ICJA Workcamps in Deutschland

ENVI/MANU/EDU

Vols: 12
Age: 18-26
Languages: English, German

Project: The Schulbiologiezentrum (Center for Biological Education) in Hildesheim, Germany is one of five stakeholders in the EU nature conservation project LIFE BOVAR. Since 2018, this project has aimed for protection of amphibians and its habitats.
Schulbiologiezentrum is responsible for local conservation areas and it manages the breeding of Yellow-bellied toads and environmental education as well.
In a two-week workcamp you will get insight into a real conservation program and be part of a work-intensive and very important summer season. 
Therefore, you will work in various places, together with the EU-LIFE BOVAR staff, employees from the local nature conservation authority and other volunteers.
For more information about the project, please visit life-bovar.com.
Apart from work, you will have plenty of spare time and many joint free time activities are going to be organized.

Work: You are welcome to help with practical nature conservation for amphibians in the conservation areas. Together you will structure small ponds and re-establish ideal living conditions for amphibians. The monitoring of the target species is also a task this summer. This means volunteers will search for amphibians in the natural habitat and do the scientific documentation of the real occurrence of these animals.
Within the territory of Schulbiologiezentrum you will help out to take care of the Yellow-bellied toads used for breeding and do minor maintenance work. Volunteers will see all states of the development of these species and we hope you will experience the moment when they are adult and when YOU release them into the wild.

Study part: During your volunteering, you can learn a lot about amphibians and how nature conservation is organized in Germany.
Besides the practical part, there will be presentations, workshops and other sessions held by the EU-LIFE BOVAR staff and management or external experts. Possible topics will be quite various - amphibian species, loss of biodiversity, climate change or ecosystems etc. 
This workcamp is a good opportunity to improve your English and German language skills as you are going to be in touch with German native speakers and the working language is English.

Region & Leisure time: Hildesheim is a university town of about 100.000 inhabitants and is located at the margin of the low- and the uplands in Northern Germany. Parts of its city is an UNESCO World Heritage Site due to famous churches. At the same time, it also has beautiful natural landscapes to discover. 
In the city center, you will find bars, restaurants, a museum along many others facilities. On the outskirts of the city there is a lake where it is possible to swim.
Besides the practical work, there will be several recreational events like a canoe-tour on the Innerste River, a visit to Lower Saxonys capital Hannover, shared dinning, a guided city tour in Hildesheim, etc.

Accommodation and food: You will live at the windmill Marienrode, an old windmill, which has been converted into a hostel with four-bed rooms, shared bathrooms, a large common room and an inviting terrace.
We will cook in a rather professional kitchen. 
The windmill itself is located outside of Hildesheim. The next supermarket is 3 km away. The city center it is about 7 km. We will provide bicycles and it is mandatory that you have some experience riding them. There is a bus station 1 km away and there will be tickets for all volunteers. See as well: www.windmuehle-marienrode.de

Remarks: Volunteers will need bed linen, a towel and swimming apparel and they should be able to ride a bike.
For work, please bring sturdy shoes and working clothes. Wellies will be very helpful. Sun protection is mandatory.
As the region is rural, it is possible to make cycling trips.
At the windmill, there will be plenty of time in the evening to sing, dance, play basketball or do a campfire. Therefore, it would be great if you could bring some musical instruments or board games.
There is limited public transport to the windmill. The nearest railway stations is Hildesheim. You will get the contact details of the camp leader a few weeks before the workcamp starts.

Terminal: Hildesheim main station.

ART/ RENO/ MANU 
Vols: 12 
Age: 18-26
Language: English, German  

Project: The Kunstort Lehnin (Art place Lehnin) is situated between a forest and a lake near the little village Lehnin. It is a beautiful place offering inspiration and workshops for visual art and culture. Under its roof, there is an art gallery, a summer academy, a seminar location for visual arts, music and theatre, but also yoga seminars and professional trainings. For more information please visit: kunstortlehnin.de. The institute is located at the border of a lake (Klostersee) in a park-like garden with a small landing stage and an integrated art sculpture park. Even a café with a lake terrace is part of the ensemble. The Kunstort was founded in 1991 and there are still enough place and projects to be developed. Therefore, we especially invite volunteers with interest in contemporary art to support this project. 

