ESC @ Kindergarden »Sonnenwinkel« Hohe Straße

The institution is a kindergarden „Sonnenwinkel“, founded in 1969, since 1993 as independent non-profit institution with a capacity of 109 children (90 kindergarten places including 4 integration places and 19 nursery places). The children are looked after by 18 pedagogues. The institution focusses on several points that are implemented: The main focus is a bilingual profile (German-French) - realized so far in 3 groups: 2 kindergarten groups since 2004, a crèche group since 2017 with the aim to provide children with early, at least bilingual everyday integrated care, support and education to facilitate, promote and develop an open intercultural exchange for children over one-year-old; Development/consolidation/training of the social-communicative and intercultural competencies of children, professionals and parents; Incorporation of French culture in the annual cycle through appropriate offers and networking within the city.

Our other main focuses are: - Integration: 4 children with special living conditions are supported and accompanied by appropriately trained staff in 2 groups. - In one group, the musical abilities and skills of the children are additionally promoted by a music education specialist.

There are cooperation/memberships to 2 elementary schools (of which one offers the continuation of the bilingual profile in primary education), the French institute, another German-French kindergarden, the association FMKS e.V. and the city library

Tasks:

The volunteer supports the workers in their daily routines with the kids and shall set up own small or bigger projects in the kindergarden. He/She will get to know a pedagogic insight into the work of a bilingual kindergarden. The volunteer will work in a group with children between 2 and 7 years. He/She will get to know and co-arrange the work with the parents; participate in important processes like preparing elder kids for school, attend projects that are carried through in the second language French. He/she shall actively enter aspects of his/her own culture into the daily life with the kids and create special projects around this. He/she shall carry through an own project, for example in the fields of theatre, music or dance.

Link to the KiTa

Conditions (short overview):

• The volunteer has a mentor, who supports with regular feedback talks at the hosting organization
• The weekly project time is 35 hours and weekends are free, as well as holidays such as Christmas, etc.
• The volunteer has two holidays per month, which can be collected to take a longer time off (Some facilities have closing times and then some vacation must be taken then.)
• There is a basic language course to support the volunteers in the beginning. The ESC is a non-formal education program and therefore no professional German course is provided, but the goal is to learn the language during the project time and outside in the free time.
• Costs for food, travel and insurances are covered, and the volunteer gets additionally 210€ pocket money per month; VISA costs are covered if needed.
• The volunteer has to visit two seminars organized by Jugend für Europa (national agency of Germany). In addition, there will be realized several project days towards topics of Europe / mobility in Europe for all ESC volunteers.
• The volunteer lives in a single-bed room in a flat share with other volunteers in Leipzig. In the shared apartment, residents must take care of cleaning themselves.

Selection criteria:

Please complete the online questionnaire you find on our page. We collect all applications until the deadline, then all applications that are complete will be forwarded to the responsible for the hosting organisation who decide about the candidate. The selection process takes 2-3 months. You will get an answer during or latest after 2 months.

Selection process:

Potential volunteers should be interested in working with children in a kindergarden and like kids / a plus is if the volunteers speak French because of the bilingual profile of the kindergarden / open-minded and communicative behaviour / ability to work in different groups, basic knowledge of the German language is important. Measles vaccination and criminal record required - proof needed.

Apply here!