ALEMANIA YAP-CFD 2008

CPD 01 Odernheim 13.05.-25.5.08. RENO ENVI STUDY Vol: 15
Age 18-26
Languages: English, German

The project:
The community “Bannmühle” is organising workcamps since a long time. This year the camp again is devided in two parts. You will stay in very different places and face very different situations of live in Germany:
Part 1. The Bannmühle
The Bannmühle, litterally translated "Contract Mill", houses an organic farm, a small as a seminar house and simple accomodation mostly for young people. The seminar house specialises on work with young people preparing to or returning from volunteering abroad for one year or more. www.bannmuehle.de.vu
Part 2. Volunteer Camp at the National Reunion of the Catholic Church
The National Reunion of the Catholic Church in Germany is a get-together of people form all walks of life. There is also a distinct participation of members of other religions especially Jews and Muslims. Young Germans with a background in volunteering in different parts of the world with catholic orders have been running a camp with workshops and presentations at these gatherings for a number of times. This year the reunion takes place in Osnabrück in the north of Germany. www.missionarin-auf-zeit.de and www.katholikentag.de

The Countryside:
The Seminar Centre Bannmühle lies in a rural setting west fo Frankfurt and Mainz. The area invites to sports activities like canoeing, walking, cycling as well as leisurely walks in the surrounding hills or the valleys. It is close to the romantic part of the river Rhine.
Osnabrück is a city in the north of Germany with a number of touristy spots. However the city will be flooded with up to 100000 participants in the reunion. So be prepared for lots of people and activities of all kinds

The work will be also devided in different parts
The first week we will do small renovations and caretaking at the seminar house like painting, garden work as well as cooking for our group. For the second week there will be a transfer of the group to a Monastery near Cologne, called St. Augustin. Volunteers will help to set up and run an “One World Festival” there. From there we will continue our journey up north to Osnabrueck and again will set up camp, decorate workshop areas, help cooking and cleaning etc.
Important remark for your planning: The workcamp will end in Osnabrück

Studypart:
We will study issues of globalization, fair-trade, solidarity, intercultural and interreligious learning inviting the experience of the participants and addressing their interests and expectations. Both the festival and the National Reunion offer a number of presentation and workshops on those and other issues.

Leisure time:
Because of the wonderful countryside it is great to go on excursions, hikes and boat trips with the canoes of the “Bannmühle”. Especially in Osnabrueck a vast variety of cultural events like concerts, theatre, interntional music will be offered.

Accommodation:
First week: share a room with 4 or 5 other people. The meals will be cooked by the group. Please bring recipes and if needed special ingredients for large meals!
Second week: We will 'camp' in a school classroom or similar accommodation facility.
Important: please bring sleeping bag, mat, swimming costume and work clothes.

Terminal: Staudernheim near Bad Kreuznach, next Airport Frankfurt Hahn and Frankfurt/Main

CPD 02 Spangenberg 05.06.-30.06.08 KIDS /CULT Vol: 10
Languages: German, English
Age: 18-26

Project:
“World meets Euro 2008” in Spangenberg, a small village in the middle of Germany, there is an 8 acre hill called Himmelsfels. There are embassies of different countries scattered throughout the premises. They are artistically designed and renovated caravans. In the summertime, there are different events full of art and culture, gospel and encounter. This year during the EURO 2008 an international soccer championship accompanied by a divers and creative programme will be organized. The most important games will be shown live.
The 'Stiftung Himmelsfels' is a Christian organisation and aims to create a place of encounter for people of different languages and origins and their fellow Germans. This place of intercultural and ecumenical discovery should awaken a longing for a life together characterised by a spirit of equality and community. This will be a topic in the theoretical and the practical part of the Workcamp as well.

Work:
The emphasis of the work will be the involvement with children and youth from Spangenberg and its region. The participants of the Workcamp are ambassadors of their countries and will work continuously with a small group of young people.
The youth will get to know their country, decorate the embassy and will play in the soccer team of their ambassador’s country. Thus the participants of the Workcamp can also offer workshops on artistic, sport or musical topics.
Moreover the participants have the possibility to present their country on an open evening. For this reason participants should collect some ideas about how to present their country and should bring the necessary material.
Additionally some handicraft and housekeeping work will be done.