Work: On the first day, volunteers will get some orientation about the project, the institute and the surroundings. Together with members of the art club, you will help to redesign and embellish the outdoor area. One of the main tasks will be to reconstruct the lakeshore fortification and the paths, do some plaster and painting work at the buildings and do some garden work. There are also some sculptures in the forest nearby, which will be cleared from grass and moss. There is a great variety of tasks where volunteers can support the project, in general, it means physical work with tools you need for construction works, renovation and wood work.
During the time of your stay, there are other guests and groups on the premises and you might get in contact with them. At a certain time of your stay it is planned to work on the tasks together with some of the club members and then have a little Get-together at night along with guests of the institute. Volunteers of the workcamp are invited to give a contribution to this event as well.

Study part/Leisure time: Volunteers will learn about the cultural concept and work of Kunstort Lehnin and the integration of Lehnin inhabitants with various cultural and social backgrounds. You can find a piano to play, or you can bring your own instrument and find someone to join you making music. Interested volunteers can take part in an Cyanotype-Workshop (a photographic printing process that produces a cyan-blue print). Volunteers will get free entrance at the lake swimming pool next door, and can visit the cities of Potsdam and Werder. Another highlight will be a turn on our Canaletto boat on the lake connected to the Klostersee where you can enjoy its rich flora and fauna. As there will be contact to German native speakers, the workcamp is a good possibility to improve your German language skills. 
The volunteers can use the Kunstort’s rowboats. It will be offered a guided tour through the premises of the monastery.

Region: Kloster Lehnin is a small town consisting of some small villages situated around the main village Lehnin. It is 65 kilometers Southwest of Berlin. Brandenburg an der Havel and Potsdam are the closest cities. On the opposite shore of the lake Klostersee, there is the oldest Cistercian monastery of Brandenburg, founded in the 12th century. Today it hosts a guesthouse, a clinic, a retirement home and a museum. The village Lehnin was always connected with the former monastery and it is situated in a beautiful landscape with many lakes and woodland. In the European Middle Ages, the monastery was an important religious, cultural and commercial center and there are still many ancient buildings of earlier times. The church is an impressive building and it offers many concerts during summer.

Accommodation: Volunteers will prepare and eat their meals in the outdoor summer kitchen (just protected by a shelter and open to the nature at the side) of Kunstort Lehnin. You can sleep in the rooms of the Seminar- House, each equipped with 3 – 4 mattresses per room (Bed linen will be provided). You can also bring your own tent and build it up at the shore of the lake. Shower and toilets are available for personal hygiene. 
Please note: In Summer, it can be quite hot, so you will need sun protection. But German summer can be cool as well, especially if it is raining. So please do not forget to bring warm clothes as well.

Remarks: Please bring work wear and raincoats, bathing suit, music, your talents and something specific from your country. As you can spend time at and in the lake, you should be able to swim. If you bring your own tent, do not forget to bring sleeping bag and isolation sheet.
Terminal: Groß Kreutz Bahnhof (as one option, there are some more options to reach Lehnin).
 

CONS/ ART / FEST
Vols: 10
Age: 18-26
Languages: English, German

Project: The Jugendhof Bessunger Forst e.V. is a non-profit children's and youth meeting place and one of the oldest self-managed operations in Germany. Located in the forest on the outskirts of the city of Darmstadt, we maintain the tradition of a learning and recreational place close to nature and life with down-to-earth, resource-saving accommodation. For over forty years, groups of children, youth and adults, families, clubs or political initiatives have come together here and found plenty of space to learn, run around, play, relax, meet, develop or simply be outside and together. On Sundays in spring and summer, we open the ForstLove Café with a colorful musical program. Excursionists, city walkers and fresh air fans can relax here in the green idyll on the large grounds. Our offer is especially aimed at families and people with low incomes, as the appreciation of heterogeneity and diversity is very important to us. You can find Jugendhof in Internet: jugendhof.org.

Work: Together with members of the association and experts we would like to build a tree house for groups of children. After the introduction to implement the idea, we will start together. We will saw, drill, screw and hammer under expert guidance with professional tools and machines. In parallel, we are going to redesign the outdoor area around the tree, plant native shrubs, expand the deadwood hedge, and do typical gardening on the grounds. Volunteers are also invited to help at the Sunday Café. Do you have a heart for baking cakes or enjoy being behind the counter? Then we look forward to your contribution to share this day together. During your stay there will also be other groups at the Jugendhof, with whom you can sit around the campfire in the evenings and exchange ideas.

