The EVS project "Learning and living Europe in Hartheim" will takes place in 5 different seperate places inside Institute Hartheim at 2 different times: Activity 1: 04.01. 2016 - 03.01.2017 (Kindergararten & after-school care, creative group, living group for handicapped people I) Activity 2: 04.02.2016 - 01.02.2017 (living group for handicapped people I & II) The Institut Hartheim is a renowned center for pedagogical, therapeutical and medical care of mentally and/or physically handicapped people. In the year 2016 the Institut Hartheim will be host organisation for five European volunteers from Spain, Hungary, France, Bosnia Herzegowina and Russia for 12 months. They will all work under the roof of Institute Hartheim but in completely 5 different areas, The volunteers will be integrated in our care teams and the institute will offer them guidance and support in all respects as well as any help to cope with difficult situations that might occur. The institute offers a vast range of fields of activities the volunteers can 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 can help playing with the children, doing home works for school, doing leisure time activities. Especially cultural diversity and the personal development of the volunteers shall be a special issue of our project; so the ideas and cultural inputs from the EVS volunteers are 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 come from different backgrounds, some with weak financial background (long time unemployed), bad family background and so on. Motivation is the thing they have 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 want to create a non formal learning experience for the youngster, 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 will 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 can 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 doesn`t matter in which project they are foreseen, as they can bing in their ideas in each area and the hosting project is also flexible for ideas from volunteers, that will grow with their stay in Austria. By time they will learn more about Austria, themselves, others, Europe...so Europe will get a face for them, they will meet people and make friends where they can discuss things about stereotypes. The EVS project will let them grow, make them stronger in mind and normally they return from EVS as a real positive thinking and open minded young European. Some will then go to different European places, for work, for fun, for making projects....so EVS opens the door to a positive future for youngsters! All learning process will be by using non formal learning, to understand the learning process EVS volunteers will get a youthpass in the end, so that they can understand what they have learned during EVS but also to show others, using it for applying for a job and so on. The results are the learning for all involved persons and partners in the non-formal area, to learn more about different cultures, real open talks about different issues of countries, realizing ideas of youngsters, give them the chance of becoming active in Europe, get an understanding what Europe is by living EVS and a unique learning experience in life. A big learning result is also when learning more about other volunteer who live with you, 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.