European Solidarity Corps
The European Solidarity Corps is a recent programme that replaced the European Voluntary Service and, in addition to including volunteer opportunities, it also offers paid internship and jobs opportunities at national and international levels.
The quality of the projects is very high since the sending and hosting organisation have quality label issued by the National Agency of the country where they operate. The hosting organisations are based in different places, from cities to rural areas, which makes it possible to do a volunteer project in different contexts, such as in farms, schools, homes, refugee centers, associations, among others. These opportunities also allow to improve or learn a new language and develop soft and hard skills.
More Details
Requirements and Types of Volunteering
The volunteering projects of the European Solidarity Corps are aimed at young people between 18 and 30 years old and are divided into two groups — Team Volunteering and Individual Volunteering.
Team Volunteering brings together 10 to 40 young people of different nationalities in one country, where they engage in various volunteering activities. These volunteering projects typically last between 2 weeks and 2 months and, to some extent, are similar to short-term projects, as volunteers live in an international and highly active environment.
Individual Volunteering has a duration of 2 to 12 months, making it a long-term project. Although there may be other volunteers in the association, individual volunteers will have more responsibilities and the opportunity to develop new skills and professional knowledge.
Destinations
The volunteering programs carried out through the European Solidarity Corps can take place in Member States of the European Union, as well as in countries such as North Macedonia, Turkey, Liechtenstein, Iceland, Norway, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, Serbia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine, Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Israel, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Syria, Tunisia, and Russia.
Support
The European Solidarity Corps provides full financial support to individuals participating in volunteering programs. One of the supports includes covering transportation from the home country to the volunteering location. During the stay, the organization is responsible for ensuring accommodation, meals, and transportation, which can be facilitated through a monetary allowance. The program also provides volunteers with pocket money, a daily amount determined by the cost of living in the destination country, aimed at covering extra expenses.
Application
To access all information on the European Solidarity Corps platform, it is necessary to create an account and start searching for opportunities. On their platform, you can explore all available placements. Hosting organizations also have access to the profiles of registered volunteers and can reach out if a volunteer’s profile aligns with the requirements they are seeking.
The ESC platform also features contests that all young people can apply for, even if they are not currently engaged in a project. This means everyone can actively participate in the European Solidarity Corps community. Some of the contests include t-shirt design, photography, poetry, among many others!
If you identify an organization where you would like to undertake an ESC volunteer project, but they currently have no available placements, we recommend reaching out to them. They may be able to submit an application to host you as a volunteer.