Accommodation:
Accommodation will be very simple in tents or caravans. If possible, please bring sleeping bags. Some evenings in June will be rather cold, so please bring warm and rain resistant clothes-

Terminal: Melsungen, next airports: Frankfurt, Hannover, Berlin

CPD 03 Riesa 12.07.-26.07.08 RENO Vol: 10
Languages: German, English
Age: 18-26

Project:
Riesa is located on the river Elbe in eastern Germany between Leipzig and Dresden. The city is famous as a venue for international sport events, for instance, the organisation of the Sumo-Ringen championship. The youth section of the sport club of Riesa actively organises workcamps since 2003. The sport club of Riesa is a big and society-oriented union. It offers almost 30 kinds of sport activities. The club trains professional athletes at international level but also offers public facilities for older people, children and youth of the city. The youth section of the club is always glad to welcome you as an international guest and to build international contacts and friendships.

Work:
The youth of the club will renovate the buildings and sport facilities of the union with you: you will be doing manual work, so, please bring work clothes and rainwear.
Important: In this workcamp the working hours start very early in the morning. For this reason the afternoons are free and in the evenings you will have a number of activities.

Accommodation:
The international volunteers will live in the house of the union. Beds and bed linen are available.
The organisation offers only lunch for the volunteers. The participants are responsible for their own breakfast and dinner.

Free time:
There will be excursions together with the youth of the union to Dresden, or Leipzig, or Berlin. In addition the participants will have common activities such as, swimming, bowling, canoeing, etc.

Terminal:
Riesa, closest Airports: Dresden, Leipzig, Berlin

CPD 04 Hitzacker 19.07 - 02.08.08 RENO SOCIAL Vol: 12
Language: German, English
Age: 18-26

Project:
The youth farm Godewin integrates:
- Organic agriculture with low use of technology
- working with horses and cows
- Animal supported therapy
- farming activities for school classes
- Intensive youth support and social work, focusing on children and young people with inadequate social behaviour.
The founders of this project are trained and well experienced in the above mentioned fields.

Work:
We will work in the fields with children and horses. Usually we need many hands to hoe or weed our vegetable crops or to harvest the grain. The renovation of the old farm buildings will be continued, as in the previous work camps, and includes construction work with loam and painting. Furthermore, there are many old agricultural machines that will need to be maintained and there may be the opportunity to do some landscape design.

Study Part:
You will have the possibility to learn and discuss the following:
- Organic agriculture
- Animal - supported education and - therapy (also as practical self-experience)
- Experience - oriented - and individual pedagogy
- Action - oriented pedagogy
- Nature and religion
If you are interested, we can organize a meeting with leading activists of a civil movement which aims to prevent the disposal of nuclear waste in this region.

Accommodation:
When you come to live with us, you will experience the simple lifestyle of our farm. Sleeping facilities are: tents (we can offer one) and in the barn on hay or mattresses. The participants will prepare meals themselves. Vegetarian meals can be arranged.

Leisure Time:
Hitzacker is a small medieval town at the river Elbe. It is a beautiful place with picturesque architecture. The surrounding natural reserve can be discovered on foot or bicycle, the rich bird wildlife offers various surprises as will be shown by a ornithological leader, an open-air archaeological museum will take us centuries back, an open-air swimming-pool offers refreshment and there are many other attractive places to go. For instance, there is the possibility of visiting the city of Hamburg and Lüneburg.
Situated near the former border between West- and East- Germany, Hitzacker also allows you to visit places of the former eastern part and to discuss different social systems. A museum near the border stimulates further ideas.

What to bring:
Sleeping bag, working clothes, warm clothes in case of a rainy day, swimsuit, sun hat, mosquito repellent, musical instruments, games
Please bring some pictures and recipes from your home-region.

