The EVS project"Institute Hartheim goes EVS" took place in 5 different seperate places inside Institute Hartheim at 2 different times: Activity 1: 06.01. 2015 - 03.01.2016 (Kindergararten & after-school care, creative group, living group for handicapped people I) Activity 2:& Activity 3: 07.02.2015 - 03.02.2016 (green workshop group, living group for handicapped people II) The Institut Hartheim is a renowned center for pedagogical, therapeutical and medical care of mentally and/or physically handicapped people. In the year 2015/2016 the Institut Hartheim was host organisation for five European volunteers from Spain, Romania, Czech Republic, Bosnia Herzegowina and Turkey for 12 months. They were all working under the roof of Institute Hartheim but in completely 5 different areas. The volunteers were integrated in our care teams and the institute was offering them guidance and support in all respects as well as any help to cope with difficult situations that might occur. The institute offered a vast range of fields of activities the volunteers could chose from: 46 groups where handicapped persons live and are cared for, workshop groups such as wood group, pottery, weaving group, braiding group, multi media group, creative group, garden group and a group for domestic animals. Part of the Institut Hatheim is also the kindergarten and after-school care club where volunteers could help playing with the children, doing home works for school, doing leisure time activities. Especially cultural diversity and the personal development of the volunteers was a special issue of our project; so the ideas and cultural inputs from the EVS volunteers were a big issue. We created this project to give youngster the chance of a unique learning chance in their life, but also for bringing new/fresh european ideas into Institute Hartheim in Upper Austria and also for creating new ideas between the different placements and motivating other youngsters in Austria to do EVS as well, when they see/hear about this project, meeting the volunteers... All 5 volunteers came from different backgrounds, some with weak financial background (long time unemployed), bad family background and so on. Motivation was the thing they had all together, that`s why they were choosen. We wanted to have a nice mix of nationalities, so that they can learn about other cultures as well, when doing EVS in Austria, where all should bring in their culture, mentality, ideas and should get a good insight into being involved in a social organisation and learning more about Austria, its culture, habbits, language... With this EVS project we wanted to create a learning experience for the youngsters, the involved sending organisations, but also for all people involved on the hosting side. EVS volunteers are a big enrichment for society, for Austria, for the organisation and espcially for all the persons, the volunteers are involved in. They could bring in their ideas in the area of disabled, children, youth and adults in all different areas. When getting an insight into this area of work they could bring in their culture by e.g. singing a song with children, creating an own project with disabled persons, showing pictures from their home country.....so in the end it didn`t matter in which project they were foreseen, as they could bing in their ideas in each area and the hosting project is also flexible for ideas from volunteers, that were growing with their stay in Austria. By time they were learning more about Austria, themselves, others, Europe...so Europe finally got a face for them, they met people and made friends where they could discuss things about stereotypes. The EVS project made them growing, made them stronger in mind and they were defenitely returning from EVS as a real positive thinking and open minded young European. Some decided to stay in Austria after EVS and others would like to go to different European places, for work, for fun, for making projects....so EVS opened them the door to a positive future! For all the learning process we used the non formal learning, to understand the learning process EVS volunteers got the youthpass in the end, so like this it was easier for them to understand what they have learned during EVS but also it is now easier for them to show others, using it for applying for a job and so on. The results were the learning for all involved persons and partners, the learning more about different cultures, real open talks about different issues of countries, realizing ideas of youngsters, giving them the chance of becoming active in Europe, getting an understanding what Europe is by living EVS and a unique learning experience in life. A big learning result was also when learning more about other volunteer who liveed with them, so when being and EVS volunteer you don`t only learn more about Austria, but also about the nationalities of the other involved EVS volunteers.