European Voluntary Service (EVS) is a fully funded Erasmus+ Youth Programme.
Volunteering through EVS could provide you with a real-life international learning experience. You’d learn to get on with a mixed group and gain valuable work experience in a challenging environment, which could help you when you’re looking for a job. You’d have the great experience of working alongside young people from other countries, too – it’s an aim of EVS to encourage tolerance, active citizenship and mutual understanding.
It’s designed to encourage 17-30 year olds who might otherwise not be able to afford to volunteer to undertake long or short term volunteering in Europe by ensuring that your travel, food accommodation, medical insurance and pocket money is covered. Find out more about EVS funding.
The projects are unpaid and, importantly, volunteers do not replace paid workers or financially profit the hosting organization. The Long Term EVS Programme offers projects of between 6 and 12 months. There is also a Short Term EVS Programme, with projects of between 2 weeks and six months, designed as an introduction to volunteering for those who don’t have the opportunities most of us do.
To apply for either long or short term EVS projects, you must be between 17 and 30 years old. Volunteering through EVS could provide you with a real-life international learning experience. You’d learn to get on with a mixed group and gain valuable work experience in a challenging environment, which could help you when you’re looking for a job. You’d have the great experience of working alongside young people from other countries, too – it’s an aim of EVS to encourage tolerance, active citizenship and mutual understanding. You could be working in…
– Conservation (wildlife, environment, renovation, gardening, agriculture)
– Health (drugs/alcohol, HIV education, care work)
– The social field (children, adults, older people, special needs, learning difficulties, physical difficulties, support for refugees, homeless people)
– The arts (arts/crafts, theatre, media, festival)
Yaşar University is a sending organization for both its own students and also for the youth from Izmir. Yaşar University organizes periodical informatory seminars about EVS.
Do I Need to Pay for Becoming an EVS Volunteer?
To become an EVS volunteer, you don’t pay any fees. EVS will provide you the following:
– Some portion of the travel expenses
– Accommodation in the country where you will have your EVS
– 3 meals a day, or price for the meals
– Some pocket money for your minor needs (The amount varies according to the country; approximately 80-150€)
– Language course of the country you are visiting
When Can I Apply?
You can apply to EVS as a volunteer whenever you wish. However, there is a dual application process for the sending institution, therefor, there are some deadlines which you have to keep in mind. These deadlines are February 4th, April 30th, and October 1st. For more detailed information, you can review the “How Can I Apply” section.
– The projects with the deadline of February 4th, 2015 is for the EVS which begins between May 1st – September 30st, 2015
– The projects with the deadline of April 30th, 2015 is for the EVS which begins between August 1st – December 31st, 2015
– The projects with the deadline of October 1st, 2015 is for the EVS which begins between January 1st – May 31st, 2016