📌PROJECT INFORMATION:

The aim is to help to develop the cultural openness of young pupils and students from rural areas and participate in their learning of citizenship and tolerance. Become a volunteer in a training centre for teenagers and young people who are not familiar at all with Europe, in the rural area surrounding the city of Le Mans. This project will involve 6 volunteers from 6 European Union countries. Each one of them will volunteer in one of the 6 local training centres for teenagers from the surroundings of Le Mans, in the department of Sarthe in France. The local training centres are called: the “Maisons Familiales Rurales” or MFR (literary translated as the “rural family houses”). The volunteer will work in one of the 6 MFRs. Each MFR hosts young pupils who have difficulties with the French traditional school system and who are looking for a new way of learning. The MFRs are all located in Sarthe and each MFR is located in a different village. The 6 volunteers will be accommodated together in a house in Le Mans, the biggest town of the department, but each of them will have to go by car or by public transportation to its MFR.

One of the challenges of this project is to bring Europe in rural areas toward pupils who have no knowledge at all about Europe and its countries. Therefore, the transports issue is important and all applicants must have a driving license. You can choose to apply for the 6 vacancies or choose specific training centres regarding the topics of the diplomas prepared by the pupils (healthcare, forest...) for example.

Volunteers will be regarded as full members of their team and will be included in the daily work of each centre. They will have the opportunity to use and improve their own abilities: volunteers will develop their sense of initiative, gain new skills and knowledge through the organisation of different activities for the MFR (workshops, courses, individual support, sports, games, presentations, lectures). The volunteer must therefore be willing to work with teenagers and to use non-formal learning’s methods.

During the project, the volunteer will mainly be in touch with the young people that are hosted in the MFR, but not only. They will be encouraged to submit and implement their own projects, with possibilities of partnership with other local organisations. The volunteer will act as an ambassador of his/her country, and thus will try to promote values such as diversity and interculturality. The purpose of the French MFR is to develop a global approach of education, by using strictly formal, non-formal and informal learnings. Their practices are based on work-linked training: all students spend one week in the MFR and the following week in the company where they got a traineeship.

In the MFR, young people and adults find a pleasant environment especially adapted to develop their abilities. The school ensures the pupils full boarding and organises lots of collective activities so that everyone works with one another. It also tries to open pupil’s minds to cultural life thanks to activities led during the day or the evening and prepares youngsters and adults to successful integration into society in which they can find a place and take responsibilities. The volunteer will be asked to organise and lead some of these collective activities. The rooms are set up in such a way that everyone can feel comfortable and build relationships in a family atmosphere, though there are some demanding rules regarding education in general. There is a limited number of pupils or adults at the “Maison Familiale Rurale” each week. The team of teachers (called “moniteurs” in MFR) is limited as well.

The volunteers will follow and help the “moniteurs” in their daily tasks. The “moniteurs” stay all day long at the MFR. They have various functions: they facilitate good relations in the group, they teach, they take an active part in the education aim while supporting each youngster’s project. They are qualified to implement the alternate training system and they know very well the “Maison Familiale Rurale’s” environment, youngsters, their families and the training managers. They get involved in the development of the area where the MFR has started its activities

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📌WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO:

The volunteer will work full time with the team of the MFR from Monday to Friday, on a 30-hour week basis. According to the time of the year and the activities planned, the volunteer might be asked to work 40 hours a week. In that case, he/she will only work 20 hours the following week. The planning will be organised in each training centre at the beginning of the project, depending on the activities, languages courses, transportation system, and holidays of the training centre. Once a week, volunteers might be asked to take part in evening gatherings with the students. From time to time, the volunteer will have the opportunity to work in Le Mans with the other volunteers in order to build a common project.

The volunteer will be involved in the various activities of the school. We expect you to:

Raise European awareness:

At various times during the pupils’ training (evening gatherings, lunchtime, breaks, study time, etc.), the volunteer will set up activities meant to promote discovery, exchange and cultural approach of countries: presentations of the volunteer’s culture for example (through photos, videos, arts, national cuisine, games, etc.). The volunteer is also expected to promote the European solidarity corps program and other possibilities to go and travel abroad.

Develop educational and pedagogical activities:

As a full member of the team, the volunteer will participate in the activities led by the members of the teaching team, will organize his/her own activities, and will work on communication tools (videos, booklets, social media, interviews). The volunteer will have the opportunity to talk about his/her mission or country during other events organised outside the MFR. The volunteer might participate in some school trips, study visits… in France or abroad!