CPD 05 Frankfurt 21.07. - 1.08.08 KIDS/EDU Vol: 10
Language: German, English
Age: 18-26

Project:
The Erasmus-Project is a unique project in Germany. In 2006 a house in which learning, playing and education could all take place was created for children of the ages 3 to 10. It consists of an elementary school and a kindergarten, which are closely linked and work using different languages. The house is open from 7:30 am to 6 pm.
Children learn foreign languages when young
The Erasmus Project is trilingual. All of the children learn German, English and Spanish from the time they start kindergarten. We help them do this by using the immersion method (one person – one language). The children interact with native speakers from Uruguay, Argentina, Columbia and Spain as well as native speakers from Canada, the US, Australia and Great Britain.
Children learn with all of their senses
The school creates an open, secure and holistic environment for children, which enables children to use all their senses when learning.
Our goals are to help our children learn to be tolerant and peaceful as well as to guide them in their acquirement of social skills, self-sufficiency in their education and media literacy. For this reason the majority of our teaching takes place in various projects.
This summer we want to offer a summer camp for the first time. The summer camp will take place while the children have their summer vacation, therefore only the children who wish to attend will be part of the camp.

Work:
Crafts, trips, going to museums, free play and exploring trips will be offered.
The Workcamp participants will have the opportunity to accompany the educators in projects as well as to contribute to these projects by incorporating their own ideas.
Furthermore, we would welcome getting to know the countries of origin of our guests by learning about their traditions, songs, games, schools and of course the language.

Accomodation:
In class rooms. Please bring a sleeping bag and insulation mat.

Remark: Motivation letter required

CPD 06 Mittweida 25.07. - 08.08.08 SOCI / ENVI Vol: 12
Language: English, German
Age: 18-26

Project:
The camp takes place at the “Muellerhof”, which is a reconstructed traditional half-timbered farmhouse near the cities of Dresden, Chemnitz and Leipzig. It runs a socio-cultural centre for the local population and has constructed a so-called “garden of senses” which consists of a small wood, a play area, trees for climbing and a natural stage for events with an old circus-wagon. It also contains an area with herbs and berries.

Work:
Your help is needed in the renovation of a cultural center of the municipality. And you are welcome to cook traditional meals from their particular countries for all participants. You will also be able to work with people from different generations. We will work on the cultivation of the “garden of senses”; especially on further building playground apparatuses and benches using natural resources. Furthermore we will help to harvest fruit, vegetables and herbs and learn how to manufacture jam, teas and different kinds of oil, etc.

Leisure time:
Since the Muellerhof offers different seminars to the local inhabitants, the participants are welcome to join these for free (e.g. pottery, crafts, etc.). The University of Applied Sciences, town hall, museum and church of Mittweida can be looked at. International Cuisine can be enjoyed at the “Hort Sonnenschein”. The project will also offer outdoor activities and guided hiking-tours in the area (e.g. a hike to the dam, the fortress Kriebstein or the Rochlitzer Porphyrberg). It is also possible to visit the cities nearby (Dresden, Leipzig or Chemnitz).

Accommodation:
The participants will sleep in the big loft of the Muellerhof (80m²) which includes a shower and toilets.

Remarks:
Don´t forget to take work clothes, swim trunks/swim suits and a sleeping bag with you, traditional recipes to fix a tasty dinner, and do not forget where you come from but pass it on to everybody else, for instance by bringing typical things from your country, because we would like to get to know about your home and way of life.

Terminal: Mittweida near Dresden, next airport

CPD 07 Dachau 02.08. - 15.08.08 STUDY / RENO Vol: 6 / 90
Language: English
Age: 16-26
Participation fee: 120,-Euro

Project:
The International Youth Meeting is a place for young people from all over the world to discuss issues concerning the past, the present and the future. Young people will look at the history of the concentration camp at Dachau, National Socialism and present forms of exclusion, racism and discrimination. The principles of exchanging ideas, experiencing different cultures, as well as Holocaust education are the core ideals of the International Youth Meeting. The International Youth Meeting is primarily organized by a team of volunteers. Many survivors of the National Socialist regime will talk about their personal experiences of persecution, whether in the concentration or labour camps or working in the resistance. Background: In March 1933 one of the first Nazi concentration camps was established in the town of Dachau, near Munich. The Dachau concentration camp became a model for other concentration camps and also a place to train the Nazi SS. Over 200.000 people from different countries were imprisoned in Dachau between 1933 and 1945. Prisoners died from terror and the consequences of inhuman practises, disease, exhaustion and hunger.
Program: The program consists of different workshops, discussions with eye-witnesses and Holocaust survivors, guided tours through the Memorial Site, tours in Dachau and Munich, maintenance work, day trips and lectures.
There is also time for personal conversation, free time and the chance to experience the Germany of today.

