Tismana) with children from 5th, 6th and 7th classes. The children likes her very much and they say she is a nice girl, they really enjoy the Spanish lessons so that they come in large numbers. The success of these lessons is due Irene's because she knows how to attract the kids.

Gevorg, the Armenian boy, teach the children from 5th and 6th classes English language. The lessons are conducted in the Cultural House from Tismana. He enjoy the support from Alina who helps him every time when he needs.

September

25th of September - Monthly Evaluation

On the 25th of September the volunteers come again to the Nature Inn pension for their first monthly evaluation. During the last weekend of each month ARDR gathers all volunteers for a period of 1 to 3 days in one place.The purpose of the monthly evaluation is to create a cohesion between the volunteers and to share their experience between them. They all have very different communities with different needs. They have different experiences and this is the perfect place to share and learn from each other.

15th of August - the arrival of the volunteers in Romania and beginning of Capacity Building Program

On the 15th of August all volunteers have arrived in Musetesti. For 12 days they have stayed at the Nature Inn pension and have gone through project management training, time management, financial management, intercultural dialogue, conflict resolution, basic romanian classes, animation and community visit.

The communities they have visited are: Bilteni, Rovinari, Bustuchin, Hurezani, Baia de Fier and Motru.