Work with the 6 other volunteers of the 6 training centres:

The volunteers will participate in a common project: they will take part in the organisation of Europe Day in Le Mans around the 9th of May 2022. Common projects can also be linked with the environment or the future of Europe according to your goals and wishes. They will be supported by the teams of the Maison de l’Europe. As such, they will regularly go to Le Mans.

📌ACCOMODATION:

The volunteer will be accommodated in Le Mans, with the other 5 volunteers taking part in this project. They will live in a house next to the train station in Le Mans, not far from the city centre. Each volunteer will have his own room, kitchen, bathroom and garden are shared. The house is fully furnished and was renovated last year. Accommodation and transportation fees are under the responsibility of the hosting organisation. Money will be given to the volunteer every month to cover food expenses, as well as pocket money

📌WHERE ARE THE MFRS LOCATED:

MFR of Fyé:

The MFR of Fyé has existed for 54 years and welcomes young people aged 14 to 20 (80% of them are girls). This is a rather small MFR with a very friendly and familial atmosphere.

It offers two types of work-linked training (50% of the time in school, 50% in the company):
- Two orientation classes, (14- and 15-years old pupils);
- A professional baccalaureate degree called SAPAT (the degree to become a social worker). This professional degree prepares young people for several care-based jobs, such as working with children, caring for the elderly and the disabled people, activities related to tourism, community centre activities, reception, secretarial work...
- Continuous training modules (nursery assistants, youth workers, future agricultural employees).

These are the activities the volunteer will be in charge of:
-Taking part in a weekly evening activity (games and fun activities)
- Being in charge of lunchtime one day per week
- Launching projects on his/her own (ex: presentation of the country of origin)
- Promoting the European Solidarity Corps (in the media, job fairs, etc.)
- Accompanying and supporting the MFR’s team and students in their daily activities (ex: visits, classes, etc.)
- Being a contact person for the students, in case of questions, requests for help/support, etc.

Transportation > To reach Fyé, the volunteer will take the train from Le Mans to La Hutte (37 minutes). Then, (s)he will use the car of the MFR to reach the training centre (3 kilometres). For the way back, the volunteer will drive the car to the train station of La Hutte, leave it there and take the train back to Le Mans. This means approximately 1 hour to go from the accommodation to work, and 1 hour back.

MFR of la ferté-bernard

The MFR of La Ferté Bernard also called the “School of Forest”, is specialises in the protection of the environment and biodiversity. It welcomes 130 pupils every year, from the age of 14, in different classes:

- Two orientation classes, to get the first diploma and discover a working environment. Students all spend one week in the MFR and one week in the company where
they got a traineeship. It is a work-linked training (50% of time in school, 50% in the company). Traineeships are free to be chosen by pupils, to discover any working
environment.
- A professional baccalaureate degree in Forest Management.
- A professional baccalaureate degree in Management of Natural Habitats and Wildlife.
- A higher education degree in Management and Protection of Nature

Transportation > To reach La Ferté Bernard, the volunteer will take the train from Le Mans to La Ferté (26 minutes). Then the MFR will provide a car so that the volunteer can drive to the MFR (3 kilometres). For the way back, the volunteer will drive the car to the train station, leave the car there and take the train back to Le Mans. This means approximately 1 hour to go from the accommodation to work, and 1 hour back.

MFR of coulans-sur-gée

200 young people, aged from 14 to 20 on the following diplomas:
- Two orientation classes, to get the first diploma and discover the working environment. They all spend one week in the MFR and one week in the company where they got
a traineeship. It is a work-linked training (50% of time in school, 50% in the company). Students spend one week in the MFR, one week in the company. Traineeships are mainly in the agricultural field.
- A professional baccalaureate degree called SAVPER (a degree to become a social worker or commercial/seller in rural areas) in 2 years. This professional degree prepares young people for several care-based jobs, such as working with children, caring for the elderly and disabled people, activities related to tourism, community centre activities, reception, secretarial work… and also commercial jobs, as a seller in bakeries, in supermarkets, in farms…
- A professional baccalaureate degree called SAPAT (a degree to become a social worker). This professional degree prepares young people for several care-based jobs, such as working with children, caring for the elderly and the disabled people, activities related to tourism, community centre activities, reception, secretarial work...
- A professional diploma called CAP “Young children”; to prepare for all kinds of jobs with young children.

Transportation > To reach Coulans, the MFR will provide a car to the volunteer so that (s)he can drive from Le Mans to Coulans (20 kilometres). The volunteer can also organise car-sharing with the volunteer from the MFR of Bernay which is near

📌DEADLINE FOR APPLYING 2nd of October 2021

📌FEE: There is no fee.

📌VENUE: Le Mans, France

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