Accommodation:
Accommodation is at the Dachau Youth Guest House in rooms for four people. The participation fee includes: full board and lodging, together with the cost incurred by the program.

Remarks: You should have a working knowledge of English and/or German to communicate without any difficulties. Age: 16-26 years. You should be interested in various subjects and in taking part in workshops. It will not be possible to arrive ealier in the camp. Participation fee: 120,-Euro

What else to bring:
Clothes which suit the work and the weather, musical instruments, games, songbooks or whatever you want for the leisure time...
Materials for the study-part, a map of your country, photos and things which help you to explain your country to the other participants of the Workcamp.

Leisure time:
There will be free time for fun and games, day-trips, entertainment, getting to know the people, going to cafés, etc.

Terminal: Dachau, next airport Munich

CPD 08 Wagshurst 03.08. - 16.08.08 RENO Vol: 12
Language: English, German
Age: 18-26

Project:
A few years ago the association „Integration Schollenhof“ started to rebuild a very old and empty farm, the “Schollenhof”, in order to make it useful for the children of an integrative Montessori- school. The emotional history of this deserted homestead goes way back to the Middle Ages. The first documented record of it was made in 1319.
Lots of its rooms are still in the old-fashioned style of the old farm houses of the region. For this reason it was used as a historic set for a television series about the 20s. Today the “Schollenhof“is a meeting place for handicapped and non-handicapped people. Later it will become a place for them to live.

Location:
Wagshurst is located in the Upper-Rhine lowlands between the Black Forest (“Schwarzwald”) and the bordering territory with France. From the yard one can see the forest starting right behind it and the panorama of the Schwarzwald. The area is very famous for its beautiful scenery and cherry tree flowers in the spring.

Work:
A garden, a pottery with a furnace, stables for horses, goats, sheep and geese as well as a bread bakery have already been created. However there is still much to do. You could build a stable fence for the horse, renew a wall in traditional loam, maintain and harvest the garden and do numerous other renovation works.

Study / Leisure:
In your free time you can ride a bike to the nearby lake. There will be visits organised to picturesque places in the Black Forest and to the French city Strasbourg. Furthermore, you will learn a lot about integrative Montessori-pedagogy practices.

Accommodation:
The accommodation will be very simple, in two rooms with mattresses. You may sleep in the hay, if you want to.

Note: Please bring a sleeping bag, work clothes and a warm sweater.

Next train station: Achern / Baden

CPD 09 Sievershausen 03.08. - 17.08.08 PEACE/MANU Vol: 20
Language: English, German
Age: 18- 26

Project:
35 years ago, when the Vietnam war escalated, we started to promote peace in Sievershausen. In an old barn sleeping- and seminar-rooms were established. The „Antikriegswerkstatt” became the nucleus of the Peace Centre “Antikriegshaus Sievershausen”. Expansions and further reorganisations followed. Now there are several buildings, surrounded by a nice park, including a guest house and a museum with an assembly hall. The Antikriegshaus is at the verge of a village with about 2500 inhabitants. Sievershausen lies 30 kilometers east of the Lower Saxony provincial capital Hanover at the freeway to Berlin.

Work:
Volunteers will prepare some frames for an exhibition. This means carpentry, painting and crafts. Volunteers with a talent for designing are also welcome. There is a nice garden around the buildings of the centre. We will do some garden work as well as renovating some of the buildings.

Study-part:
We will visit the former concentration camp of Bergen Belsen, the city of Hanover and the exhibition of the Antikriegsmuseum.