Study part: Inhabitants of Jugendhof would like to show you their life style and would like to discuss certain aspects of a life which is mostly self-determined, self-organized and community based. We plan to offer some games for the group as experience how we offer adventure education for kids. Additional info will be provided

Leisure part: The Jugendhof is located at the edge of the Bessunger Forest, which can be easily explored from here. On hot summer days the shady forest offers a good opportunity to cool down and wide open meadows invite you to a relaxed picnic. You can enjoy meetings in a wooden yurt, which was build last year from the international group. If you walk for an hour through the forest and meadows, you can reach a beautiful swimming lake with a small sandy beach. Darmstadt is also very interesting culturally, as it was one of the centers of European Art Nouveau at the beginning of the 20th century. Since 2021, the Mathildenhöhe artists' colony of the city of Darmstadt is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We would like to recommend a visit to the impressive and unique area, including the museum and the Orthodox chapel.

Region: The Jugendhof Bessunger Forst e.V. is located at the edge of the forest between the city of Darmstadt and the village of Roßdorf. The suburban area marks the transition from the Rhine-Main region to the low mountain range Odenwald and is located 30 kilometers south of Frankfurt am Main and 50 kilometers north of the picturesque city of Heidelberg.

Accommodation: Volunteers live in our centrally located self-catering house "Sharewood Lodge". In addition to a spacious kitchen and two bathrooms, there are three bedrooms in the house, each with five beds.

Remarks: After registration, we require a self-declaration in terms of legal protection for children and vulnerable persons. You will need working clothes, rainwear and, if necessary, swimming gear as well as sturdy closed shoes. Since it can get very cold in the forest at night, even in summer, please bring warm clothes and don't forget your sunscreen. Bed linen will be provided by the house. Please bring your own towels.

Terminal: Bus station: Bessunger Forst/Jugendhof reachable from Darmstadt Main Station or Ostbahnhof.

MANU/ENVI/CONS/KIDS, VOLS: 15

Vol: 12

Age: 18-26

Languages: English, German

Project: Since 2009 we successfully organize workcamps in Blomberg in cooperation with local youth center and the town hall.

This year volunteers can help to renovate and beautify the outdoor area of the Kindergarden “Zauberblume”. Volunteers will be supported by the local Youth center, which is situated at the edge of the inner city and surrounded by play yards and green areas. Some years ago, international volunteers helped a lot in adding very nice playgrounds to this youth center. It is a perfect place for kids, where they have enough space for noisy outdoor activities!

Work: Your help is requested the Zauberblume Kindergarden. Volunteers will work together with the parents of the kids and with professional workers in order to prepare a nice playground for the kids. Renovation and maintenance of playground equipment, planting of beds, cutting of bushes, earthmoving, maintenance work, etc. Tasks include manual work mostly outdoors, sometimes with heavy tools. This project is a co-operation with the town council of Blomberg and workers of the municipality.

Beside this manual work, volunteers will get in contact with the kids. Be ready to bring some games you play in your country.

Leisure time: Like in previous camps, volunteers will spend leisure time in local youth center and enjoy its facilities. A cultural program in Blomberg and the surrounding area will be offered in the entire district of Lippe.

Accommodation: The accommodation is not clear yet. Former accommodations were at a glider airfield or in holiday homes at Blomberg. Accommodation always includes rooms with beds and cooking facilities. Sufficient sanitation facilities will be available, too. Beds with bedlinen will be provided. – Information about accommodation will be updated

Region: Blomberg has about 16.000 inhabitants and is situated in the eastern part of North Rhine Westphalia, a region which is characterized by farms, hills (up to 500 meters) and plenty of forests. Blomberg has a beautiful old town area with half-timbered houses and old alleyways. The old town is also home to a historical castle which now is established has a hotel. Nearby of Blomberg there are some bigger cities: Detmold (75,000 inhabitants, distance: 15km) and Bielefeld (330,000) inhabitants, distance 50km) in the west and Hannover (600,000 inhabitants, distance: 70km) in the northeast

Remarks: As you get in close contact with kids, we will ask to sign self-declaration form in terms of child and youth protection. Please bring workwear and raincoats, sleeping bag, camping mat, bathing suit, music, your talents, and something specific from your country

Terminal: Schieder train station.

