European Solidarity Corps

Volunteering projects answer to societal needs and strengthen local communities. At the same time, young people who decide to volunteer in their own country or abroad gain the opportunity to develop their personal and professional skills and competences. Interested youngsters aged between 18 and 30 can volunteer within the Corps after registering in the European Solidarity Corps database. Project activities can last from 2 weeks to 12 months and volunteering can be done individually or in a group.

Volunteering offers a possibility of non-formal and intercultural learning and especially encourages the inclusion of young people with fewer opportunities. Volunteering activities are structured, and the hosting organisations are obliged to offer support to the volunteer during the whole period. Besides, travel costs, food, accommodation, insurance and pocket money for the volunteers are covered by the project budget.

Volunteering projects can be implemented by non-profits, NGOs, associations, public bodies on a local, regional or national level and social enterprises.

Traineeship and job projects within the European Solidarity Corps offer young people the opportunity to gain relevant work experience and develop their skills and competences which ultimately increases their employability and facilitates the transition into the world of work. Meanwhile these projects develop their social awareness and add to the solution of important and current societal challenges. Although activities can be implemented in various fields and include many different professions, it is crucial that the type and scope of activity are directed towards achieving a common good and serving others. Traineeship activities can last between 2 and 6 months, while job activities can last from 3 to 12 months.

Long-term volunteers from the European Solidarity Corps program propose a great contribution to our organization, and our activities. “Make a Change” is a volunteering project co-financed through the European Solidarity Corps program through which 4 young people from Europe will join Outward Bound Croatia from January to December 2021. The volunteers will help in the preparation and implementation of educational courses for children and youth, they’ll learn more about using social media to gain visibility and how to develop and implement community projects.

The goal of the project is to include and empower youngsters with fewer opportunities, who will join as volunteers, and to develop their key competences for lifelong learning. As part of the project, we'll promote volunteering opportunities to youngsters all over Croatia in workshops in high schools.

The application deadline is the 1st of November 2020. You can apply if you’re aged between 18 and 30 and a resident of the EU.

Have a look at our infoletter to find out more details about the project!

After successfully implementing the ESC project Job Opportunity in OBC and employing two new co-workers in Outward Bound Croatia, we decided to enrich our team with another new employee. Thanks to a Job project within the European Solidarity Corps program, we can do that for 12 months.

In times of global crisis and change, solidarity is more important than ever.

By growing the capacity of our organization, we can empower an even larger number of youngsters from Croatia and abroad through our activities of non-formal education and outdoor experiential learning. We’re devoted to catering to the needs of children and youth with fewer opportunities and who find themselves at risk of further marginalization.

Kora started her project in May 2020 when she joined our Project Department in Zagreb. Since then, she works on designing and writing project proposals to help raise funds for our activities for children and youth. She also implements these activities on international youth projects in our educational center in Veliki Žitnik and spreads the word about youth mobility and experiential learning through workshops for youngsters and youth workers around Croatia.

Apart from helping to achieve the mission of Outward Bound and the European Solidarity Corps, Kora will have the opportunity to develop her own competences and gain valuable working experience in an international team of a non-profit organization.

“Growing through Solidarity”
Long-term volunteering ESC in Zagreb January-December 2020.

The long-term project “Growing through Solidarity” is held in Zagreb, Croatia from January to December 2020. The project aims to provide equal and better opportunities for learning and growing for motivated young volunteers from various backgrounds.

We believe that the best way to promote solidarity is by involving international volunteers in our projects, where they can directly be promoters of the positive effects of youth mobility and become active members of the community after their return back home. This project involves 4 volunteers – 3 volunteers from Spain and 1 volunteer from Portugal aged 22 to 25, facing fewer opportunities or belonging to the NEET category. No previous education or experience has been required, the motivation and will to contribute to the community was the key.

