Project ServIam enables involved schools to share best practices in the field of voluntary work and environmental area. We have chosen the title "ServIam" which means "I will serve", since this is the motto of Ursuline school and it is a precise characteristic of the goals of the project. "ServIam" is the way how to discover personal qualities of each individual, to accept oneself and others as they are, to search for the common good and together work for a better society and future. ServIam is a life style which enriches those who give. The goal is to become a volunteer with an open heart and willing mind. Our activities are focused on the involvement of young people in society and civic engagement. Helping especially those in dire need: orphans, elderly and lonely people, prisoners, refugees, the homeless. We keep in mind that the environment - Mother Earth is in need of help as well. We will focus on recycling and separation of garbage, prevention of littering and a longer life of products.. When we start to appreciate and accept ourselves we can serve others. Teams will be formed at schools comprised of students and teachers. These teams will be educated in areas (e.g. economical, psychological, social) to help them be effective and goal-oriented during their service. As a result they will grow up to be good people, servant leaders, who will become responsible citizens. Following methodological approaches will be employed: 1)social work with a group, social work with an individual, with the community; 2) social management and social projection and planning (to ensure proper formation for the people who want to serve, in order to achieve fruitfulness and long-term efficiency); 3) reflection after events, sharing of experiences and proper guidance. The participating schools are from France (Lycee Sainte Solange OGEC), Germany (Bischöfliche St. Angela Schule), Poland (Zespol Szkol Urszulanskich) and Slovakia (Gymnázium Angely Merici). All participating schools provide secondary education. All schools have prior experience with voluntary work and are in touch with local organizations providing social service. It is planed to involve as large number of students and teachers as well as school staff, parents and partner organizations in the project. The age of the participants directly involved in mobilities is 15 - 18 years old. During the implementation of the project more than 2000 students (aged 11 - 19) will be involved in project activities at their respective schools. Apart from direct participants it will effect numerous groups of people, from the youngest to the oldest. Each activity will focus on different kinds of needs we face . A full formation program will be prepared - theoretical knowledge, practical workshops and actual service to individual people. It will be published in the form of an E-Book online, accompanied by a Work Book for personal reflections of the participants and feedback for the teachers. E-Book and Work Book will be provided in all four languages of partner schools free of charge. The program will be offered to students, teachers and staff as an extra-curricular activity for personal development, sustainable over the following years, adjustable to current circumstances. We are prepared to share the know-how with other schools interested in following the program. We help young people become mature and responsible citizens, attentive and sensitive to the needs of others, active members of society, for whom voluntary work, "ServIam" is a life style.
The servIam project implemented by France, Germany, Poland and Slovakia allowed us to share best practices and experiences in volunteering, environmental education, teaching foreign languages, as well as helping learners with personal growth or European citizenship. The individual mobilities, prepared with local charities and voluntary organisations, helped the learners develop social and civic competences necessary for social engagement and active citizenship. Each participating country was responsible for the preparation of a short-term exchange of students focused on a specific topic. In addition to the student mobility, Slovakia prepared a short-term staff training event to introduce the participants to volunteering, which is the main topic of the project. The training event was held online due to the pandemic situation, which enabled more teachers to participate. The name of each mobility contains its main objective. Apart from a theoretical introduction to the issue, the mobilities provided creative and immersive workshops through which the learners got in touch with actual people in need and with themselves: Called to Serve - Servant Leader - education in volunteering, leadership for teachers notBElong - volunteering for the homeless and orphans I SErvE - Mother Earth - volunteering and environmental education unNOTiced - volunteering for refugees and people with disabilities unFORgotten - volunteering for the elderly, abandoned and prisoners School teams composed of teachers and students, supported by local charities, developed project activities based on this methodology: 1) Management, planning and formation for a smooth and safe process of activities, fruitfulness and long-term effectiveness, too 2) Actual social work with a group, individuals, or the local community 3) Reflection, sharing of experiences and proper guidance After each mobility, we created and shared a video documenting the week. This created a short visual document capturing the key activities during all the mobilities of the project. Through two online publications in English, we share our know-how with the general public: Serviam Pass serves as a guide for reflection on the individual volunteering activities. In the booklet, the participant records and reflects on what they have learnt, where they have progressed personally and professionally, and tracks the challenges they have overcome. It serves for self-development and growth in maturity. It is an aid to understanding oneself, one's identity and direction. Another result is the E-Book, consisting of individual lesson plans or modules inspired by project activities and mobilities. Eight plans were created in school teams. Three lesson plans are designed for English as a foreign language classes, two lesson plans offer an insight into creating fundraising activities and involving learners in them. Two more lesson plans are on volunteers' reflection, their self-development and self-discovery. The last is a set of 15 lessons in preparation for the challenging topic of war and human dignity. The publications provide help on how to inspire young people to serve others, through which they will grow, mature and service will eventually become a lifestyle for them. Mobility in Poland: notBElong. BE is emphasized with consideration for the homeless and orphans who seemingly belong to no one. Homeless people living in the streets, excluded from society. Orphans, though in an orphanage, but with no family to belong to. The aim was to highlight the importance of the existence of each person. To realise that their life is not an accident. They belong to the one who created them, who wants them to live. Activities were focused on our own belonging. To whom do I belong? Why am I here? What is the meaning of my life? Who am I? Mobility in Germany: I SErvE-Mother Earth. The focus is on I SEE. Service in environmental activities provides insight into how we value our Earth, our common home. The aim was to raise ecological awareness, to rethink how we use water, sort waste, save electricity or buy clothes. We learned simple eco-friendly practices, applicable to everyday life, and raised this awareness in our communities by following the example. Mobility in France: unNOTiced focused on people with disabilities and refugees. They are often overlooked, unwanted. Our main goal was to highlight that these people are not forgotten, they are. They are here with us, and their lives are precious and valuable. Mobility in Slovakia: unFORgotten focused on the elderly, abandoned and prisoners - people who can hardly take care of the flat or house they live in. They are forgotten by their own family or society. Prisoners serving a just sentence, as well as those unjustly sentenced during totalitarian regimes. We point out the meaning of every life, we are all here FOR a purpose. All mobilities followed the same model - combining service to the needy with the search for one's own purpose.