Hald Internasjonale Senter is a meeting place for cross-cultural understanding and international work, with common goals within the fields of development, mission and leadership. We are recognized by the Department of education (Kunnskapsdepartementet) as a school in practical skills and training (Fagskole). Hald Internasjonale Senter is owned by the Strømme Foundation (www.strommestiftelsen.no), the Norwegian Mission Society (www.nms.no) and Laget (NKSS (www.nkss.no). Those three organizations are NGO?s focusing on development, poverty reduction, mission, leadership and youth work. We offer a course in cross-cultural understanding and international work. Each of the three organizations runs an exchange program of ten months. All the programs are supported by Fredskorpset Ung. The ten months is a good mixture of theory and practice, where all the participants have a 6-7 months placement in a different culture. At Hald Internasjonale Senter the EVS volunteers will be acting as volunteer assistant staff among the 10 staff members and will have a role as equal colleagues in terms of planning and accomplishing of different activities and projects among our 70-80 students. We can offer a lot of different learning opportunities: -as a member of an experienced, dynamic and skilled staff environment, -through cultural integration in an intercultural environment with individuals from 14-15 different countries from Africa, Asia, South-America and Norway, -through the high possibilities for personal growth and development and with a possibility to contribute with his/her values and skills. -the school is based on Christian values and there will be different Christian activities arranged by the students. -the learning opportunities in languages like Spanish, Norwegian, Portuguese, French, English and Chinese should be highly appreciated. -we will offer a language course in Norwegian language for all EVS volunteers in this project. We intend to receive two volunteers and the duration of service is 11 months. The project increases young people`s positive awareness of other cultures. The project supports dialogue and intercultural encounters with other young people from different backgrounds and cultures. Through interaction and cultural exchange, we give them a good opportunity to learn cross-cultural communication through teaching, dialogue and interaction. It is impossible not to be aware of other cultures when you live together with youth from 14-15 countries and work with them. Also working with the children of asylum seekers make you aware of other cultures and the challenges to live in a new country. The project helps to prevent and combat prejudice, racism and all attitudes leading to exclusion. The project develops sense of tolerance and understanding of diversity. Through friendship with the youth from Africa, South-America, Asia and Europa and also through the meetings with the asylum-seekers and their children, the prejudice will be challenged and racism will not be tolerated or accepted under any circumstances. Instead the volunteers learn to become friends with people from all over the world and our experience is that they stay in contact with them also after the period at Hald Internasjonale Senter is over