The European Solidarity Corps is the new European Union initiative which creates opportunities for young people to volunteer or work in projects in their own country or abroad that benefit communities and people around Europe.
What is the European Solidarity Corps - Investing in Europe's youth?
The European Solidarity Corps is the new European Union initiative which creates opportunities for young people to volunteer or work in projects in their own country or abroad that benefit communities and people around Europe.
The young people who participate in the European Solidarity Corps will all agree with and uphold its Mission and Principles.
You can register for the European Solidarity Corps when you are 17 years old, but you cannot start a project until you are over 18. European Solidarity Corps projects will be available to people up to the age of 30 years old.
After completing a simple registration process, European Solidarity Corps participants could be selected and invited to join a wide range of projects, such as helping to prevent natural disasters or rebuild afterwards, assisting in centres for asylum seekers, or addressing different social issues in communities.
Projects supported by the European Solidarity Corps can last from two to twelve months. They will usually be located within the European Union Member States.
How does the European Solidarity Corps work?
The European Solidarity Corps is the pool of young people who register their interest to take part in solidarity-related projects, and who agree with and will uphold the Mission and Principles of the European Solidarity Corps.
When you register, your details will be held in the European Solidarity Corps system, and organisations will be able to search the database for people for their projects. Organisations will then ask selected participants to join these projects.
The European Commission will invite organisations to apply for funding or other support for projects which fit with the Mission and Principles of the European Solidarity Corps. After their projects are approved, these organisations will be able to access the pool of participants to select young people that could be best suited to join the project. The organisations will then contact the potential recruits and make a final choice.
All organisations will undergo checks before they are authorised to run projects for the European Solidarity Corps, and before they are allowed to search for and recruit participants for their projects.
Depending on the type of project, and your existing knowledge and experience, you may receive training from the European Solidarity Corps before starting the project.
Who can join the European Solidarity Corps?
You can register for the European Solidarity Corps when you are 17 years old, but you cannot start a project until you are over 18. You must also complete the European Solidarity Corps project before you turn 31.
Also you must be legally resident in or have the nationality of one of the European Union Member States, or of the following countries: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Turkey, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
Whilst you can join the European Solidarity Corps if you meet these criteria, some projects may have additional restrictions on ages, legal residency or nationality, depending on the type of project and how it is funded.
Registrations
If you are up for a challenge, and willing to dedicate yourself to helping other people, then join the European Solidarity Corps today!
Click the button below to start the registration process. To make the process as easy as possible, you can sign up using a social media account, or you can create an account with EU Login. Click here to join the corps now.
Picture credit: European Commission