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Balkan Sunflowers Learning Center
Network Summer Camps – 2008

What

BSF operates four Learning Centers in Kosovo communities. These Centers provide education support to children from very marginalized communities, particularly currently from the Roma and Ashkalia minorities. These communities have low level of school attendance, early school leaving, poverty, and often face many other challenges: unemployment, discrimination, poor health conditions, etc. The Learning Centers provide preschool programs, homework help, language development, youth activities, etc. During the summer 2008, we will have “summer camp” programs at the four Learning Centers as part of summer activities and to augment continuing school-support during the summer holidays. This is a day camp – not an overnight camp.

Where

The four centers are in Plemetina and Gracanica villages, Kosovo Polje/Fushe Kosove, and Dubrava village Ferizaj. These are all relatively convenient to the capital, Prishtina.

Activities

The Learning Center permanent core staff will continue during the summer to offer school-support activities, particularly to help children who are behind in the year completed to learn the material and be ready for the new school year. The summer camp program will add additional activities such as sports, arts, music, nature activities, juggling, drama, etc. – depending on the skills of the volunteers who participate.

When

The camps will run from 30 June 2008 to 18 August 2008 – 7 weeks. The first week, 30 June to 4 July will be a preparation week. The program will run Monday to Friday each week. The weekend will be off.

International Volunteer Participation

Host communities. Balkan Sunflowers international volunteers live and work in the host communities with the Learning Centers. Volunteers for the summer camp program will live in the host community with host families. The host families will provide accommodation and meals.

Skills and requirements. The volunteer is expected to want to work with children of various ages, and youth, to be able and willing to “dig in and get one's hands dirty”, to bring enthusiasm and energy. Skills with anything that might be done in a summer camp should be highlighted in the applications.

Costs. Volunteers will be responsible for their own expenses. Volunteers may come for one or two months. The cost for participation is € 300 per month.

This covers:

Host family accommodations - € 150/month

Insurance - € 30

Local transport and communications - € 30

Project money - € 60, money you can use to quickly develop & implement your own activities

BSF - € 30, for our support of you, including ID, phone card, communications, etc.

Budgetary needs for supplemental program.

Camp / activities coordinator 2.5 months x 300 = 750

Food (extra budget) 2 months x 4 x 100 = 800

Water (extra budget) 2 months x 4 x 50 = 400

Video program 2 months x 1 x 300 = 600

Sports etc 2 months x 4 x 100 = 800