European Voluntary Service (EVS)

Deadline: 1st February, 1st April, 1st June, 1st September and 1st November
Open to: young people between 18 and 30 years
Duration: up to 12 months

What is it?

European Voluntary Service (EVS) is part of the Youth in Action Programm. Its main aim is to develop solidarity and to promote active citizenship and mutual understanding among young people.
The European Voluntary Service enables young people to carry out voluntary service for up to 12 months in a country other than their country of residence. It fosters solidarity among young people and is a true ‘learning service’. Beyond benefiting local communities, volunteers learn new skills and languages, and discover other cultures.
An EVS project can focus on a variety of themes and areas of intervention, such as culture, youth, sports, social care, cultural heritage, arts, civil protection, environment, development cooperation, etc. High-risk interventions in immediate post-crisis situations (e.g. humanitarian aid, immediate disaster relief, etc.) are excluded.

Who can apply?

The EVS is open to young people between 18 and 30 years. This means that volunteers have to be between 18 and 30 years old at the beginning of their voluntary activity. Flexibility can be applied to the lower age limit – young people with fewer opportunities may participate as from the age of 16.
To be eligible you have to have legal resident permit in your sending organization country.

Duration?

Up to 12 months.

Where can I go?

Programme Countries

Austria Belgium Bulgaria Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France	Germany Greece Hungary Ireland Italy Latvia Lithuania Luxembourg Malta	Netherlands Poland Portugal Romania Slovak Republic Slovenia Spain Sweden United Kingdom
Iceland	Liechtenstein	Norway
Turkey

Neighbouring Partner countries:

South East Europe	Eastern Europe and Caucasus	Mediterranean Partner Countries
Albania Bosnia and Herzegovina Croatia Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) Montenegro Serbia**	Armenia Azerbaijan Belarus Georgia Moldova Russian Federation Ukraine	Algeria Egypt Israel Jordan Lebanon Morocco Palestinian Authority of the West Bank and Gaza Strip Syria Tunisi

The European Voluntary Service concerns almost all countries of the world. But there are some rules and conventions as to who can go where. For more information, consult the EVS Guide.

Deadlines

Each year there are five deadlines:
* 1st February
* 1st April
* 1st June
* 1st September
* 1st November
The activity should be timed to begin three months after the application deadline. As previously mentioned these deadlines are not applicable for short term EVS.

Procedure

EVS is made up of a three way partnership: the hosting organisation, where the young person spends the voluntary service working, the volunteer themselves and the sending organisation, which is an organisation which helps the volunteer to prepare before leaving the country.
The sending organisation should be non-profit making and have accreditation with the National Agency.
1st step:
Find a sending organization. The national agencies, and the different SALTO support centers can provide you with the list of sending organisations from your region.
2nd step:
Based on your competencies and wishes you’ll found –with the support of your sending organization – out which theme would be good for an EVS project for you, which place, when it would be good to start a project, and how long the activity can last.  You will look together to find a hosting organization. You can find all all projects in the European Database on EVS.
From this moment, you’ll work in a trio: your sending organization, the host organization and you as volunteer.
Within this partnership, you’ll make agreements about:
• Accommodation, meals
• Tasks, responsabilities in the volunteer work, free time possibilities,…
• Pocket money
• Language learning and on-arrival training
• Integration in the local community
• Coaching and guidance during the project
• Possibilities for a follow up project after your EVS
From the side of the volunteer, no financial input is expected. Your contribution to EVS is your energy, your motivation, enthusiasm, and creativity.
One of the organisations involved (mostly the host organisation), with compile the application form to get the funding. This organisation will coordinate the complete EVS project, and prepare together with you and your sending organisation, your application form.
3rd step:
Your application is sent to the National Agency by one of the deadlines. And now you just have to wait for the final decision: if your project is approved or not. If it is not, your sending and hosting organization can rewrite it and send it again in the next deadline. It it is, you will be informed and all the preparation to your project will begin.

Volunteers rights

• expenses of the international trip and the accommodation expenses and food for as long as the activities of the project last
• pocket money, according to the value stipulated for his hosting country
• health insurance that covers all the period of the volunteer activities
• after finishing the EVS project (or at least a half) has the right to receive a EVS certificate, usually signed by the responsible of the National Agency in name of the European Commission
• during his volunteer service, has to participate in all the formation workshops organized by the sending and the hosting national agencies

If you have more questions please visit this page.

Read more: http://www.mladiinfo.com/2010/11/08/european-voluntary-service-evs/#ixzz28z5qQofp