MANU/CULT/SPORT
Vols: 15
Age: 18-26
Languages spoken: English, German

Project: The municipality of Eilenburg has been offering successful workcamps for more than 13 years now. The workcamp host is always the youth club House 6 CLOUD (former name was “Falle” - “Trap”) which is located in former barracks. In the same building, you can find some more social, sportive and cultural projects. For former information, please visit www.haus6.org

Work: Like in the workcamps of the previous years, volunteers are welcome to support the renovation of a public place. This time your support is needed to renew the surroundings of the local Astronomical Observatory Juri Gagarin (https://eilenburg.de/tourismus/sternwarte). You can select from various tasks like maintaining the green area and recreation of the path network below or some renovation in the youth center as well. In general it is manual work, sometimes physically demanding. Please bring suitable clothing for gardening and painting. Have a look how the observatory looks like: eilenburg.de/freizeit/sternwarte

Study part: Volunteers will learn about different types of youth culture in Germany. The workcamp is a good opportunity to improve your German language skills as you will be able to be in touch with German native speakers. For volunteers a presentation at the Astronomical Observatory will be organized. Thus, you will get closer to the stars!

Leisure time: The leisure time programme is organised together with local Eilenburg youth groups and clubs. The focus is on meeting and exchanging ideas with local young people. There will also be sports activities such as football, volleyball, swimming and others. There will also be some small highlights. For example, a day trip to the nearby metropolis of Leipzig is planned with some surprises. You can learn about the rich history of the town of Eilenburg through guided tours in the town museum and in the historic mountain cellars, which are located on the hill in the centre of the town.

Region: Eilenburg is a small town with approx.16,000 inhabitants, on the edge of the Dübener Heide and about 25 km from the trade fair city of Leipzig. Due to its rich history of over a thousand years, Eilenburg may call itself one of the cradles and birthplaces of Saxony. The uninterrupted rule of the Wettin dynasty, beginning with the Count of Ilburg in the 11th century, continued until 1918 and Eilenburg is still part of the federal state of Saxony today.
In the Middle Ages and during industrialisation, Eilenburg was a wealthy town. In Martin Luther's time the main business was brewing, and in the 19th century it was a national centre of the textile industry. But Eilenburg has also been devastated several times in its history. In April 1945 at the end of the Second World War, Eilenburg was almost completely destroyed.
The only remaining evidence of the early historical period is the "Sorbenturm", a remaining part of the Ilburg. It was probably built in the 12th century on the highest part of the 220m x 150m castle plateau. A circular path outside the castle wall connects the Sorben Tower with the Amtshaus, the former district court. This path was renovated with the help of volunteers in previous work camps.

Accommodation: The volunteers will stay at the local youth center called „House VI“. The group can cook for itself in a modern kitchen.

Remarks: You should bring sleeping bags and camping mats. It is necessary to bring work clothes, raingear and sturdy shoes.

Terminal: Eilenburg via Leipzig.

AGRI/ CONS / RENO/ ENVI/ STUDY/ ANIM
Vols: 15
Age: 18 – 26
Language: English, German 

Project: Laakenhof is a small organic farm and a living community. Around 8 persons are taking care of a herd of cows and a cat. They produce cheese and grow vegetable and everything is sold directly to inhabitants of the region. Grassland, farmland and greenhouses are the basis for nature oriented lifestyle and human way of working. Beside this, the community is engaged in promotion of sustainable lifestyle. For further information please visit www.laakenhof.de
In 2018, the whole farm had to move to a new location. An international work camp helped to give the inhabitants and animals a new and nice home. 

Work: At the new farm, volunteers can support the Laakenhof community in a variety of craft activities that are part of the daily work on a farm: looking after cows, making cheese, working in the vegetable field. But also help in beautification is welcome like building a dry stone wall. Work can be physically demanding, but you can learn many skills.

Study part: According to their interest, volunteers can learn about essence of organic farming and about how community live works: How does it work to make decisions in the spirit of consensus and how does a shard economy work? It is also possible to learn how cheese is produced. As there will be contacts to German native speakers, workcamp is good possibility to improve your German language skills.

Accommodation and food: There are different options, where volunteers can stay overnight: Several rooms will be offered with mattresses on the floor and if weather is fine, you can sleep in tents. In addition, there is a living room to stay, a big kitchen and a nice place in the garden under beautiful old trees. Sleeping bags are needed. Volunteers will prepare food with fresh and organic products of the farm: vegetable, milk and cheese.

