Why would someone be a member of an organization?
Being an active member widens your horizons and enables you to develop personally and professionally. Shokkin Group has the potential to give space for experimenting and practicing with different activities (camps, workshops, festivals) on different topics (urban arts, entrepreneurship, creativity, outdoor) in different roles (project manager, photographer, SM manager). With us you can develop skills that will help you in your future studies/career; gain new knowledge about topics interesting for you; find friends and future colleagues; learn through mobility and hands-on experience. There is so much more to life, than only jobs and studies.

What topics do you work with?
From 2011 we work mostly with youth entrepreneurship (workshops, events with guests, marathons), creativity and urban arts (design of clothing, graffiti festivals, dance battles, comic book design), game-based learning (game development workshops, escape quest development, board game events), intercultural learning (youth meetings among diverse groups of youth, ESC workshops), outdoor education (outdoor workshops, camping trips, trekking events). However, we are open to supporting our members with ideas they have on different topics.

What is the structure of Shokkin Group?
Shokkin Group consists of members of different levels and a managing team of Shokkin PRO. Members have the possibility to initiate activities or candidate to be part of Level 2 (work on projects and events) or Level PRO (overall management of the organization). Members work in small groups supported by Shokkin PRO, who also initiates monthly member meetings. More details here

How does membership work?
A membership cycle in Shokkin Group lasts from August until June of the following year. Once you fill  in the membership form and transfer the fee, you will be invited to the internal group and chat for members, where new ideas and calls are posted and discussed. Membership allows you to take an active part in the organization as well as use the organizational resources to develop your own ideas within Shokkin Group. 

How can I be an active member of Shokkin Group?
We make calls for small tasks and ideas in our internal communication group and invite members for meetings to initiate their own activities. We are also in need of people who can be in charge of our blog, take up social media management, create press releases, work on promoting the organization, design merchandise, photograph events, make videos, lead thematic squads and coordinate local projects with us. You can ask where help is needed or offer specific expertise at any meeting or in the group/chat.

How can being part of Shokkin Group help me in my future?
Apart from all the learning and experience that you can get, all the people you can meet, we can provide you with a reference letter for university or a dream job. We will also provide you with a certificate if you actively complete a full membership year as Level 2.

Why are there membership fees?
As a youth organization we need to cover costs for on-going work, so we have a set of annual fees that cover basic needs of the organization. 

Why would someone like to go to an international project?
If you are a young person then international projects are great opportunities to get inspired, discover yourself, find friends, experience new cultures, develop new skills. If you are a youth leader, educator or youth worker it is a great way to learn about international practices, acquire new methods to implement in your work with young people and communities and find ways of engaging youth groups and students.

International projects allow you to learn in an intercultural environment, get trained by professionals; find new partners; increase your skills and knowledge of specific topics. Of course international projects also allow you to improve your English level and discover a new environment.

What is the difference between a youth exchange and a training course?
At Shokkin Group most youth exchanges are open for young people from age 16 and for group leaders aged 18+. At a youth exchange you will have more time to run activities as a country group, have a bit more free time and less structured content and often more practice and community work. To a youth exchange you go as a group and make preparations together in a team before and sharing activities after.

A training course is aimed at youth leaders (organizational members, voluntary educators) and youth workers aged 18+ who are interested in learning new approaches, methods and frameworks; who are interested in developing their international network and finding future colleagues; who want to contribute to the organization with their work. Training courses are more content oriented, often shorter in time and more intense. You go as an individual fully in charge of your participation, involvement and dissemination (no group leaders). Both activities are based on non-formal learning methodology and expect active involvement.

What are Shokkin Group’s criteria for choosing participants?
Selection is done based on the application forms, that we gather to a specific deadline and then assess them. We look at the motivational statements of each candidate as well as their involvement in Shokkin Group or our close partners. Some priority is given to young people, youth leaders and youth workers who are active in Shokkin Group to join particular training courses and youth exchanges (as group leaders and participants). It still means that everyone has a chance to join and should thoroughly fill out the application form.

What is the usual process like?
When chosen to be part of an international project participants are expected to:

• take part in the preparation meeting;
• send picture reports to the sending coordinator;
• create a blog post after the international activity finishes;
• take part in the after-project meeting and give feedback regarding the project;
• be involved in a dissemination activity connected to the project topic.

If I am under 18 should I know anything else?
If you are 16+ you can join our youth exchange projects and in that case we need to receive contact details of your parents (guardians) and receive a signed letter of confirmation (we will provide a template) that your parent (guardian) needs to sign. As an under-aged participant we expect you to behave according to the national laws regarding alcohol & tobacco consumption (strictly prohibited) and cooperate with the group leader and hosting coordinators.

