Experiment e.V. – Full Member of Federation EIL

Volunteering – Why and How?

Important Basics and Common Challenges for a sending organization

Experiment e.V. – Full Member of Federation EIL

When and Why?

• When? We started with the first Volunteer Service Programs around 20 years ago

• Why? Gap year after school started to become popular, not everyone wanted to do Au Pair

• How many? Approximately 300 per year for an average of 12 weeks

Experiment e.V. – Full Member of Federation EIL

What we have learnt over the years

• Volunteering as an Intercultural Learning Experience

– NOT as development aid

– NOT as an all inclusive club vacation

Experiment e.V. – Full Member of Federation EIL

What we have learnt over the years

• As in every program:

- > A partnership with host organizations that is built on trust and mutual understanding – at eye level

- > regular meetings with partners to improve quality on all sides

Experiment e.V. – Full Member of Federation EIL

Partnership at Eye Level

Pre-departure seminar for volunteers at Experiment e.V. office in Bonn, Germany

Experiment e.V. – Full Member of Federation EIL

What we have learnt over the years

• Orientation Seminars and Post-Program Seminars as an important part of the program

– To balance participants‘ expectations before and to get their feedback afterwards

– To establish a bond between participant & our organization

– To ensure good & lasting cooperations with our partner organizations

Experiment e.V. – Full Member of Federation EIL

Intercultural Orientation Seminars

Pre-departure seminar for volunteers at Experiment e.V. office in Bonn, Germany

Experiment e.V. – Full Member of Federation EIL

Evaluation

After the program, we ask our participants and partners for feed-back - and do something with it!

Experiment e.V. – Full Member of Federation EIL

What we have learnt over the years

• Different programs for different participants (no ‚one-type-fits-all‘)

– Different lengths

– Scholarship

– Language training

– Certificates

Experiment e.V. – Full Member of Federation EIL

Advocacy and Quality Assurance

• Cooperation with competitors to• Influence policy makers on a National and European

level• Share best practices to further develop Quality

Assurance Process/ Risk Management• Find the best possible program for the participant, even

if it means recommending a competitor

• Plus Outside Certification through QUIFD Certification (Quality in International Volunteer Programs)

• we get re-certified on a regular basis and have to undergo quite an extensive procedure

Experiment e.V. – Full Member of Federation EIL

Last but not least…

Be quick to observe but

slow to judge!

Go to learn and not to teach!

Expect the unexpected!

It‘s not right, it‘s not wrong, it‘s just

different!

Laugh at yourself!Positive

attitude!