Kindergarten and primary school - Ecole des petits chemins

Looking for four volunteers

City + Country

Lessive (ROCHEFORT) , Belgium

Dates of the next project

28th of August 2023 – 27th of August 2024

Deadline to apply

No deadline : first come, first served ! 

Hosting organisation : Collectif des Petits Chemins

Le Collectif des petits chemins is a non-profit association and school based in Lessive, which is a village in the French-speaking part of Belgium. It promotes new pedagogies considering the children’s unique personalities and using their natural environment. They aim to motivate young children to learn while respecting their needs and rhythms, as this creates a fairer and more respectful environment.

Being an alternative education system, the school also (but not only) welcomes children who experience learning difficulties in a more classical type of education due to a disability or a behaviour.

Children range from 2 to 12 years old and are divided into two sections: the kindergarten and the primary school.

As opposed to a classic system, the teachers use a pedagogical methodology based on outdoor activities, cooperation and education to peace. They stimulate 8 intelligences: linguistic, mathematical and logical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, spatial, kinaesthetic, musical and naturalist.

While most of the project takes place at the school, the collective organises or takes part in other local and social initiatives, such as farmer markets, concerts, parties…

The staff involves 8 teachers and the children’s parents. The teachers are well equipped to support the learning process of the 4 volunteers, since they are trained in active pedagogy. Indeed, the active pedagogy methods stimulate the “learning to learn” process. One volunteer works in the kindergarten while three others works in elementary school. Things can however evolve according to the volunteers’ interests and wishes.

The association opens every weekday from 8:30am to 4:00pm, except on Wednesday from 8:00am to 12:00pm. From time to time, they organise networking events on weekends.

Support organisation : CBB

CBB host in total 26 international volunteers around Wallonia. The ESC team of CBB tries its best to connect this network of volunteers together trought different collective activities, seminar …

Les Compagnons Bâtisseurs, aka CBB, is located in Marche-en-Famenne, which is another Belgian town not far from Rochefort. We are a non-profit, non-political youth organisation that is recognized and financially supported by the Wallonia-Brussels Federation. The organisation proposes different kinds of activities, based on volunteering and non-formal education: local and international workcamps, short and long term volunteering services (including ESC), leisure time activities for and with disabled people, campleaders trainings… CBB is active within the different European Programmes of volunteering and non-formal education since 1997 and also hosts ESC volunteers each year.

CBB’s role as support organisation is to:

  • Promote the project and to link local and the international networks
  • Support the selection and coaching of European volunteers before arrival
  • Manage administrative matters: budget allowances, bank account creation and enrollment at the municipality, insurance (if not done by sending organisation), activity agreement
  • Provide pedagogical support for the volunteer and the hosting organization: ensuring the participation in the National Agency seminars, organising auto-evaluation meetings with the volunteer and hosting organization to reflect on learning outcomes
  • Handle practical arrangements: information about health insurance in Belgium, French lessons, online language tools, etc.
  • Create networking activities between all ESC volunteers of the hosting organisations they support