Will I get help with preparation?
Yes, at Shokkin Group you will receive a code of conduct and will be invited to the preparatory meeting, where you will get to know other participants, have an opportunity to get to know more about the project, ask questions and make arrangements for dissemination events. Our members will also be available for you to communicate with during all the time.

Why are there sending fees?
We take participation fees to cover preparation meeting costs, reward active members by subsidizing their participation in various projects. We also see that a small financial contribution disciplines and less dropouts happen. If you for some reason cannot contribute with the sending fee, please note it in the application form and we will find a possibility for you to still participate. 

What are my responsibilities as a participant?
As a participant you have the responsibility to be in contact with the sending and hosting coordinators, meet deadlines for logistical, administrative and content questions. As well as be ready to fully participate in the project and once back home write a blog post and implement a dissemination activity together with other participants from Estonia. Check the visual code of conduct.

What insurance should I have?
Each participant going on an Erasmus+ project should have their European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) with them. We also advise to get travel insurance that will prevent you from losing money in case of sickness, missed flight, lost luggage, etc.

Will I get any certificate?
Yes, at each project you should receive a Youthpass certificate to acknowledge your participation. If this does not happen, inform your sending coordinator and we will follow-up. Learn more about the Youthpass.

What documents do I need for reimbursement?
To reimburse travel costs organizations need to have documents proving your travel and its cost. To be reimbursed, bring your flight booking receipt (with your name, price, itinerary), boarding passes, any other bookings and tickets to the project venue. It is always a great idea to thoroughly read the infopack and check with the hosting coordinator beforehand if all the documentation and arrangements are good.

Different projects can have slightly different arrangements that you should pay attention to. Specific procedures should be written in the info-pack. Taxi rides or petrol checks are reimbursed in special cases and should be consulted with the hosting coordinator beforehand. No business class or 1st class travel arrangements are eligible. 

What is the usual reimbursement process?
Once all the tickets are presented the hosting coordinator should check them all and provide you with a calculation and a reimbursement form (where the reimbursement arrangement should be stated). Most often the reimbursement is transferred by bank within 1-2 months after the project to one of the country representatives or a group leader. Often you need to provide proof of dissemination activities. As Shokkin Group we try to partner in projects that have clear administrative and reimbursement processes that are communicated to us before officially signing partner agreements. If you have doubts contact us or your hosting coordinator.

Why should I do dissemination activities?
There are many reasons why we ask you to work on dissemination activities. Firstly, E+ projects are not meant to be the only activity that you learn from. It is important to apply your newly gained knowledge in practice with the public. Secondly, we don’t want this to be an “exclusive” activity and believe that information, methods, sessions should be shared with young people and other youth leaders and youth workers. Thirdly, making a dissemination activity can motivate someone to also join the organization or a project and change their life.

How can I give you feedback about a project?
We take work seriously and try to work with partners who co=organize high quality projects in terms of content and practical arrangements. We want to be sure that once we send people to a youth exchange or a training course there is proper content and hosting support. Thus, we invite all participants to provide feedback to your sending coordinator and in case of need you can contact chief of board through pavel@shokkin.org

How does an ESC application process work?
The way we send people to ESC projects is straightforward. We expect you to have an idea of what you want to do and some ideas of where you want to go. From that moment we can together search for a suitable hosting organization or project. Once such organizations are found, most probably online calls are held to finalize the agreements and proceed to prepare the application form. Once you are chosen we sign an activity agreement and start your preparation process. Read more about ESC.

When should I contact Shokkin Group?
There are usually 3 deadlines to apply for volunteering projects (February, April, October). Initiating a search for a hosting organization can be done 2-3 months before the deadline and it is advised to make an agreement with a hosting organization not less than 3 weeks before the deadline. Thus, we would be able to provide more assistance if you will contact us not less than a few months before the deadline. If you have an identified hosting organization and there is a project vacancy you are interested in you can contact us at any stage.

How does Shokkin Group work as a sending organization?
We are not sending more than 3 people per year for ESC projects, so we like to give special attention to the people we send. We will consult with you and the hosting organization regarding the activity agreement, hold a preparatory meeting, where we will introduce the ESC charter and answer all questions, provide you with an exclusive ESC journey log. Once you are on ESC, we will hold a few calls to check how it is going and will request some blog updates to share your story on our website. Once you are back, we will invite you for a coffee to discuss your journey and talk about further involvement.