The volunteers are also going get the opportunity to leave their trace in the OBC Educational center through preparation and implementation of the new expedition season while both working in the OBC office in Zagreb and in the Educational center. They are going to learn about the youth work methods and importance of non-formal education, they will also learn to live and work in a multicultural and multilingual environment, become independent, but also effective team members, improve their language skills, become better leaders, improve their problem solving skills and develop a stronger connection with the environment.

We are looking forward to getting to know this new generation!

“Volunteering in Lika Summer 2020” – 17.-30. August 2020

The short-term ESC camp will take place in Outward Bound’s educational center in Veliki Žitnik, in the rural region of Lika, Croatia, from the 17^th until the 30^th of August 2020.

The camp will include 21 participants aged 18-30, particularly youth with fewer opportunities coming from Croatia, Ukraine, Italy, Germany, and Bulgaria. Interested volunteers from other EU and partner countries are also welcomed to apply!

This project is a continuation of previous summer volunteering camps in Lika that OBC has been implementing since 2015. By collaborating with other local organizations, we’ve contributed greatly to raising the quality and culture of living in this very remote and rural community.

Have a look at some of the previous volunteering camps we’ve implemented:

“Lika Summer Volunteering camp” in 2019

“Leave Your Trace” in 2018

“Rhythms of Nature” in 2017

“Build up!” in 2016

The main aim of the camp is to create a learning space for the volunteers in an outdoor environment where they will be able to explore their own skills and develop their competencies while engaging in activities that serve the community and the environment.

During the two weeks of the project, the volunteers will raise their own and the community’s awareness of the importance of environmental protection, proper waste-management, and healthy living habits. The volunteers will live and work together in an international environment and thus develop their communication, team-work, organizational, and leadership skills.

To learn more about the project, have a look at the info-letter!

…or write us at esc@outwardboundcroatia.com

“Let’s grow together” – new chance for short term volunteering 1.-14.8.2020

Even though our plans for Spring got all cancelled, we are not giving up on our ideas to provide learning opportunities for motivated youngsters, so we have new dates for our already announced project!

The short-term project “Let’s grow together” will take place in Veliki Žitnik, Croatia from the 1st to the 14th of August 2020 and will gather 15 young volunteers from different European countries. The project will include youngsters with fewer opportunities and give them a chance to develop various skills and competences, primarily their handicraft skills, intercultural skills, solidarity, and active citizenship. The project meets the hot topic in the whole world – SOLIDARITY - by implementing various community service actions with local action groups and NGOs.

During the two weeks in Veliki Žitnik, the volunteers are going to do various activities including helping with the reconstruction of the rehabilitation center. They will also engage in activities to protect and clean the natural environment of Veliki Žitnik - cleaning river banks, forest paths and helping with the promotion of the area in the field of active tourism.

The volunteers will also get the opportunity to leave their trace in the OBC educational center by preparing the delayed, but still planned expedition season - they will learn valuable skills such as handicraft and woodwork and which they will use to design and construct an outdoor equipment facility that will serve future participants of OBC's outdoor education programs.

Take a look at the detailed info-letter!

ESS “Job opportunity in OBC” 1.8.2019 – 31.7.2020

The ESC project “Job opportunity in OBC” is the first project of this kind OBC implements. Follow-ing a 6-month traineeship period with us, this project was created for two young people from Croatia to start full-time employment in our organization. Our new employees are working with the OBC team in our office in Zagreb, while the fieldwork with children and youth and communi-ty activities are held in our educational center in Veliki Žitnik.

The goal of the project is to provide the opportunity to the participants to start their careers in the non-profit sector and to be able to use the skills they learned during the 6 months train-eeship. Working with OBC means being involved in the community. Our employees in this ESC project are creating opportunities for children and youth, especially from disadvantaged back-grounds, to discover their potential and gain new skills and competences, promoting non-formal and outdoor education, volunteering and solidarity.