Accomodation:
The accommodation of the participants is carried out in 4 - bed rooms. Lodging and board are free. Please don’t forget to bring your sleeping bag.
Terminal: Hämelerwald near Hannover

CPD 10 Gossberg 13.08. - 27.08.08 ENVI Vol: 12
Language: English, German
Age: 18-26

Project:
The project will take place in a famous river-, hill- and cultural landscape in the middle of Saxony at the foot of the Erzgebirge mountains, 35 km from Dresden in the county of the monastery ruin of the Cistercians Altzella. The "University in the Farmhouse" is a centre of education for nature, culture, youth and sustainability. The aim of this project is to show several ways of cultivation. Different types of gardens including a “permanent culture” already exist.
Work:
The ecosystem with its trees, plants, animals and nature- and environmental educational stations require extensive water management. For this project we would like to find 12 committed young people, who are keen to do manual labour, advance their knowledge of all kinds of skills and do landscape design.
Study-part:
How do you create a productive garden which mingles plants and animals in a way that only a minimum input of energy and resources are required to achieve maximum sustainability to the environment?
Accommodation:
The participants can stay in the romantic farmhouse-room, wagon of building-workers or tipi. They will provide their own food. Please bring bed linen, sheets or sleeping bags and ISO mat, house-shoes, work clothes. You are very welcome, if you can offer ecological information from your own country.

Leisure time:
The afternoons and evenings as well as weekends are mostly free. We will try to offer you various activities for your spare time such as sport, excursions, swimming etc.

Terminal: Freiberg, near Dresden

CPD 11 Rohlsdorf 15.08. – 29.08.08 CONS AGRI SOCI Vol: 16
Language: German and English
Age: 18-26
Project:
The small village Rohlsdorf is located 100 km north of Berlin. Here is the sphere of activity from „Hoffbauers county barn“. On the one hand we are an ecological project. We maintain a small organic agriculture, keep threatened animals and run a school farm.
On the other hand we are a social project. People who have not been able to find employment for a long time work here, as well as young people. We try to offer orientation and to help young people who haven’t finished high school, who are unemployed or who have social problems. Older people find something useful to do and are able to feel that we need them.
Our newest addition is the school farm. Children between 6 and 12 are now also welcome to join us. We will show them the cycle of life in nature.

Work:
You can work in different places and do different things depending on your interests. The main activities include the following:

* Building small houses for animals, like old handcraft still, framework, half-timbered house, working with loam or clay, weave – other work-shops;
* Reconstruction from feel boxes and the „way for necked feeds“
* You will support us in other activities in the farm: agriculture, conserving fruits and crops, feeding the animals, cooking for the kids, workers and yourself.

Study:
This program includes various topics on different levels. By visiting our project first of all you will be able to gain knowledge about ecological agriculture and the social integration of disadvantaged people. Secondly you will have the possibility to be part of an international group, to learn basic principles of communication and teamwork; you will get acquainted with a variety of languages etc.

Accommodation:
There are two big rooms where volunteers will be allocated. There will be a big room available for meetings, discussions and games.
Please bring your sleeping bag. Anyone interested can sleep outside. The food will be offered by the staff of the project (not only). For us the food is very important. We try to offer healthy and balanced meals, which doesn’t mean that we don’t like grilled sausages on the campfire however.

Leisure time:
In the afternoons and evenings as well as on weekends students usually have free time. We will try to offer you various activities such as: sport activities, swimming, games, walking excursions to the forests and a trip to Potsdam and Berlin.
If you enjoy outdoors and nature and you want to know more about us, we are happy to welcome you.
Terminal: Pritzwalk, near Wittenberge

CPD 12 Büchel 16.08 – 03.09.08 Peace Vol: 15
Languages: German, English
Age: 18-26

Project:
Büchel is the last deployment site of nuclear weapons in Germany. Büchel is situated in the Eiffel, near Cochem on the Mosel river. It is here that the USA have deployed nuclear bombs and German military pilots train dropping them. Within the framework of the campaign “our future without nuclear weapons” an action week for the withdrawal and scrapping of the nuclear weapons will take place here from August 24th to 30th. The air base is to be surrounded by many people. Demonstrations, actions and civil disobedience are planned by groups of the peace movement.
The “Friedenswerkstatt Mutlangen e.V.” is an enlisted organization which promotes the practise of active non-violence and the complete disarmament of all nuclear weapons. Its place of residence is the so called Pressehütte in Mutlangen.? www.pressehuette.de .In the 1980s Mutlangen became a symbol of the non-violent resistance against the nuclear missiles Pershing II. The Pressehütte was the starting-point for many actions blocking the nuclear base. The missiles have been withdrawn. The time of civil disobedience and trials at court is over. Now the Friedenswerkstatt is organizing seminars, action-trips and lobby-trips to the United Nations and to deployment sites of nuclear weapons with young people.
From this activity there has arisen the youth-network: BANg - Ban all nukes generation ? www.BANg-europe.org.
This year the Friedenswerkstatt is inviting committed people of BANg and interested people through Youth Action for Peace to the Workcamp in Büchel

