For people who live with disabilities, having personalized care can make a big difference to their ability to live productive lives. By volunteering on the Special Needs Support project, you’re able to be a part of that care and see the importance of it in action.
As a volunteer, you’ll assist either in a school for people with special needs or in a specialized center for people with special needs. Both the school and the center provide education and care to people who have a range of disabilities from mild physical and mental disorders to severely limiting conditions such as cerebral palsy.
Working with trained staff, volunteers assist teachers with their daily routine, which can involve arts and crafts, administration work, classroom preparation and re-arrangements, preparing creative activities and festivities, and assisting with meal times and physiotherapy routines. Volunteers may also help with student supervision, assisting with excursions, general care and cleaning/chores as required.
Duties will be primarily supporting and observing local staff, so you should be flexible in your approach and open to helping wherever it’s required.
Volunteers who apply for the Special Needs Care project over school holiday periods will support summer activity projects run by our local team in Greece. These are often run outdoors and encourage learning through games rather than in a classroom. Volunteers can be creative in designing activities which fit the topics being covered at the time. In addition to running games and activities, you may also be given other tasks such as painting in schools, helping with beach litter cleanups and participating in cultural events.
The school holidays for 2021/2022 are:
- 7th June 2021 - 12th September 2021
- 6th December 2021 - 23rd January 2022