“The Fruit o Solidarity” – 15. 10. - 28. 10. 2020

The short-term volunteering project “The Fruit of Solidarity” will take place in Outward Bound Croatia’s education center in Veliki Žitnik (week 1) and in Sumartin on Brač island (week 2). From the 15th to the 28th of October, 20 volunteers aged 18 to 30 from various EU countries will gather for two weeks of intercultural learning, volunteering and expressing solidarity with the local community.

The project will include youngsters with fewer opportunities and give them a chance to develop various skills and competencies, primarily their intercultural skills, solidarity, and active citizenship. The volunteers will help local families in their farming work and experience rural life and immersion with nature in two small secluded Croatian communities.

The volunteers will engage in activities such as the harvest of apples, rebuilding drystone walls, and learning about the maritime tradition in Sumartin. They will also implement activities to protect and clean the natural environment of Veliki Žitnik and Sumartin - cleaning riverbanks, forest paths, and beaches.

Find out more about the project and how to apply in the info-letteru!

Winter Language ESC

The short-term Winter Language ESC will take place in Veliki Žitnik, in the rural region of Lika, Croatia, from the 18 th of November to the 1 st of December, 2019.

This volunteering is funded by the EU and will gather 18 youngsters aged 18-30 from Greece, Slovakia, Italy, Latvia, Bulgaria and Lithuania.

Volunteers will use non-formal and informal learning methods to plan, develop and organise 4 English lessons implemented in the local primary school, showing the importance of active involvement. They’ll also take part in community service, helping the locals in their everyday needs (cutting wood, cleaning the snow, yards....).

They will as well prepare the OBC educational center for the winter and make some creativity work around there. This will help them improve their language skills of course, but also they’ll work on communication, teambuilding, organization, creativity… All of these while meeting people from all over Europe!

Come and join us for an amazing experience!

More info and application: evs@outwardboundcroatia.com.

Outward Bound in Sumartin

The project “Outward Bound in Sumartin” will take place from 14th to 27th October in Sumartin on Brač island and include 16 volunteers aged 18 to 30 from Croatia, Spain, Italy and Greece.

The main aim of the project is to explore sustainable ways of living for the island community which the volunteers will be able to transfer and implement in their own home-communities. The project will promote environmental awareness, sustainability, solidarity, volunteering, and intercultural understanding.

The volunteers will engage in various actions. They will organise ecological actions and clean beaches and bays on the island from (plastic) waste. They will engage with the local community and learn about the traditional arts and crafts on the island, such as stone-masonry and ship-building. They will also work together with the locals in the shipyard and learn about building, maintaining and restoring traditional wooden vessels and what role the maritime tradition and heritage plays for the locals on the island. In the end of the project, they will prepare a tool-fair on the riviera to present and promote the European Solidarity Corps among the locals.

Short-term ESC “Lika Summer Volunteering Camp“ 12-25th August 2019

20 young people aged 18 to 30 from Italy, Spain, Greece, Latvia and Croatia will have the oportunity to spend two weeks in Veliki Žitnik, a small village in the rural region of Lika close to city of Gospić, in Outward Bound Croatia's educational center. The project is funded through the European Solidarity Corps program with the goal of acquiring new sets of skills and competences for the volunteers through ecological, social and hands-on activities that serve the community.

The volunteers will help the local community in varous different ways as well as work in the OB educational center to improve it for future generations of participants. The volunteers will have environmental actions in the local park-forest and on the river Lika, help out the villagers and organise activities according to the needs of the community. They will also learn to work with tools and help build storage place and a outdoor washing station for the center.

Short term ESC “2CV volunteering project”

Thirty young volunteers from Slovenia, Netherlands, Croatia, Finland, United Kingdom, Belgium, France, Italy and Germany will gather in Samobor from 18^th July to 15^th August 2019 for a volunteering project of the European solidarity corps that is all about gaining valuable international and intercultural organization, planning, communication and other skills while organizing and implementing the world meeting of Citroën 2CV friends.