Region & Leisure time: Laakenhof is situated in the region Muensterland, which is a flat area dominated by agriculture. Forests, hedges and wide farmland are the characteristic attributes of this old cultivated landscape. There is always a broad view under big skies. In one hour you can reach Muenster, a famous historical town and one of the most popular places for young students in Germany. If weather is fine, we can go swimming in a lake nearby. All together we can spend evenings at camp fire with starry sky above us. Muensterland is known as region where people often use bicycles. Laakenhof will offer some bicycle which can be used by the volunteers to explore the region. 

Remarks: Volunteer will need sleeping bag and isolation sheet. Bikes will be offered as additional means of transport.

Terminal: Neubeckum, between the cities Dortmund and Bielefeld

AGRI / ENVI/ STUDY
Vols: 12
Age: 18-26
Community based agriculture
Language: English, German & Spanish

Project: Michels Kleinsthof is working for the utopia of a sustainable, resilient, and grandchild-friendly agriculture to come true.
More than 50 different crops are grown on one hectare using the “Market Gardening” principle. We are part of the movement “Community based agriculture” (in Germany it is called “Solidarity Farming”) This means members are involved in the work on a weekly basis in order to bring sustainable food production to the people. School classes are allowed to experience agriculture first hand and enjoy looking after chicken, sheep and bees.
There is a great variety of tasks in our diverse garden! Diversity makes us independent of the agricultural industries. And it is also useful for our fellow creatures of all kinds.
We deliver a big part of our products to our 80 members of Solidarity Farming and another part we sell at the market in the picturesque nearby town of Staufen.
However, Michel's micro-farm sees itself not only as a food producer, but also as a place of learning and a nature conservation project! Agriculture is the number one cause of species extinction worldwide and is responsible for 25% of the greenhouse gases that are harmful to the climate. On one of the most fertile soils in Germany, in a beautiful spot between the Vosges and the Black Forest, the micro-farm sets a counter-example to the monocultures of the rest of the Rhine Valley.

Work: In August, every garden is in the fullness of its harvest season! Tomatoes sweetened by the sun, courgettes and cucumbers growing at a fast speed and need hard-working hands and hungry mouths. But the weeds don't stop growing either. That's why there will be the opportunity to help out in the daily business all the time!
However, your assistance will also needed in construction sites: a trailer is to be insulated with natural materials for the winter and an earth cellar built from straw bales is to be embellished and sealed.
In other words, there would not only be the opportunity to experience the multifaceted gardening at first hand, but also to master manual and physical work in a team. So if you have extra energy, you are more than welcome!

Study part: In our work, we follow the principle of “Market Garden”: Here is what it looks like: on the smallest possible area, as many crops as possible are cultivated without the use of groundwater-damaging fertiliser, only with the help of compost.
The most important idea here is the idea of recycling, in order to work with as little labour, pesticides and land as possible. Learning gardening skills, the cycle concept and environmental aspects in agriculture are therefore important learning elements during the work camp. Permaculture and biodynamic principles can be experienced here. The care and feeding of chicken and sheep can also be learned in practice. Another important part is building with natural materials. We plan to implement old craft techniques that were used to build houses and infrastructure without modern technology, yet were very energy-efficient.

Accommodation and food: Most of the organic seasonal food comes directly from the field to your plate. Everything else that is needed will be purchased. The diet will be predominantly vegetarian. Cooking will take place together in the outdoor kitchen and there will also be the possibility to cook a "classic" dish from your country of origin. Next to the kitchen, there is also a fireplace for sitting together in the evening, so your musical instruments are most welcome! We will also use the clay oven for pizza at least once.
As far as sleeping is concerned, we will either set up a communal tent directly on the field or use the nearby gymnasium in the village (we will give an update about this). In any case, it will be possible to camp in individual, small tents. We also offer a few beds in a construction trailer. A small hutch will serve as our shower. If you like it more comfortable, you can sleep in a room of the the family of the gardener and get a warm shower there. A composting toilet is already part of the sanitary facilities in the field.

Please be ready to live in very basic conditions; you will live outdoors most of the time and near to nature.

