Lahden Nuorisopalvelut - Finland
The project promotes solidarity and dispels fears by bringing young people from different cultures and backgrounds together, promoting equal encounters and treatment, and increasing the feeling of togetherness.
Organisations involved will gain additional expertise from volunteers, and volunteers gain not only professional skills but also self-knowledge and everyday skills.
Project fiche: #YouthTogether
More information: Lahti
Asociación Ser Joven - Spain
A group of 5 young people, supported by the Ser Joven Association, travel around different parts of the rural areas of Cantabria. They inform young people about mobility opportunities in Europe and the multiple positive impacts on the future of young people.
Project fiche: La SerJoneta
More information: Ser Joven – web de la Asociación Ser Joven (ser-joven.org)
Nuorten Akatemia - Finland
The project promotes opportunities for all young people, but especially minors, to act and influence in NGOs and independently to promote animal welfare.
The target group of the project is young people aged 13-30 who are interested in animal welfare and animal protection, with a special emphasis on 15-20-year-olds.
The need for the Youth included! project came from young people themselves. Surveys done for young people involved in SEY Animal Welfare Finland’s youth activities have shown that young people would like to do something concrete, such as volunteering, for the benefit of animals. There are currently very few volunteering opportunities in SEY’s member associations, especially for young people under the age of 18, and it can be difficult to get involved even for young adults.
At the same time, however, many associations have a constant need for new active volunteers. Adult decision-makers in SEY’s member associations have little knowledge of the needs and wishes of young people or they do not know how to reach youngsters.
With the support of the SEY’s Youth Activities Coordinator, the young people in the Executive Team will learn new skills in different areas, such as project management, event management, interviews and surveys, budgeting, facilitation, teamwork, and communication.
For adult decision-makers, the aim is understand young people's wishes and encourage them to provide young people with new opportunities for participation and volunteering.
Project fiche: Nuoret mukaan!
More information: SEY Nuoret
Activists from neighbourhood - Serbia
The main objective of the project was to introduce a mechanism for active participation of young people in the decision-making process of the city. As one of the project results, the first ever structured dialogue between young people and decision makers in the city of Vranje was implemented.
Project fiche: Strukturirani dijalog: Vranje čuje mlade
Organizatia Tinerilor Dorneni - Romania
The EUroinitiative and YOUth project aimed to upskill young people of Panaci village, through the development of their potential and their desire to be involved in changing the village for the better.
The project managed to shape their participatory culture and show the benefits of volunteering and active citizenship.
It truly would be such a shame if you are too scared or don’t want to step out of it and learn about the
beautiful diversity of the world.
I am currently halfway through my ESC volunteering project in sunny Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
After finishing my first year of university, not really enjoying my classes, I felt lost and didn’t really
know what I wanted to do in life. Then my brother recommended me to do a volunteering year
abroad, telling me about the great memories he had from his experience volunteering in England.
Since I’ve always wanted to learn Spanish, I thought, why not take the biggest step in learning a new
language and move to a country where people only speak this language ?
One of the things that I learned (apart from the language) is gaining my own independence. Coming
to a new country without knowing anyone demands a certain level of being able to take care of
yourself, organise your life outside of your daily work etc. Of course, you are never alone and there
are people there to help you along the way, such as your sending and receiving organisation, your
mentor, and the other volunteers.
One of the biggest difficulties that I had in the beginning was the language, not so much the
understanding of others, rather than my lack of self-confidence I felt when speaking myself. But of
course, the best way to learn a language is to speak it and make mistakes while speaking. At some
point I just had to get over this fear of speaking, and that’s when I felt the most progress.
I think any form of travel is beneficial to broaden your horizon, but actually living in a foreign country
for a longer period offers an even richer experience. While volunteering you make friends with
people from the country you’re in, you learn about the field of work you choose to volunteer in and
learn to live with and find similarities between you and the volunteers from other countries. I would
definitely recommend to anyone to step out of their comfort zone and do an ESC volunteering
project. If I were to do it all over again, I would go even further than Spain and look for a project in
South America. Although, I am sure, now that I feel confident speaking the language I will travel to
this part of the world in the near future.
What I learned through this experience is how everyone lives in their own personal bubble. And it
truly would be such a shame if you are too scared or don’t want to step out of it and learn about the
beautiful diversity of the world. Experiencing a new culture while being respectful of its people,
requires the volunteer to have an open mind and be willing to learn from the locals. In my experience
living in Santiago de Compostela, the people of its region, Galicia, are very proud of their language
(galego), and of their Celtic heritage, that has influenced many of their local traditions. Adapting to
the locals’ way of life is also a must as volunteers. In Spain for example it is normal to eat lunch
between 1 and 3 pm and dinner from 9 to 11 pm.
All in all, I will forever be grateful for this experience that taught me a better understanding of
Spanish culture and the benefits of being open and accepting of a culture different than your own.
Updated on Tuesday, 17/02/2026
Every challenge and every unexpected event contributed to making the adventure more memorable.
My name is Noemi, I am 19 years old, and I come from the province of Verona, Italy. Last summer, thanks to DiscoverEU, an action of the Erasmus+ programme, I went on a solo interrail trip that took me through the beautiful Scandinavian countries.
My itinerary started with Copenhagen, a city that captivated me with its colourful waterfront buildings and relaxed atmosphere. I explored the markets and took lots of photos in every corner.
Then I headed to Oslo and Fredrikstad, a jewel hidden among the greenery of Norway. Bergen was another Norwegian city I visited. I ventured among its colourful buildings and busy harbour, from the narrow streets of Bryggen to the fjords of Mostraumen and tasted the famous reindeer meat.
Then it was Stockholm's turn, the beautiful Swedish capital, where I crossed islands, visited fascinating museums and listened to ABBA's famous songs in the museum dedicated to them.
The most beautiful experience of this trip was definitely seeing the majestic Norwegian fjords. The sight of those breathtaking landscapes left me speechless, and it was one of the most emotional moments of my trip.
Another experience that changed me was living in hostels, where I met travellers from all over the world, shared stories, laughs and advice, opening up new perspectives on my future.
My journey has not been without challenges, and this is what has made me grow the most.
I risked missing a few trains, and had to deal with the fever I had caught from the freezing cold for which I had not prepared enough. In addition, a big challenge for me was to organise all the trip by myself: months in advance to choose the trains with all their connections, and to plan all the details in each city.
Eventually, I realised that every challenge and every unexpected event contributed to making the adventure more memorable.
Updated on Tuesday, 17/02/2026
Lindesnes kommune - Norway
Lindesnes Youth Council organised the Hate Speech Conference 2022, which aimed to raise awareness of hate speech, freedom of expression and democracy in their local community. The young people came up with the idea for the conference themselves and were responsible for large parts of the work.
Project fiche: Stop hate speech in Lindesnes
More information: https://www.lindesnes.kommune.no/
NGO “CRAFT CONNECT-DUBICA” Brazda Cucer - Sandevo - North Macedonia
The project raised general awareness of the importance of nurturing generational inter-connection as a way to preserve traditional practices, values, and culture. Participants learned the technique for making Mandras, an old and sustainable fishing technique, and created an educational painting book about the technique.
Project fiche: Protection of an old fishing tradition in Dojran
Association Light - Serbia
Young people had the opportunity to develop the skills needed to fight against negative phenomena in society, such as xenophobia and racism and to learn more about European values. They became interested in the topics of active participation of young people and democratic processes.
Project fiche: Gender-Sensitive Education for Ethical Communication among Young People
More information: Home - Association SVETLOST (nvosvetlost.org)
