kulturweit

Selection process

After a preliminary selection by the German Commission for UNESCO, the application documents are submitted to the respective partner organisations for final selection. After the final selection of applications is completed, applicants will receive an assignment offer.
 

Assignment proposal

About six months before the scheduled departure, all future volunteers receive an assignment proposal.
 

Assignment location

The applicants who received an assignment proposal will have about one week to decide whether to accept or decline the assignment offer. Assignments that are declined will be offered to the next applicant on the wait list.

Personal preparations

There is a lot to do before leaving for the host country. Before the preparatory seminar which officially rings in the volunteer service, volunteers have about five months to independently prepare themselves for the assignment location in the host country.

Besides intensive personal preparations with respect to the host country and the assignment location, volunteers must see to travel arrangements, obtaining a visa, receiving the necessary vaccines, submitting a health certificate and find an accommodation in the host country. During the preparatory work prior to the voluntary service, volunteers are supported by the kulturweit team in all matters.

The coordination service of the German Commission for UNESCO organises the educational tutorials and takes care of the registration and payment of travel health insurance, liability and accident insurance as well as German social securities
 

Preparatory seminar

Immediately before the departure, the voluntary service starts with a ten-day preparatory seminar. kulturweit trainers provide and support the volunteers during the learning process. As preparation for the volunteer projects in the host country, volunteers receive an introduction into the aspects of project management and carry out seminar projects in small groups.

Assignment in the host country

Following the preparatory seminar, all volunteers are leaving Germany to travel to their assignment location and to start their service at their assignment location. The tasks the kulturweit volunteers are performing for the next six to twelve months are extremely multifaceted. They differ depending on the requirements at the assignment location and personal qualification of the volunteer.

The tasks include offering assistance during German class in a partner school, organising cultural events at the Goethe-Institut or public relations work in an information centre of the German Academic Exchange Service.

During the voluntary service, all kulturweit participants must carry out a volunteer project independently.
 

Language classes in the host country

All volunteers must complete a language course in the host country, which must be organised by them independently. 
 

Intermediate seminar

About half way into the service, an intermediate seminar will be held in the region the volunteer is assigned to, which serves for mutual exchange and networking for volunteer projects. 

Return + follow up seminar

During the final five days of the voluntary service, a follow up seminar is held. All of the volunteers get together immediately after their return to Germany, in order to exchange experiences and observations. The personal exchange is accompanied by presentations and a joint assessment of the volunteer projects. 
 

Alumni network

After the voluntary service is completed, all volunteers have the opportunity to stay involved with the kulturweit alumni network. Among other things, they are offered the opportunity to share their experiences with new participants, to connect with a regional group of alumni or a work group to work on a specific matter, or support one of the new volunteers as their personal advisor. And apart form all that, kulturweit is offering their former volunteers a multitude of opportunities to further educate themselves.