Work:
The Participants of the Workcamp will set up tents, mark paths, cook, paint and hang up banners, and play street theatre. They will also help to build the peace-camp for the action-week, and then they will help to feed arriving groups and support them in their activities. The Workcamp will call attention to the action-week through their own creative activities.

Study-part:
We will concern ourselves with the question: “What can I as a young person do for peace?” The primary topic will be nuclear disarmament and the youth-network BANg. The study-part will also include a clowns-workshop to prepare for the activities of the street theatre.

Recreation:
Hiking, bathing in a former volcanic crater, getting to know people from the region, going to concerts, going sightseeing (looking at the castles of the Mosel river), and may be also a ship trip on the Mosel river.

Accommodation:
The participants will sleep in tents. Please bring sleeping bags and insulating-mats. The food is mainly vegetarian.

Remarks:
Please bring clothes for cold and wet weather, work clothes and good shoes, bathingsuits and musical instruments. A good knowledge of English is important!

Leisure time: Hiking, bathing in a former vulcanic crater, getting to know people from the region, going to concerts, sightseeing of the castles of the Mosel river, and maybe also a boat ride on the Mosel river.

CPD 13 Schlierbach 16.08.–1.09.08 (07.09.08) FEST KIDS Vol: 6int / 300nat
Language: German
Age: 18-26

Project:
Rainbow City is a Game-City for about 200 kids. It is set up with tents by the counsellors every year. About 100 young counsellors between 14 and 25 years old (the majority between 14 and 16 years old) ensure that the kids can recreate life in their own city as it is in a real city. The participants of the game will have their own money, many buildings and business organisations, a bank, a garbage collection service, a television studio… exactly as in real life! Every second morning the children will go to the National Employment Office and look for new vacancies. By the end of each day, the children will gather in the sports hall in order to finish their day in the Rainbow City by all taking part in the closing show.

Work:
6 International Volunteers together with another 100 young assistants will work towards the development and maintenance of the Rainbow City. You will be part of the counsellors’ team and, additionally, during the project 3 young people from the organisational team will look after you.
There are 4 different phases:
The first week: construction of the Game-City
9 Days: Taking care of 200 children between 9 and 13 years old
3 Days: Deconstruction of the Game-City
At the conclusion of the game city, you have the possibility to go on a trip with all counsellors from 4/09 till 9/09 to a neighbouring country. In order to join that trip, you will have to pay 50 Euro.

Remarks:
During the construction and deconstruction of the city and the supervision of the children, we will work about 10 hours a day including Saturday and Sunday. There is no day off and we have no internet in our camp. The accommodation and catering are provided for all volunteers free of charge. For activities in your free time extra money will be required.

Requirements:
You have to be at least 18 years old and have to have a basic knowledge of the German language

Arrival/ Departure dates:
Date of arrival: 16.08.08. Meeting point: at 18:00 at the train station Göppingen close to Stuttgart
Departure date, if you are NOT going on the 4 day – trip: 01.09.08
Departure date, if you ARE going on the 4 day – trip: 07.09.08

What to bring:
Swim suits, sleeping bag, rainwear, waterproof shoes, warm clothing, work clothing, nice clothing for a fashion evening, music and typical things from your country for the international evening. And if you are taking part in the trip, please bring an inflatable mattress or a sleeping pad.

Accommodation:
Room in a school (a dormitory exists)
Location:
Schlierbach is a village close to the „Schwäbische Alb“ and is about 30 km east from Stuttgart. The next city is Kirchheim, which is 5 km away from the village.