Region: Michels Kleinsthof is located between the Black Forest and the Vosges in the border triangle in one of the most beautiful regions of Germany. A nearby quarry pond can be easily reached after work with bicycles provided

AGRI/CONS/ENVI/STUD/MANU
12 International Vols + approx. 3 German Vols
Age: 18-26
Languages: English, German

Project: The "Universitas in Farmhouse" is a center of education for nature, culture, youth work and sustainability. The aim of this project is to demonstrate different ecological cultivation methods. It is a long-standing partner of successful workcamps and a wonderful place to feel at home.

Work: After the COVID time, volunteers are invited to restart the special project GARDEN OF ENVIRONMENT – FIELDS for PLAYING AND LEARNING at our gardening land. It will offer different stations where visitors can learn and experience about nature and sustainability … very creative, surprising and funny! – There will be physical work, using tools and working with materials like wood, rocks, soil. You will work outdoors most of the time. Volunteers who like to exercise can make firewood.
Every year, volunteers are invited to get to know the local Perma Culture garden and do some gardening there. While looking after the plants, there is the possibility to harvest fruits. Of course, there is also an opportunity to get to know the idea of a Permaculture with its plants and environment.
Therefore, we are looking for 12 motivated young people who are interested in handicrafts, advanced training and gardening/landscaping.

Study part: How to create a productive garden which grows plants and feeds animals in a way that only a minimum input of energy and resources are required to achieve maximum sustainability to the environment? Interesting ecological and cultural projects/information from your country is very welcome.

Leisure time: The afternoons, evenings and weekends are free for personal use: sports, fieldtrips in the region and to Freiberg, swimming. 
In the last weekend, volunteers will join the summer party of the University in the Farmhouse: Youth Music Festival WILD ART with many musicians. If you are in the mood, bring an instrument with you – drums and guitars can be provided.

Region: The project will take place in a famous river hill and cultural landscape in the middle of Saxony at the foot of the Erzgebirge (Ore Mountains), 35 km from Dresden, 15 km from Freiberg.

Accommodation: The participants are accommodated in the big seminar room. Food will be prepared together in the big kitchen of the seminar house.

Remarks: Please bring a sleeping bag with you and an isolation sheet. Gossberg is situated in a remote area; you can enjoy nature and countryside.

Terminal: Freiberg, near Dresden.

CONS/ENVI/STUD/MANU
Vols: 15
Age: 18-26
Language: English, German
A letter of motivation is needed!
Project: Since it was founded in 2016, the KulturMarktHalle has been a meeting place for artists and cultural workers to develop local initiatives. Since 2018, KulturMarktHalle has been located in a former supermarket in the Prenzlauer Berg district, a vibrant multicultural area. The vision of the KulturMarktHalle is to bring people from different social and cultural backgrounds together. Various exhibitions, workshops, concerts, cultural and educational events and advisory services are currently taking place. We now have a professionally equipped wood workshop, a well-stocked kitchen with an adjoining herb garden and we are equipped for conferences and seminars. In the project room there is room for creative work. For more information visit our website: www.kmhberlin.de.

The workcamp contributes to creating more inclusive societies, raising awareness around sustainability, and creating a sense of community through social and cultural activities. The workcamp volunteers set an example of how volunteering offers many opportunities for social exchange, civic engagement, learning, and growing as a community.

Work: Since we are bursting at the seams with the services we offer, we need more furniture, i.e. rooms. Voluntary participants are invited to work with us to implement another mobile space (tiny house, office space cube). Sustainable building & cooking as well as community games are the main areas of work.
The participants will build a mobile office (tiny house) under the technical guidance of specialists. Value is placed on recycling, upcycling and resource-saving construction.
We are self-sufficient. Participants will work in small teams to cook for the whole group. The responsible team pays attention to regional and seasonal foods when designing the menu. Each team can implement their own national dishes/recipes from their country of origin.

Accommodation: The participants will be accommodated in the KMH building. There will be separate areas and everyone sleeps on cots. Showers are available in the sports center next door. 

Remarks: A letter of motivation is needed! Please bring a sleeping bag, comfortable and durable workwear, bathing suit, music and some typical recipes from home. (Work gloves, shoes and safety goggles are provided by KMH.)

Free time: There are many parks, table tennis tables and soccer fields in the immediate vicinity. The well-known Mauerpark has a flea market and music on the weekends is also easily accessible.
Berlin offers an abundance of different opportunities to meet people from everywhere in the world, to enjoy culture, music, museums and theaters and is waiting to be explored by you.

