My ESC volunteering in Denmark

My name is Silvia and I’m 27 years old. I’m from Italy and I always lived in a small Italian town. I have always loved foreign languages and culture, so I studied languages in high school and at the university too. At the end of high school, I moved to Florence to attend university, where I spent two years and the third one, the last one, I went to Germany, where I graduated. At the time, I wasn’t ready to start working, so I decided to enroll in another university, where I got my master’s degree. I started to study translation, because I thought that being a translator would be the perfect job for me.

But soon I realised that it wasn’t. At the end of my last year of university I got the opportunity to work as an Italian teacher in Austria and I just took it. This amazing experience had me realise that teaching was my job, my future. So, when my Austrian experience ended, I didn’t know what to do. I knew that I wanted to be a teacher, but I didn’t want to be back home and I didn’t want to become a teacher in Italy.

I wanted to see the world, discover a different scholar and education system and I wanted to have as many experiences as possible. And in that moment, I understood that it was the perfect time to try out a volunteering experience. And so that's what I did. I went to the ESC volunteering web site, and I started to have a look at the available projects. I knew that I wanted to work with kids as a teacher and that I wanted to go somewhere new. And soon as I found the right project. I filled out my application, I sent my CV and my cover letter, I attended my Skype interview and not much time later I got the confirmation: I was selected to become a volunteer at the Rejsby Europæiske Efterskole (https://www.rejsby-efterskole.dk/), in Rejsby, Denmark.

Rejsby is a little town in Southern Jutland near Ribe, the oldest Danish city. And the efterskole is a unique Danish independent residential school for students between 14 and 18 years old. I knew that in this school, I could learn a different kind of scholar system, a new language, and a new culture. My answer was positive and quick, and now here I am in Rejsby, in a wonderful school with amazing students and teachers, in a really interesting and new country. My project lasts 9 months and I’m living in a cute apartment in the school. The class, the common areas and the student’s room are downstairs, and our apartment is upstairs.

Our apartment because I share it with another volunteer from France. I have my very nice room all by myself, and I share the bathroom and the kitchen with the other volunteer, but we never use the kitchen because we always eat with the students in the dining room. And it’s just so nice to not worry about what to eat or what to cook. My job is to assist the teachers during the classes. I’m usually helping the teacher and the students in the language classes such as English, German and Spanish. I also help the students with homework, and I participate in the school events and trips. I do with them different activities like sports, outdoor exercises, games and music.

I play with them with board games, and I spend time with them when they need something or when they just want to talk with someone. I work one evening a week and one weekend a month too. During this evening and weekend duties I just participate in social events or activities with the students. I also tell them about my own country and we talk about the difference between my culture and theirs. So, my main job is to be with the students and help the teachers in every way I can.

A really satisfying job!