European Solidarity Corps: volunteering in the European Union - Main contents

The new European Solidarity Corps will be presented today, 18 June, in Viana do Castelo, at an event with an audience of young people. It is expected to bring new opportunities for broadening horizons and acquiring skills.

Previously known as the European Volunteer Service (EVS), the European Union volunteering programme is now known as the European Solidarity Corps and has been supplemented, as the name indicates, with a focus on the social area. In fact, the Multiannual Financial Framework 2021-2027 provides funding for this programme in the areas of volunteering and local solidarity projects.

Young people aged between 18 and 30 can volunteer for community projects in their own country or in foreign countries. The list of projects and areas is diverse and can go from education and training, citizenship and democratic participation to environmental and nature protection, migration and culture, and much more.

The projects can last up to 12 months. The European Solidarity Corps allows young people to volunteer for more than one project, provided that the total time on the programme is not more than 12 months. This means that young people who want to volunteer for shorter projects, up to two months, can then register for another longer project, but one that does not exceed ten months.

At the end of the experience, the young people will be given a “Youthpass”, a document explaining the activities carried out while volunteering, showing the skills acquired by the volunteers and reflecting their learning process. The goal is to allow the participants to become aware of the skills they have acquired and that they will be able to put to good use in the future.

All those interested can apply directly via the European Solidarity Corps page. Also available is a long list of youth associations in the different countries in the European Union, which could help them to gain experience tailored to their needs and desires.

More about this programme here. To register on the European Solidarity Corps Portal, click here.