The project

Young people in the EU face the risk of marginalisation and social exclusion, with the countries involved in this project being on the top of this list. Different studies made at EU level have pointed out that the skills and qualifications of the volunteers do not always match with the needs of the developing countries or the volunteer organisations. As volunteers, advocates and practitioners of volunteering affirm, specific attention must be given to young people as agents of change, providing them with volunteer opportunities for civic participation and life-long learning through formal but also non- formal education. At the same time, professionals working with youth and particularly with disadvantaged youth, do not have the necessary capacities and tools required for effectively promoting them towards volunteering in a sustainable manner that will enhance their participation, civic engagement, and active citizenship.

The VOLUME project aims to foster the active participation of youth (between 18 – 29 years) at community level, utilising volunteering as a vehicle. This will be pursued through a user-led approach and by developing a capacity building programme and respective tools tailored to the specific needs of this target group. High quality preselected informal learning content will be developed, which will equip young people and professionals working with them with key personal, professional and technical competences and crosscutting common values. Therefore, the main project target group considers young adults wishing to be engaged in volunteering actions while a secondary target group includes professionals working with volunteers, policy makers and civil society actors.

The partnership

  • Pistes-Solidairesis an association that develops its projects and actions according to UNESCO’s 4 pillars of education: learn to know, learn to be, learn to do, learn to live together and with the others. Our goal is to make possible that each young person may benefit from the unique experience of international educational mobility. Education goes hand in hand with openness to the world and an understanding of local / global interdependencies.  Pistes-Solidaires bases its work on non-formal education methods, particularly those based on experiential learning, mainly thanks to European and international mobility projects.  We create educational situations to develop social skills, to facilitate living together and to learn to be. Research and innovation are at the heart of this work area.
  • Hub for Innovation Policy (HIP) is a start-up company focusing on the mission of utilizing innovation and technology for advancing and empowering the services of business and social actors. The main vehicles that we utilize for this purpose include ICT tools, Capacity Building Programmes and Consulting services. Our team includes experts coming from multidisciplinary backgrounds, but with solid background and expertise in working with market stakeholders and the Third Sector at international level. Our cumulative experience and track record includes successful collaboration with companies of various industries and economic sectors, institutions and Local Authorities in various EU countries, the European Commission and NGOs & Organizations active in the field of human rights. Our approach is customer-driven, based on close and regular cooperation and interaction with our customers and partners, for achieving actually tailor-made solutions meeting their particular needs and challenges.
  • With over 20 years of combined experience in research and education, RESET develops constructive and education-centered solutions to the most demanding societal challenges of our time. RESET invests on the creation, evolution, and revolution of social-driven concepts, systems and practices which prioritize humanity. Our organization accelerates and amplifies positive local, national, regional and global change through the power of research and education. We aim for social development by promoting peace and justice, diversity and tolerance, and integration as well as reintegration. The purpose of RESET is to promote a fair and peaceful world through education, restorative dialogue, skill development among professionals and vulnerable groups, and constructive action. RESET is working in close cooperation with governments, local municipalities, NGOs, commercial entities, and educational institutions in order to address market, social, economic and cultural challenges. RESET belief, is that the three pillars of our work, Research & Education, Restorative Dialogue Workshops and Training can lead to creative solutions that impact significant change to the social fabric of every society. RESET team is composed of experienced, fully equipped researchers, trainers, educators, project managers, web developers & graphic designers. The areas of expertise are in the fields of youth, VET, training, migrant integration, community-led initiatives, education/e-learning, social innovation, project management, dialogue, prevention of radicalization, drug education, social and creative empowerment, and conflict resolution.
  • Buyuk Ortadogu Saglik Ve Egitim Vakfi (BOSEV, Research Foundation) from Ankara/Turkey was founded as an umbrella structure in 2009 by a group of professionals working in the medical field, additionally from other sectors like education, sports, business world, and ICT BOSEV aims to support research developments in the medical and in the education sector with its rich staff capacity and high profile background. In regards to this aim, BOSEV hosts medical publications with periodical medical magazines; has 50 management board professionals and 100 members providing ongoing, varied voluntary support; and transfers experience and capacity of over 1000 staff working in BOSEV hospitals, medical centers, clinics and in a media company.
  • Vienna Association of Educational Volunteers is a non-profit making, non-political organisation, which aims at empowering youth, promoting peace and tolerance among people through assisting people in acquiring knowledge and developing their skills and competences. Our main aim is to provide community-based educational opportunities for disadvantaged people; train disadvantaged people leaders committed to peace, democracy and inclusion; contribute to nonviolent processes of conflict transformation in the Europe by providing competences, skills development. Our vision is provide non-formal educational and voluntary based opportunities for disadvantaged people to give a chance to be educated, to learn, to be guided along a career path and social and vocational life.
  • Symplexis is a Greek non-for-profit organization that strives to ensure equal opportunities for all through actions and measures that build skills, empower and promote active engagement and participation focusing on the most vulnerable categories of the population and particularly those with fewer opportunities. Symplexis’ mission is to elevate social cohesion through integrated actions and project-based activities that aim at promoting the inclusion of disadvantaged groups at risk of marginalization and exclusion, while promoting and protecting the rights of various types of population groups that face discrimination focusing on the empowerment and support of victims, awareness raising and information sharing at all level.
  • EPPSi is a private not-for-profit organisation, working in the field of education and training, to promote social inclusion through European strategic partnerships. We are based in the Republic of Ireland but work across Europe with links in Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Germany, Greece, Cyprus,Italy, Romania, Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Denmark and France. EPPSi specialises in adult, youth and vocational education and training, bringing together organisations, professionals and learners to cooperate, to share best practice, to innovate & to develop in order to improve the teaching and learning experience of individuals through our cross European network of universities, vocational colleges, second chance schools and training providers. EPPSI specialises in developing citizenship, employability, language skills, life-skills and social skills through formal and informal learning.

Project objectives

Creating an environment that accelerates the access to high quality informal training for youth volunteers, locally and globally
Creating
Creating an environment that accelerates the access to high quality informal training for youth volunteers, locally and globally
Exposing youth volunteers, educators and professionals working with volunteers to high quality preselected informal learning content for personal development
Exposing
Exposing youth volunteers, educators and professionals working with volunteers to high quality preselected informal learning content for personal development