Terminal: Berlin KMH.

SOCI/STUDY/REFUGEE
Vol: 12
Age: 18-26
Languages: English, German

Project: Since many years now we offer this successful workcamp together with the protestant community center "Petrusgemeinde". The international volunteers are invited to the Asylum Centre for two weeks to take part in the daily life of the refugees. In the study part of the camp, we want to inform about the situation of refugees in Germany and Europe, as well as the current developments in the area of Asylum-policies. We want you to get in contact with the residents of the Asylum Centre so that we can learn about their stories, difficulties and perspectives.

The Asylum Centres for asylum seekers in Hessen are located at the edge of the city Giessen. There are currently around 2 000 asylum-seekers hosted in former army barracks. The refugees are in Germany because of various reasons, e.g. political, ethnic and religious persecution or poverty. Usually, they stay at the facility for few months until a decision has been made about their application. Sometimes they are sent to other centers or to other “safe countries” where they entered the European Union, or to their countries of origin. Most of the people living in the Asylum Centres in Giessen are from Turkey, Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Eritrea, Ukraine and Balkan countries: Young men, women, children and older people. The asylum seekers live in simple conditions and are not allowed to work or leave the district in which they live. Their permission to stay in Germany often is limited and so is their contact with the locals living in the city.

Work: Together with the refugees we want to organize common activities, where the women and children are taken into consideration: Playing games, making sports, being creative, and overall having some fun together. Besides organizing games for the kids and special activities for women and men, there is the option to create some scenes in a puppet theatre.
In addition, our goal is to get in contact with the young people in Giessen to raise greater awareness for the refugees and to break the isolation of the refugees. We will prepare contact with students of the local university that are willing to take care of the medical issues of the refugees and to pursue the legal issues of the asylum law.
We especially invite volunteers to participate, who can speak Kurdish, Turkish, Arabic or Farsi.

Environment: Giessen, a city populated mostly by students located in the mid-west of Germany. It is easy to reach via Frankfurt airport and Frankfurt Hahn.

Leisure Time: There are plenty of possibilities for leisure time activities: playing football or canoeing as well as possibilities to visit some other cities. (e.g. Marburg, Frankfurt or Heidelberg)

Accommodation: The workcamp will be hosted by a local protestant church which is already involved in working with the refugees. The premises of the church are plentiful and volunteers will have a lot of space for sleeping, cooking, dining, relaxing, and for indoor and outdoor activities.

Remarks: A letter of motivation is needed! Please bring sleeping bag, a pillow if needed, camping mat, work clothes, bathing suit, music, your talents and something specific from your country. After registration, we require a self-declaration concerning the children and youth protection.

Specific COVID-19 regulations for this camp!

Local host only accept volunteers, who are either fully vaccinated (even it is years ago) or bring an actual PCR-test (less than 48 hours).

Terminal: Giessen

FEST/ART/KIDS/CULT
Vols: 7
Age: 18-26
Languages: English, German

Project: The „Himmelsfels“ (Heavens rock) in Spangenberg is the territory that occupies 8 hectares. In Himmelsfels there are so-called embassies, i.e caravans that have been modified artistically to be tiny houses for German and international guests of the Himmelsfels. Every year in Himmelsfels there are events dedicated to art, culture, Christian gospel music and youth Encounter. This summer season, there will be three international youth camps comprising about 80 – 150 young people from various countries.
The volunteers will help to enrich the current youth camps by becoming part of our international staff, by supporting the activities for the youth and the infrastructure of the camps. The program will take place on the “Himmelsfels” itself.
The “Himmelsfels” foundation is a Christian organization, which aims: to develop spaces for intercultural and ecumenical exploration, as well as to motivate people for a life characterized by equality and common values. The project targets especially young people who support and are eager to join the community of Christian spirituality. For more information, please visit the website: www.himmelsfels.de

Work: Workcamp participants are invited to work in different fields: manual, artistically, pedagogical. During the youth camps, you will communicate with kids from diverse backgrounds and join their activities as well. You will support the camp in logistic areas and support the construction and decoration of an artistic project called “the archive of dreams” connected with the World Prayer Day Project (www.weltgebetstag.de ). It would be helpful to prepare to offer your own workshop whether artistically, musically or athletically in advance and bring many new inspiring ideas. In addition, all volunteers will have the chance to introduce their countries. You should collect ideas at home and bring necessary materials for a creative presentation including pictures, food, games, or other typical things from your countries. Further information will be prepared after the placement in the workcamp. Besides the announced activities, the volunteers will also need to take responsibility by leading groups of young campers in daily works like catering and cleaning.  

