The European Solidarity Corps helps young people from 18 to 30 years old to participate in projects that benefit communities, both abroad and in their own country. These projects offer a stimulating experience of growth and knowledge.
You can choose from different options such as volunteering, internships, working, participating in local solidarity projects and volunteering in humanitarian aid. Activities cover a variety of areas: education and training, citizenship and democratic participation, environment and nature protection, migration, culture, humanitarian aid and others.
The European Solidarity Corps, managed by the European Commission, provides funding in the form of grants to organisations through calls for proposals. Young people wishing to get involved in such activities must register on the European Solidarity Corps portal. The portal is the place where young grant recipients and organisations can carry out activities and find each other.
As far as volunteering is concerned, projects offer the opportunity to learn new skills, spend time abroad, learn a language and meet many people to share meaningful experiences. You can choose between individual and group volunteering.
Individual volunteering
- can last from 2 to 12 months
- is full-time (between 30 and 38 hours per week)
- allows you to contribute to the daily work of an organisation that directly benefits the local community
- it is usually cross-border, i.e. it takes place in a country other than the one where you live (although national volunteering projects do exist)
- in some cases you can also participate for a shorter period (2 weeks to 2 months)
Supporting and host organisations
If a foreign destination is chosen for individual volunteering, two organisations are involved:
- the supporting organisation, which is based in your home country and helps with the preparation of the experience abroad
- the host organisation, which welcomes and mentors volunteers in the destination country.
Supporting organisations can be found in the database of accredited/quality-labelled organisations.
Group volunteering
- can last from 2 weeks to 2 months
- is full-time (between 30 and 38 hours per week)
- you volunteer with people from at least 2 different countries
- the group will count between 10 and 40 volunteers and will include people with fewer opportunities
- it is normally abroad, but can also take place in one’s own country.
More infos https://youth.europa.eu/solidarity/young-people/volunteering_it
Below are the links to the databases for consultation: