through EVS program
Espanol
Latvie�u valoda
The volunteer wants to go abroad as volunteer. He discovers EVS and he is interested to do it . This idea grows up in his mind.
The volunteer contacts a sending organization. He discusses with a coordinator who explains what is EVS and the process, the web side www.sosforevs.org, and try to understand what the volunteer would like, who he / she is.
These first contacts are really important and help to find the good project.
Together they look through the database, send CV and motivation letter to the chosen projects, which interest the volunteer. This step can be short or really long.
There are five deadlines per year : first of February, May, June, September, November.
The preliminary agreement is signed and sent to the European Commission. The applications are filled, one by the sending organization, one by the host organization. This preparation spends three months. The volunteer is invited to participate to a pre-departure seminar. By himself, he can also begin to revise language, look through guides...
Who ? Youth between 18 and 25 years old
What ? Short term volunteering between 3 weeks and 6 months
Long term volunteering between 6 months and one year.
Field ? Ecology, Environment, Social work, Culture, Sport...
Where ? 15 member States of the European Union (EU), 3 countries in the EFTA, which are members of the EEA, 12 countries which are candidates for accession in EU.
For Third countries - Meditarranean partner countries, Commonwealth of Independant States, South Eastern Europe and Latin America, it is a little different.
During the volunteering, the volunteer will have an on-arrival seminar and a mid-term seminar. In the mid-term, he has to fill a first application, Mid-term report. In the end he has a Final report and an Annexe to the certificate. He / She will receive language training. About accomodation, he can live in a family, in a private flat with other volunteers, in a university building. Everything is paid, he receives pocket money but not enough for extra. He has two weeks for holidays per six months.
Support :
- from the host organisation : he will have a mentor and can meet him / her when he needs.
- from the sending organisation : the volunteer can send each month news to his organisation, explain problems if there is...
When the volunteer comes back, he / she has to fill another application, Final Report with his / her sending organisation. Then he will have the possibility to do a Future Capital. He has to fill it during the two years after the end of his / her EVS. There is three kinds of project :
- profesionnal activity
- one-off project
- project for personal development
He / She can also help for next pre-departure seminars, to tell about his / her experience. He can take part in his / her sending organisation's activities. Sometimes, the volunteer will have a follow-up seminar.
- http://www.sosforevs.org
This is the database about EVS. You can find everything about all the EVS projects., short and long term and the applications. The web side is in English and in French.
- http://europa.eu.int/comm/education/youth
This is the webside of the European Union. If you don't arrive to join it directly, you need to go to institution, click to COMMission. After you click to EDUCATION and formation and then click to YOUTH. You will find also information about
- Socrates (Erasmus, Comelius...)
- Leonardo da Vinci
- Youth Program : actions 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. EVS is a part of the third action.