Take part in the Interreg Volunteer Youth Initiative
Do you need some support with your project implementation and communication activities? You can apply to host a young, motivated volunteer for two to six months.
Part of the European Solidarity Corps Initiative of the European Commission, the Interreg Volunteer Youth (IVY) Initiative gives young Europeans a chance to volunteer in cross-border, transnational or interregional programmes and related projects.
What do Interreg Europe projects have to say about IVY?
Between October 2017 and February 2018, four Interreg Europe projects joined the initiative and hosted volunteers: REBUS, ZEROCO2, SOCIAL SEEDS and ClusterFY. We also got involved and hosted our first IVY volunteer, Pauline. According to her, “an Interreg Volunteer benefits from a specific status: they have more freedom to develop new creative modes of communication and disseminate information, targeting new groups and stakeholders such as schools and universities."
The volunteers took on a variety of tasks such as writings news for the project website, preparing advertising materials, helping with social media and participating in national events and workshops.
Maria Giovanna Lecce from CRE:HUB told us that their Hungarian partners had a great experience: ‘It was good to channel new ideas and bring a different approach into our projects and daily work.’
What advice do they have for others wanting to host a volunteer?
Rima Dijkstra, ClusterFY’s Project Coordinator, said: ‘It is very important to evaluate the experience of the volunteer, their skills and other capabilities.’
The Interreg Europe projects suggested to:
- Create a list of tasks for the volunteer;
- Give them deadlines in advance;
- Find out what they want to get out of their experience;
- Find out what their interests are;
- Give them constructive feedback on their work;
- Ask them for feedback as well;
- And most importantly, be open-minded to new ideas.
Interested in hosting a volunteer?
Joining the initiative is easy; everything is available on the Interreg Youth website.
Projects can apply to host volunteers by submitting a note outlining their requirements. They also need approval from the programme. So in case you plan to join the action, please get in contact with us as well.
The Association of European Border Regions will help you pre-select suitable candidates. They will also prepare the volunteers for their placement with information and a pre-departure training.
Go ahead. Make a difference in some young Europeans’ lives and join the initiative now!