Study part: The study part of this workcamp will be dominated mostly by the question about life between past and future, tradition and modernity, small-town-life and global correlations. Working on the “Himmelsfels“ always encourages encounters between people from different cultures and diverse background.

Leisure part: Spangenberg is a small village in the valleys in the south of Kassel. Excursions can be made to local sites of interest and to Kassel. Kassel is known by an international art festival called Documenta.

Remarks: A letter of motivation is needed! Basic knowledge of the German language is helpful to communicate with the kids. Volunteers with interest in performing arts are very welcome and it would be great if you are interested in a Christian spirituality. After registration, we require a self-declaration in terms of legal protection for children and vulnerable persons. Please bring a sleeping bag. As some summer nights can get cold in Germany, please bring some warm clothes and raingear! 

Accommodation: Spangenberg is a small German village that lies in the Schwalm-Eder district some 35 km southeast of Kassel. There will be basic and simple accommodation. You will be sleeping in caravans with some other people in one room. Please bring a sleeping bag. As some summer nights can get cold in Germany, please bring some warm clothes and raingear!

Terminal: Melsungen train station (Melsungen Bahnhof).

RENO/ ENVI/ STUDY
Vols: 12
Age: 18-26
Language: English, German

Project: Bedheim castle was first mentioned in the year 1169 and was devastated and reconstructed several times in its long history. In the time of German Democratic Republic (GDR) it slowly rotted. Now renovation is in charge of the family of Ruehle von Lilienstern. A non-profit association is supporting the renovation work and using part of the castle for its own activities. Since 1992, this association has been organizing workcamps. Year by year new working fields have been developed: a social therapeutic nursery was added, the association is running an organic garden and since 2007 the castle also runs a garden café and a small castle museum where you can admire the bones of prehistoric dinosaurs, once living in this region.
During the last 20 years, the castle became a sociocultural center for this remote region: in the castle, there is a perfect room for celebrations; around the castle, one can find various types of gardens and meadow for goose and goats. In addition, there are training courses and cultural activities available. The aim of this project is to create an atmosphere where people with or without disabilities may come, live and work together without any prejudice against handicap, nationality or religion.
Inhabitants of the castle are looking forward to meeting us, to working with us and hearing our suggestions and ideas and to creating a peaceful world together!

Work: Volunteers are invited to help in the care and preservation of this ancient monument. We will work for 6 hours daily, do painting and cleaning inside or maintain the garden around the castle. In the garden, the work depends on the season, usually it is harvesting fruits, cutting trees, bushes and hedges. Encounters with kids and people of the region are foreseen. Every year Bedheim castle is part of the nationwide event called “day of the open monument”. The castle will be opened in the weekend for guests and we can support with doing some service and show an artistic performance. In the last years, volunteers danced and played piano music. You can develop something according to your talents. There will be the possibility to take one day off during the week as compensation.

Study: We may learn more about the following topics: natural beauty of the environment. We can make excursions to places of cultural and historical interest (e.g. Weimar, the city of Goethe and the concentration camp Buchenwald). We can have discussions and lectures about German history, society, culture and politics (the German East-West border was only 9 km away from Bedheim). There will be the possibility to encounter with young people of the region and getting to know more about the countries of the participants.

Accommodation: Bedheim castle offers a simple group accommodation in a seminar house. There are beds with mattresses and pillows, but sleeping bag is needed. Meals will be prepared by the group (less meat but a lot of very good vegetables and fruits from the nursery). Warm water is provided from a solar collector. 

Region: Bedheim castle is located in the west of Thuringia, close to the Bavarian border. Next bigger town is Coburg (28 km away). Bedheim is surrounded by the extraordinary beautiful Franconian landscape.

Remarks: Some basic knowledge of German or English is recommended. Please bring rain and working clothes as well as swim suits, a sleeping bag, slippers, towels and warm pullovers with you. You can also bring a map, pictures or special food items from your country.

Terminal: Bedheim is 8 km from the train station of Hildburghausen and 15 km from the train station of Bad Rodach.