Support to young volunteers

The European Solidarity Corps aims to be accessible to all. Therefore, one of the programme’s guiding principles is that participation should come at no cost to participants, barring a small contribution to travel costs. Accommodation, meals, complementary insurance, pocket money and language training are all provided through the programme. 

Inclusion and diversity is one of the main priorities of the European Solidarity Corps programme. As such, several measures are in place specifically to support inclusion of young people with fewer opportunities. First of all, an organisation’s ability and willingness to support young people with fewer opportunities is one of the criteria used to assess an organisation’s application for participation in the programme and to distribute funding. Secondly, extra funding is awarded to projects that provide opportunities for young people with fewer opportunities to participate. The extra funding can be used to provide materials and/or guidance that will foster participation on an equal level. Thirdly, the National Agency provides a wide array of (international) tools and trainings to help organisations develop more inclusive projects.

So far, these measures appear to be successful: about half of all activities funded by the Dutch National Agency are carried out by young people with fewer opportunities.

Community building

All European Solidarity Corps volunteers receive guidance from a mentor who helps them integrate in the local community. Additionally, they receive online or in-person language training. 

The Dutch National Agency for the European Solidarity Corps supports the EuroPeers network. All past participants of the European Solidarity Corps may apply to become a member of this network which supports promotion and awareness-building of the possibilities of the Erasmus+ Youth and European Solidarity Corps programmes. With the support of the National Agency, EuroPeers visit schools, hold and attend events and are active on social media. EuroPeers receive regular training to further develop their skills.

Tackling societal challenges

Since solidarity is a core value of the European Solidarity Corps, many projects contribute to solidarity with groups at risk of marginalisation, such as the elderly, individuals with fewer opportunities, etc. Applications to the European Solidarity Corps are assessed against their contribution to the programme’s values and their potential community impact. 

Since sustainability is one of the programme’s priorities, specific measures are put in place to support projects in addressing climate change and environmental challenges. A project’s potential to contribute to this priority is one of the criteria used to assess applications and to distribute funding. Secondly, the programme offers an increased green travel grant to all participants who opt for sustainable transportation methods to travel to their activity. Lastly, the National Agency provides a wide array of (international) tools and trainings to help organisations develop more sustainable projects.