Volunteers will as well develop their skills and abilities in topics as creativity, culture, citizenship, democratic participation and social challenges – as the priority will be given to youth with fewer opportunities (social, economical or geographical obstacles). Volunteers will be 18 to 30 years old, with no necessary previous experiences or education, since only the motivation to learn and the will to contribute to a community and are the main requirements for participation in the biggest event that the town of Samobor has ever hosted.

Be fast and apply to become part of this unseen event!

More information and the application process can be found here: https://europa.eu/youth/solidarity/placement/12810_en

Outward Bound opportunity for growth – ESC traineeship 1.2. - 31.7.2019

„Outward Bound opportunity for growth“ is an innovative project insofar that it is the first time we're opening a traineeship opportunity for two young people from Croatia motivated to learn more about work in a non-formal and outdoor education NGO. This traineeship project is part of the new European Solidarity Corps program and thus fosters the trainees' engagement in and with the community.

This 6-month paid traineeship is going to serve as an opportunity for two youngsters to develop their personal, professional and social skills. By working in OBC they will increase their awareness on the importance of solidarity as a value upon which the European society is build. The trainees are going to develop skills connected to project management and organisation and implementation of non-formal and outdoor education activities for youth as well as develop a range of other competences which they will be able to use for their own and their community's benefit.

Short term ESC “Volunteering at CU’FUS”

This volunteering opportunity for 10 youngsters from Italy, Spain and France took place from 6th till 20th of May 2019 in the picturesque town of Samobor as part of the European solidarity corps programme.

Volunteers were a big part of the famous CU’FUS circus street festival by managing different tasks like preparing, organizing and implementing the festival activities around Samobor. The festival itself took place from 17th till 19th of May. Tasks included logistics, promotion, media reports, filming and photographing during festival and leading activities during the festival. Volunteers developed their digital skills, communication, team work, time management and planning, cultural awareness and creativity and made the festival as successful as it always was!

Short-term ESC „Navigating tradition – building experiences“: 25.3. – 14.4.2019

Navigating tradition – building experiences is our first European Solidarity Corps volunteering project. The project is going to include 20 youngsters with fewer opportunities aged 18-30 from Spain, Italy, Greece, Poland and Croatia. It is innovative also because it will be made up of two phases on two different locations: the first two weeks will be spent in the OBC educational center in Veliki Žitnik, while in the third week they will move to Sumartin on Brač island.

While the project's focus is on finding sustainable ways of developing those two communities and intercultural and intergenerational sharing of knowledge, the volunteers themselves are also going to acquire numerous skills, such as handicraft, woodwork and knowledge about traditional maritime skills, as well as develop several competences for life-long learning. Through environmental actions in both communities, they will also raise their awareness of the importance of nature protection and waste reduction.

The first two weeks in Veliki Žitnik will be dedicated to woodwork with hand-tools and electrical tools, which the volunteers will use to build furniture for the Outward Bound center. In the third week of the activity, in Sumartin, they will work on restoring a traditional wooden vessel and cleaning the beaches and bays of the island of plastic pollution from the sea. During that week they will interact with the locals and learn about the specific challenges of their communities: how to traditional trades from the growing influence of mass-industrialization and mass-tourism and how to provide opportunities that will keep the young from emigrating.

Etienne

Hello, I’m Etienne! I am 25 years old, and I am from Brive, a little town in the south-west of France. After completing my studies in Law and Political Sciences, I wanted to discover some other ways of living and cultures, so my first station in the world was Tunisia. I spent the last year in Tunisia where I organized some workshops about human rights and democracy for youngsters in high schools and universities.

So, I decided to continue the adventure in Zagreb. I see this as an opportunity to exchange knowledge, work, and experiences with interesting people and develop my own competencies. Also, the ESC program is interesting because it creates links between people from different backgrounds and countries - and I am looking for exactly that. For me, the most important thing in any kind of activity or job is the intensity of human relations, which is what I'm looking forward to in this ESC experience.

