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Do you feel you want to make a difference? Join Interreg Volunteer Youth!
The Interreg Volunteer Youth (IVY) initiative is part of the broader European Solidarity Corps Initiative launched by the European Commission and announced by President Juncker in his State of the Union Speech at the European Parliament in Strasbourg on 14 September 2016.
IVY offers the possibility to young people aged 18-30 to serve as volunteers in cross-border, transnational or interregional (so-called Interreg) programmes and related projects.
The initiative is aimed at involving young volunteers to support, promote and report the concrete achievements of Interreg programmes and projects, as well as generally promote cooperation across European borders and related values such as solidarity. IVY gives volunteers the opportunity to familiarise with the Interreg programmes and projects, make them aware of the many benefits of collaboration among EU internal borders as well as enhance their sense of European solidarity, citizenship and civic engagement. Moreover, thanks to IVY, volunteers acquire a unique experience of personal growth as well as enhancing and gaining skills that they can employ in their future experiences.
The scope and topic of each IVY experience are various and range from health to environment, from social inclusion to technology and innovation, etc.
If you are younger than 31 and older 18, and you come from a European Country or from Switzerland, Norway, Liechtenstein, Iceland, Serbia, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania or Turkey, you can become an IVY volunteer.
Volunteers coming from and Interreg Programmes and Projects located in any European Country. Since May 2019, also Interreg Programmes and Projects located in Switzerland and in some countries members of the European Economic Area (EEA), namely Norway, Liechtenstein and Iceland, as well as Pre-Accession Assistance Cross-border Co-operation Programmes (IPA-CBC II), involving Serbia, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania, and Turkey and relative citizens are eligible to take part into the initiative “Interreg Volunteer Youth”.
IVY is fully co-funded by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Regional & Urban Policy thanks to the European Regional & Development Funds (ERDF).
Although IVY is about volunteering (which is by definition an unpaid activity), AEBR financially supports all volunteers with: a daily allowance for the entire duration of the IVY placement; insurance coverage; and a partial or full travel cost reimbursement. This financial support is not a salary (in fact is a net contribution that is not taxable) but it is an essential support given to the volunteers who will most probably need to move from their home/current place to a new one and thus incurring into necessary expenses (indeed, volunteering is not a costless experience and the costs incurred by the volunteer need to be covered). In other words, the money transfer to IVY volunteers represents an essential help given the international dimension of this volunteering experience which is – as such – more costly than a standard volunteering service taking place at a local level.
Last but definitely not least, financial support is also a guarantee that all young people, including from disadvantaged backgrounds or with specific needs, who are interested in participating can participate.
Applying is very simple: register first in the European Solidarity Corps Youth Portal here and send them your reference number. If you would like to apply for a specific placement offer, let them know: if your profile fits the needs of the offer, they will be happy to share your profile with the host organization.
In case you are generally interested to participate in IVY but don’t see the perfect offer for you, contact them anyway and let them know that you would like to take part.
For more information, please visit the official web page.
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