UK participants needed for a 3 week Leonardo Arts/Youth and Community project in Berlin this April/May 2012: EIL is currently looking for 2 or possibly 3 artistic people who are currently unemployed and not studying this April/May. If you like working with people and would like to spend some time in this great city, contact Lauran for details and an application form ASAP! ... l.jones@eiluk.org 01684 562577

Our Leonardo participants Shane, Shireen and James, returned recently from their placements in Barcelona, Spain and had a great time! Here are some of their photos:

... and an extract from Shane's diary:

Day 5, 24.11.11

I went to work in the morning and the evening today. 10am-1pm and 4-8pm.

Ciao, my name is Paris. I volunteered through EIL on the Leonardo da Vinci programme and I had the time of my life! I spent a month in a city called Altamura in Southern Italy with a not-for-profit organisation called Link. Link engages young people in non-formal educational activities and promotes creativity through arts and media education. My project was mainly media related, but I did a little bit of everything.

I was also a guest on the local radio every week, which was always hilarious! All the people I met there were genuine people who treated me as if I was family and I can’t wait to go back on another project.

EIL is urgently seeking young people aged 18 - 30 for a 2 week work placement in Hungary this June at Debrecen University Botanic Gardens and surrounding National Park. The work includes habitat conservation, propagating and re-establishing rare plant species, and monitoring bird boxes. Cultural visits are also included. This trip is just one of the Leonardo da Vinci placements that EIL has to offer young people looking to combine foreign travel with work experience. Flights, accommodation, food, pocket money and an excellent support structure are all paid for. There is no need to speak the language as all placements have English speaking staff and language training is included. For more details please contact Lauran Jones on 01684 562577 or email her at l.jones@eiluk.org.

Have you been or are you a volunteer, or maybe you are considering becoming a volunteer – either way it is worth noting that Sunday December 5^th is ‘International Volunteer Day’.

In the run up to International Volunteer Day 2010 you are invited to an online ‘festival’ of volunteering organised by the United Nations Volunteer programme. The ‘festival’ will provide volunteers with the opportunity to share the stories of the work they have done with the rest of the world, around the world.

‘A’ level students who have lost out on their places at university and who are unable to find a job should take heart. EIL Cultural Learning, a charity based in Malvern, has EU funding for 50 young people aged 18 plus to travel to Europe on work experience which should enhance their CV’s.

These Leonardo da Vinci placements are part of the EU’s Lifelong Learning Programme which aims to skill up and encourage mobility within Europe’s workforce. There are opportunities to work in environmental conservation, youth and community work, sports and outdoor activities, as well as in cultural and educational organisation.

Placements are available in Spain, Portugal, Italy and Hungary and last from 2 weeks to 13 weeks.

Do you live in the West Midlands and are you aged 18 – 25? If so we have 4 places volunteering on a nature reserve in Italy or 2 places volunteering in Portugal, starting end of June or July.

Cost to you – your time!

Sound good? Contact Lauran at EIL l.jones@eiluk.org

Are you working, volunteering or studying abroad for 10 weeks or more?

The Glimpse Correspondents Program is for talented writers and photographers with a passion for storytelling and a knack for finding truly unique stories.

EIL have joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's 'Know Before You Go' Campaign Partnership.