Information about ESC vacancy 2024/2025 in Šiška forest kindergarten
Receiving organisation:
Lesni klub Siska, z.s. (Forest Kindergarten)
Accreditation: 2021-1-CZ01-ESC50-094576
Website in English: http://www.lesniklubsiska.cz/o-nas/information-about-evs-in-siska/
Coordinating organization:
Luzanky – Centre of Leisure Time (SVC Luzanky)
OID: E10146786
Accreditation: 2021-1-CZ01-ESC50-094574
Website in English: https://solidaritycorps.luzanky.cz/
Website of Luzanky: https://www.luzanky.cz/
Duration of activity: 12 months
Beginning of activity: 15/09/2024
End of activity: 14/09/2025
Contact person (ESC coordinator): Hana Klenovská
Phone Nr: +420 724 200 131
Email: evs.assistant@luzanky.cz
Selection process:
Please choose the ESC placement you are interested in, you will find descriptions on our website here https://solidaritycorps.luzanky.cz/category/calls-2022/ and fill in the google form https://forms.gle/WjjXJVYTDtCfvSX18 to apply for the ESC. Attention – in the google form you will be asked to answer around 5 questions where you will describe your motivation for that particular ESC placement, so be ready the filling of the google form might take you some time. You will be asked to attach your CV and motivation letter as well.
Deadline for applications is 10th of April 2024.
If you have any questions, please contact us at evs.assistant@luzanky.cz
If you are chosen to the second round of selection, be ready for a video call interview during April. The results will be known in the end of April/beginning of May 2024. Kindly note only the volunteers selected for the second round will be informed about the results. Thank you for understanding!
Description of the workplace
Siska Forest Kindergarten is a non-profit non-governmental association, established in 2012. Our main aims are supporting active and responsible parenthood and education of children, supporting families and working parents, running forest kindergarten, building space for common activities and public events, informing about forest kindergartens and environmental education. The main feature of the concept of forest kindergartens is that the children are the whole day outdoors, in the forest or in the garden, no matter what the weather is.
Our main activities are
- forest kindergarten – opened daily 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. from Monday till Friday during the school year (1st September – 30th June), there are 16 children aged 3 – 7;
- one public event (festival with games) for children and their parents monthly – one afternoon during the weekend;
- 3 camps for kids during summer holidays (daily 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. from Monday till Friday), cca 20 children aged 4-10;
Volunteer´s activities
Volunteer in Siska will be working mainly as a pedagogue assistant (helping during common activities, accompany with them children in the forest, assist in regular courses for kids – music, arts, sports, handcraft etc. – according to his/her interest, during occasional events or summer camps). Volunteer will be also helping children while putting on clothes, dining etc. and may be asked to help with practical tasks connected with running the kindergarten – cooking, washing the dishes, cleaning and gardening. Volunteer will be supported to bring new ideas and organize own activities for children.
Activities in Siska:
Morning programme in kindergarten consists of morning circle, common activity, snack, walk and games in forrest. After lunch, children have a rest in a ger, listen to a story or chat. Afternoons there are different activities – music, painting, handcraft etc. or free play.
Volunteer can also offer the activities to the children according to his/her abilities and interests. This schedule changes during holiday seasons, when we organize camps for children (and discuss with volunteer his/her participation specifically).
The time schedule of the volunteer:
30 hours weekly
- 20 hours weekly – assisting in the forest kindergarten
- 2 hours meetings with coordinator and other ESC-ers – time you spent with your ESC coordinator discussing your work and planning the future events, projects etc.
- Up to 3 hours Czech language class/ studying at home
- Up to 5 hours for your Mini project – time you spend on preparing your own mini project/s
We are looking for volunteer who is motivated to work with children outdoors, in touch with nature and natural conditions. Sometimes it may be difficult to stay outside when the weather is not good. Please be aware that because of the conditions (activities in the garden and forest) the project is not suitable for people with allergies. Volunteer´s personal experience with outdoor activities, scouting, woodcraft etc. is welcome. We will appreciate active volunteer willing to propose his/her own ideas and projects. This interest and motivation to work particularly in our project is the most important for us regardless nationality, gender, language knowledge or personal skills.
QUESTION TO ANSWER:
- In forest kindergarten we spend most of the working time outside (in winter the temperature possibly might get up to -10), which for some people might be very challenging. How do you think you could manage it?
- Do you have any camping (woodcraft, scout) skills like making a fire, chopping wood etc.? If yes, describe them.
- How would you solve a conflict between two children who are fighting over a toy in the sandbox? Please describe briefly how you could proceed in steps.
- What would you like to gain from your Solidarity corps volunteering project?
- What area are you good at and you would like to share your knowledge and experience with others?
General description of volunteering project in Luzanky:
There are 8 ESC volunteers working at different places on individual projects, meeting every week on common meetings with the coordinator and from time to time with all the colleagues to evaluate and plan the project. Luzanky hosts and coordinates ESC volunteers also in other organizations (focused on environmental education, preschool education etc.), so all hosted and coordinated volunteers will meet during the project and can visit workplaces and events of each other.
The volunteers work also together with the coordinator on tasks connected with their integration into Luzanky and presentation of their presence in our organization. Those tasks will be mainly related to the promotion of Solidarity corps program.
Volunteers can visit some of the courses and events organized by Luzanky for free (circus training for adults, ceramics etc.).
The organization will host only volunteers older than 18 years old.
Days off and holidays: volunteers have 2 days a week free + 2 days per month of vacation. While working occasionally on weekends they have extra days off during the week.
Allowances: Volunteers get their pocket money and food allowance monthly (at the beginning of each month), and they are provided with a card for Brno public transport.
Accommodation: Volunteers live in rented flats (not in the centre of the city), it can happen that two volunteers will share one room. There will be 4 volunteers in the flat with 3-4 bedrooms. There is no living room, only common space/eating area in the kitchen. Distance to your working place from the flat can be around 30 minutes by public transport, even a bit more. Getting affordable accommodation in Brno is very difficult in recent years, so please be ready for described conditions of accommodation if you apply to our project. The advantage for you is that you will stay in quite a big city, which offers cultural and other events for young people, some even in English or other languages.