INFORMATION ABOUT MAS VOLUNTEER PROGRAM
HELLO & WELCOME!
We would like to tell you about the volunteer program we have here in MAS and how it all works. We like to host volunteers, here in the Czech Republic to help them evolve and we also want to learn from thier past work experiences and life adventures, traditions etc. We like to develop together with the volunteers and also show them our beautiful Czech land.
This program is run through the European Solidarity Corps portal (ESC). Our company MAS Horní Pomoraví is registered there as a hosting organisation. All of the volunteers must be registered in the ESC as well.
If you wish to be a volunteer you can learn more on https://europa.eu/youth/solidarity_en
If you are between 18 – 30 years old you can register with the corps.
This is how it works in our organisation:
Profile of volunteer
We offer cooperation with young people who want to gain work experience 
abroad. People who want to stand apart and work on personal growth. The volunteer must be willing to work in a nonprofit organisation and community and like working with all different age groups of people including children and seniors.
We expect volunteers to be self-starters and take an active approach to implement their own projects to better serve MAS’s overall mission.
Expected Volunteer Activities
Volunteers will visit local schools in order for students and teachers to practice speaking english with an advanced level volunteer. Volunteers will also make and present a presentation about their hometowns, country and cultures that they will share with local students, teachers and other members of our team.
The volunteers will know our mission, goal and structure of the organization. They can cooperate with the employees of the organization in each department in order to understand the roles and how they work up close. They can then choose which department they would like to focus on. Within their selected topic, they can create their own ideas about how to improve and contribute to our overall mission of community development.
Volunteers can participate in:
- Information/Tourism Center:
- Prepare promotional material for target groups (e.g. Community developments,
- excursions for disabled people, sports attractions ,historical landmarks )
- Help to prepare thematic excursions for different age groups (e.g. Bike rides for the elderly, informal activities for children etc.)
- Collect photos of local and interesting locations.
Support the JESENIKY Trademark (Marketing activities, design different forms of promotion, prepare and organize sales/presentation events (e.g. Farmer´s market etc.).- Create marketing packages of regional experiences to highlight all aspects the region has to offer. (e.g. Combine products, services, and experiences into one package for visitors in the region.
- Participate in the preparation and implementation of educational events for local businesses within the trademark.
- Regional Education:
- Helping teachers and students in local schools practice speaking english in the classroom with an advanced speaker.
- Prepare and implement educational events (e.g. Project Multicultural Days).
- Collaborate and help everyone involved in the education department practice good habits, healthy teamwork and create positive work environments.
- Prepare and present a presentation about their hometown, countries and culture to teachers and students and the team.
- Participate in the working groups that prepare activities for students and teachers in the actual classroom. (e.g. Tips and teaching stategies in the classroom of foreign languages)
- Participate in senior education (e.g. prepare a lecture about their own country, culture, etc.)
- Cultural, Social and Sporting events:
- Help with the preparation and carry out events according to the prepared plan. (Event Managment)
- Take photos of the events
- PR and Online Presence
- Help with the presentation and promotional activities for our online presence (e.g. taking photos, video, web publishing, and social media).
Our goal is to let the volunteers to choose a topic that would be most interesting for them and have them create their own ideas about how to better serve our community.
Information for Volunteers
Two volunteers from the program countries will be invited to join the project and will work together for a 12-month period in a non-profit organization called MAS Horní Pomoraví o.p.s. Placed in the Olomouc region. This means serving an area of 46 rural municipalities (about 50,000 inhabitants).
Travel/Flight – We plan the journey to and from the Czech Republic and pick up the volunteers at their place of arrival once they get to the Czech Republic. We will show them around so they will feel comfortable. We will also help them with practical aspects for their stay – health insurance, residence permits, etc.
Accommodation – We will provide volunteers with facilities to stay and work. Volunteers will be accommodated in a two-room apartment with kitchen and bathroom facilities. This flat is located in the town center near the office of our organization in Zábřeh (3 min walk) and is near other services. The apartment will provide volunteers privacy and independence. There will be 2 volunteers in one flat, but each will have his/her own room. We will show volunteers around the town and help them become oriented in the town and with the local traffice and public transporation system.
Work Space – We provide language training for volunteers and we will also prepare a workspace for the volunteers in our office with technical equipment.
Work Supervisor – There will be personnel support consisting of a work supervisor that is a leader in the organization in charge of the specific topic the volunteer chooses as an area of interest. Volunteers will participate in regular meetings of the organization and will be in contact with other members of the organization within their chosen topic as well.
Personal Mentor – Volunteers will have a mentor who will help with personal needs/personal support. The role of a mentor is associated with support in solving personal problems or administrative tasks. The mentor will also help the volunteers to reflect on their work in the organization and community.
Expenditure – As written above accommodation and travel to and from the Czech Republic will be arranged by MAS. Volunteers will not receive salary for their work however; they will receive regular pocket money – 5 EUR per day and money for food – 5 EUR per day. From this money (10 EUR/day) they must pay for their own food and other personal expenses.
FREE TIME/SOCIAL LIFE – There will be plenty of free time when volunteers can spend time with the families of
employees and/or join them in fun or leisurely activities. The Czech Republic has almost anything you could wantto experience like high mountains, rivers and lakes, flat land and meadows, a lot of historical cities with castles, chateaus and natural landmarks and some great cultural and social events and activites. One of the closest natural landscapes are the Jesenik Mountains. They are beautiful and easily accessible to us by bus or train. You can also travel very easily, cost efficiently and quickly to other countries like Austria, Poland, Germany and Slovakia. Please see the „Train Section“ below. We assure that you will have free time to experience all that you wish to. 🙂
Videos of the Czech Republic:
Czechia (trailer):
Czech landscape: A few of the Czech castles and chateaus:
Czech UNESCO:
Jesenik Region
https://www.navstivtejeseniky.cz/en
Train Transportation – Zábřeh na Moravě train station is also one of the main intersections of the Czech Republic making it easy to travel west to Prague in 2 hours and the complete opposite direction east to Ostrava
in 1 and half hour. You can visit other cities like Olomouc, and Brno in the Czech Republic but you can also visit other countries like Austria, Germany, Poland or Slovakia very easy and fast. The train system is affordable,quick and frequent and the best way to travel in or out of this region.
Bus Transportation – If you want to travel to a town closer to us like Šumperk, Mohelnice, or visit a small quaint village the bus system is also affordable, frequent and efficient! It is inexpensive, there are plenty of bus stops within walking distance of each other and they are super reliable and on time.
There is even one website that can plan your journey combining buses and trains in czech. Please copy and paste these links into your browser to try it out:
Bus and Train Connections (ALL)
Individual Bus and Train Companies (Trips and Rates)
Project Summary
We are looking for outgoing individuals who like to meet new people, are interested in creating lasting relationships and want to experience living in a different culture.
We want to create a mutually beneficial relationship with the volunteers that come to work with us and keep in touch even after the conclusion of their time here.
A brief video on all of the wonderful things MAS does for the community: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCZQ3tDPVRo