Katariina

Moi! Bok! My name is Katariina, I’m 26, and I come from Espoo, Finland. I recently finished my bachelor’s degree in Cultural Studies in the Netherlands and am now starting a new chapter in my life in Zagreb as an ESC volunteer for Outward Bound Croatia.

I’m interested in many things like the arts, culture, politics, and societal issues. Nature and environmental protection are important to me, which is why I’m happy I found this volunteering opportunity at OBC! I’m looking forward to learning about the ideas and pedagogy of Outward Bound and what it’s like to manage a non-profit organization. Of course, I’m very much looking forward to trying out many new outdoor activities here in Croatia!

During the 11 months that I’ll be staying in Zagreb, I wish to develop my personal and professional skills and to have a positive impact on society by volunteering at OBC. I’m sure this experience will be valuable for me, and I am excited to see what this year has to offer!

Violetta (Estonija)

Hello! Tere! Привет! My name is Violetta, I’m 19 years old, and I come from Estonia.

Last year I graduated from a vocational school, the chef profession. However, instead of cooking, I decided to come to Croatia to conquer the mountains and culture.

I have traveled a lot with the Erasmus+ program in Europe and finally got to the Balkan Peninsula. Together with Outward Bound Croatia, I will practically develop my personal, social, and professional skills. I will learn to find modern solutions for contemporary problems.

Gagik

I’m Gagik, 23 years old, from Yerevan, Armenia, and I’m an ESC volunteer for Outward Bound Croatia! I have a bachelor’s degree in International Relations, and I worked for different NGOs in Yerevan before coming to Croatia.

Currently, I’m also active as a communications officer in the Youth and Environment Europe (YEE) network and as a Young European Ambassador in the EU Neighbours East project. The reason I’ve come to Zagreb and joined Outward Bound Croatia is to some rest from the online world and get closer to nature. Also, I wanted to and get out of my comfort zone because I firmly believe in a saying that OBC loves: Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.

„Play, teach and learn“
– A 1-year-volunteering project in Leipzig

Ema (25) decided to join the European Solidarity Corps program after finishing her university studies in pedagogy. She decided to spend 12 months volunteering in Germany to develop her competencies.

The project she has joined is called “Play, teach and learn” and is coordinated by the NGO FAIRbund e.V. Ema volunteers in the “BuchKindergarten” where she assists the staff in their daily work with the kids while also implementing her own ideas through educational activities. The kindergarten she volunteers in focuses on enhancing early education through the children’s interaction with literature, texts, images, and children’s books.

To help her get used to the new environment, the hosting organization has provided Ema with a mentor, and she also takes part in online-German lessons. Although the pandemic has also impacted the kindergarten’s daily work, volunteering with the European Solidarity Corps has offered her the opportunity for personal and professional development and, most of all, a new intercultural experience.

„Balontariado“ – A 6-months volunteering project in Jaca, Spain

After graduating from her psychology studies, Mirna (27) was looking for a volunteering opportunity abroad that would allow her to explore her professional interests, particularly in sports psychology. She was also motivated to practice the skills she gained from her university studies and experience living immersed in another culture. Despite the pandemic, she decided to join the ESC project Balontariado, hosted by the basketball club CB Jaca in the Aragón region in Spain.

Mirna's responsibility in the organization is to assist the coaches and plan activities for the youngsters during and after the basketball training. On weekends, she joins them on their matches, helps with the COVID protocol, takes pictures. Afterward, together with the other volunteer on the project, Pierre from France, they create content for their blog in Spanish. Once per week, they join a language course, and they additionally practice Spanish with help of the OLS platform, granted to them through the European Solidarity Course program.

Mirna says Jaca is a touristic place and a heaven for nature lovers, with many hiking opportunities and other outdoor activities close in the Pyrenees. She is most interested in rock climbing.

While, of course, the global pandemic is not over yet, everyone still has to wear face masks all the time, even out in the open. This is the most difficult for the youngsters who have to wear them during their basketball training and matches. Luckily, Jaca is surrounded by nature full of hiking routes where you don't have to wear a mask.