European Solidarity Corps

What is it about?

The European Solidarity Corps (ESC) is a European Union initiative that provides opportunities for young people between the ages of 18 and 30 to volunteer or participate in projects in the solidarity sector, in their own country, in another European Union country, or abroad. Under the slogan "Unity is strength", the program aims to respond to social and humanitarian challenges, build a more inclusive society and offer an experience that inspires and empowers young people.

Volunteering is an unpaid solidarity activity, which is carried out for a period of up to 12 months. It provides young people with the opportunity to contribute to the daily work of organizations in activities that have an impact on the well-being of the communities where they are carried out.

At the European Solidarity Corps portal, young people can indicate their preferences, search for projects of interest to them and contact the organizations to be invited to take part in one of their projects.

You can register for the CES from the age of 17, but you will not be able to participate in a project until you reach the age of majority. People who wish to participate in these activities must register in the European Solidarity Corps portal. This portal facilitates the meeting between young people and subsidized organizations for the realization of activities.

More information and registration!

Individual volunteering

Individual volunteering can be carried out in the participant's own country of residence or in another country. Furthermore, it allows young people to acquire experience, skills and competences for their personal, educational, social, civic and professional development, exercising an active citizenship.

The young volunteers do not receive a salary, but all expenses related to their voluntary service are covered by the programme (travel, accommodation, maintenance, training, insurance), and they receive a monthly allowance for living expenses.

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ESC Short-term

Short-term volunteering allows you to contribute to the daily work of an active local organisation. This type of stay allows you to discover for a short period of time the work carried out by organisations in other places and to offer them support. What's more, if you have enjoyed the experience, this option allows you to repeat it for up to 1 year!

Duration: between 2 weeks and 59 days

Timetable: between 30 and 35 hours per week

Age: 18 - 30 years old

Modality: transfer and in country (in one's own country)

Web page

More information

ESC Long-term

Long-term volunteering allows you to discover first-hand the work carried out by other organisations and become more involved in their work. In addition, you will have the opportunity to get to know the social and cultural reality of the host country better.

Duration: between 59 and 365 days

Timetable: between 30 and 35 hours per week

Age: 18 - 30 years old

Modality: cross-border and in country (in the same country)

Projects

Volunteering in a team

If you are not able to make a long-term commitment, but you want to help the community, you have the option of volunteering in a team:

It can last between 2 weeks and 2 months.
It is done full time (from 30 to 38 hours a week).
It is carried out with other people from at least 2 different countries.
The group can have between 10 and 40 participants and can include people with fewer opportunities.
It can take place abroad, but you can also do it in your own country.

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How to participate?

If you are from any EU or participant country and you are beetween 18 and 30 years old, you can apply to one of our projects:

STEP 1: Enroll in ESC website (as a young person) and follow the instructions: http://youth.europa.eu/solidarity_en

STEP 2: Choose your project in the Placement Administration and Support System (PASS). You will see the link below each project.

STEP 3: Fill in the Google Form selecting the project and also the date for the interview in Calendly Link (inside Google Form): http://forms.gle/YpoL96JGTKogXWkWA

Long term (12 months) - 365 days

Short term (59 days)

STEP 4: If you have been selected we will contact you and your sending organisation.

More information and registration!

Witnesses

Héctor - 26 years old

I work as a European volunteer at Good Energies Alliance Ireland (GEAI), a non-profit organization located in the North West of the Republic of Ireland. The NGO is focused on climate action, ecological sustainability and biodiversity.

Hacer - 24 years old

I am one of the international volunteers in Turkey. Here I participate in two different projects. One of them is La Tribu. I help boys and girls with their homework. And the other, I'm at the Mercè Lleixà Library in Roquetes. I receive books, check them into the system, put them on related shelves, etc. And lastly, I am also doing English speaking meetings with local people.

Morgane

I come from France. After finishing my art history studies, I wanted to go abroad for a new experience. Volunteering at ESC is perfect because it allows me to discover a country and its culture, meet new people, learn languages and feel useful. I am a volunteer with the Acacia-Arrels Organization. My mission is to look after children and teenagers after school, for example by helping them with their homework or organizing activities with them.

Ebru

I am Kurdish and I am participating in a volunteer project to meet different people, cultures and languages. Currently, I am involved in organic agriculture studies at Torre de Sant Antoni in Jesús (Tortosa) and Brot del Sud. There is a magnificent nature! Being here has already given me a lot.

Llorenç - 28 years old

I am a European volunteer in Denmark, at a school where students from all over the world spend a stay learning different subjects such as art, ceramics, music, gardening, building sustainable houses, etc. As a volunteer I have different tasks: gardening and permaculture projects, I support the school's team of teachers and, in short, I live and share time every week with students in all those necessary matters. It is a very enriching experience!

Benjamin

I'm from Germany, I'm doing a gap year after school to live a new life experience and meet new people. I also want to learn about a new culture and support people. For this reason ESC is perfect for me. I volunteer for Cáritas Interparroquial de Tortosa. I help sort second-hand clothes and with community meals, among others. I am constantly interacting with people, which helps me learn the language and their culture. I was looking forward to this experience!

Ayesha

This year I started my internship at Obre't Ebre. My main tasks as an administrative assistant are to offer support to the various Obre't Ebre projects such as Entre Mots, European Solidarity Corps, TLN or KA2. I carry out different tasks, of all kinds: filing documents, registering, keeping track of invoices, customer service... My experience is being very positive because I'm learning a lot about the administrative field. I look forward to learning many more!

Daniel

In the youth exchange there is a lot of bonding with the other participants, since we work with the same purpose and purpose. We interact with everyone through the activities that the association organizes for us, and this and having a proactive attitude means that we discover that we have many things in common.