Next airports: Stuttgart, Munich, Frankfurt

CPD 14 Hilpoltstein 18.08. – 31.08.08 Vol: 14
Languages: German, English
Age: 18-26

Project:
In the early years Auhof, a former farm, represented a small facility which gave young abandoned men a place to stay and to work. It also protected those who came from desolated family-structures or those who were declared non capable of learning. Over a long time Auhof grew to be a home for mentally handicapped people of all ages and gender. Today 400 women and men,youth and adults live in flats, each with an average of 11 people.
They also go to school here, attend work shops, a Plant Firmary and also a farm with animals.
People, although declared “mentally handicapped”, still have individual needs and the strong desire to be socially integrated. They are in need of positive affection, useful activities and personal scope. Therefore we try to support their potential, for instance we try to help them develop self-sufficiency and confidence in all aspects of life; as well as we presently can.
Where are we?
Auhof verges on the small and very nice medieval town of Hilpoltstein. From its castle-ruin, that towers on a little hill, you have an impressive view over the town, which is surrounded by a beautiful countryside with lakes and forests. With just a 30-min.-drive it is not too far from Nueremberg, which is located north of Hilpoltstein.
We offer:
The chance to work with mentally handicapped people and their person in charge (employees). By doing so, you will get to learn about their problems in everyday-life; about their life as a handicapped person, about the joy they have in life and… last but not least, about other people from different countries, like you.
So, by gaining all this experience you can have a lot of fun as well!

Work:
We want to arrange a “vacation without a suitcase” together with you and our employees to occupy and entertain our residents. Our main aim is to give our occupants a chance to meet new people in a new environment. To achieve this, we want to arrange different activities for two weeks from Monday to Friday.These activities may include spending time at the lake, offering massage- or wellness programs, night walks, camping in the garden, painting and drawing or daytrips to nearby locations – for instance to Nueremberg and other interesting cities or towns.

Leisure time:
While you are spending your time with us, you can enjoy other activities such as sailing and swimming at the “Rothsee” if you want.
Why not go on a sight-seeing tour of the historical city of Nueremberg with its museums and the „Dokumentationszentrum“ which reports a very sad part of history in Germany: the era of National Socialism.

Accommodation:
You will share a classroom as a group of 5 people. Here you will have your own bathroom. There is also a kitchen to fix yourself a delicious meal that you can all enjoy together.

What to bring:
Do not forget to take clothes which can get dirty, swim trunks/swim suits and a sleeping bag with you.
Do not forget where you come from but pass it on to everybody else, for instance by taking typical things from your country, because we would like to get to know about your home and your traditional meals.

CPD 15 Bedheim 06.09. – 20.09. 08 AGRI / SOCI Vol: 15
CPD 16 Bedheim 04.10. – 18.10. 08 AGRI / SOCI Vol: 15
Age: 18-26
Language: English, German

Project:
The castle ”Schloß Bedheim” is located in Thüringen. It is surrounded by a serene landscape. The castle which dilapidated in the days of German Democratic Republic was recently done up by the family Rühle to whom it belongs. A supportive association which is recognised as being of benefit to the public supports the work.
Since 1992 we organise Workcamps together with Yap-cfd and since 1994 there is an ecological and social-therapeutic horticulture where handicapped persons are working and students needing special education are doing their practical training. Formation seminars and cultural events are also organised in the castle.

Work:
We will work 5 hours each day. This means helping in the garden and fields, working together with handicapped people and renovating the castle.

Study-part:
In both projects we will go on excursions to places of cultural and historical interest as well as of natural beauty. A journey to the famous city Weimar, lectures about the present reunified German society, culture and politics will also form part of the project as will meeting young and old people from the region.

Accommodation:
Simple group accommodation. Meal will be prepared by yourself (less meat but a lot of very good of our own vegetables and fruits). Please bring a sleeping bag, slippers, towels and warm sweaters.

Remarks:
Some knowledge of German or English language is desired. Please bring clothes for rain and farming work (rubber boots). Don’t forget swim wear. If You like bring a map, photos or special food of your country.

Terminal: Hildburghausen, next town Coburg / Bavaria