Mix & Match - European dimension to national realities of voluntary service

The project “Mix & Match - European dimension to national realities of voluntary service” includes two mobility activities: European Voluntary Service (1/2/2016-1/1/2017) of 9 volunteers coming to Serbia and Itinerary Study Visit “Workcamps Caravan” (01/8-8/8/2016) of sharing examples of good practice and networking between the project partners, EVS Sending Organisations: from Serbia (the applicant, Young Researchers of Serbia), Greece, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Italy, France, Poland, Spain and Belgium, all members of the Alliance of European Voluntary Service Organisations. The common denominator to project partners is International Voluntary Service (IVS), particularly workcamps and EVS as tools for youth active participation and local sustainable development. 9 partners organise 350+ international short-term voluntary projects – workcamps, which host 4400+ international volunteers and send/host 100+ EVS volunteers yearly.Innovative ideas this consortium explored are directed to the following commonly identified challenges:• how to effectively activate the educational impact of voluntary work of 4400+ young people and a long lasting impact to sustainable development of 350 local host communities• how to effectively promote IVS among young people as a possibility for a long lasting personal and professional development and gaining of key competencies• how to assess and formally recognise competencies gained through volunteering in workcamps.GENERAL AIM: Innovate and improve networking and the quality of youth work in the field of IVS of 9 involved project partners from 9 countries and numerous local stakeholders from all over SerbiaSPECIFIC AIM 1: improve the level of key competences and skills of 9 EVS volunteers by creating the learning environment for them to transfer, gain new and practice specific IVS field related skills, then transfer back to the work and development of 8 international partners, their sending organisationsSPECIFIC AIM 2: Foster exchange of innovative and relevant to the field grass-root practice between 9 IVS organisations and numerous local stakeholdersConsidering that EVS partnerships are mainly bilateral (between one hosting and one sending organisation), this project aims not only at strengthening the cooperation between the host and applicant, YRS, and each sending partner individually, but allows sharing of good practices between all 9 project partners (sending organisations with other sending organisations), both through EVS as well as through the Study Visit “Workcamps Caravan”. The Caravan allows the EVS coordinators from 9 sending organisations, not only to participate in a relevant to their work field practice, but also meet their EVS volunteer, as well as those of other project partners, assess the progress through a common mid term evaluation and plan the follow-up for their EVS volunteer, having various inputs of other sending organisations.