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Youth in Action Programme
"Youth in Action is the Programme the European Union has set up for young people. It aims to inspire a sense of active European citizenship, solidarity and tolerance among young Europeans and to involve them in shaping the Union's future".
More about the Programme, please visit the web-site of the
The Education, Audiovisual and Culture Agency Executive Agency (EACEA) or click here 
  
ECAS is currently hosting one volunteer in the framework of the European Voluntary Service:
18 March 2009-17 March 2010
Title of the Project: “Civil Society in the Eastern Neighbourhood: Making Change Happen Through Partnership”
Lyubov Vasylchuk (Ukraine)
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tel: +32 2 548 04 94
fax: +32 2 548 98 29
Our Previous EVS Projects:
15 October 2008-14 October 2009
Title of the Project “Communicating Europe”
Daniel Kaminski (Poland):
"The EVS project at ECAS thought me a wide range of competences, e.g. communication skills, intercultural sensitivity, flexibility, creativity, ability to work in a team and cultural self-awareness. The project also increased my knowledge about EU structures and policies concerning workers mobility, citizenship rights, freedom of movement and structural funds. I also learnt a wide range of skills that might be useful for finding a job in the future. These are, for instance, skills related to project management, organisation of conferences, website management, database maintenance and communication and promotion activities.
Working for ECAS for sure requires from volunteers some flexible attitude and self-reliance because volunteers can suggest by themselves what they could do, what they could take up or how their tasks could be modified. I am sure experience at ECAS can be valuable and can teach a lot in terms of knowledge and some practical abilities because the scope of ECAS activities is wide.
Furthermore, thanks to living in a multicultural and cosmopolitan environment of Brussels and working together with representatives of different nationalities, I undoubtedly raised my cultural awareness and learnt a lot about intercultural dialogue. The mutual understanding of the way of working and of communicating was crucial in order to achieve goals of particular projects.
EVS also means more informal learning in terms of social aspects. That gives a great opportunity to meet new people, to dive into the local life of Brussels and learn a lot about different aspects of life. I managed to get integrated into the local (however very international) Brussels community, to learn a lot about the city and the social life there as well as to travel around the country and to get in touch with Belgian culture. It might sound high-flown but this is what I experienced and I think this was the most valuable part of my EVS project and I am really delighted I had the chance to be an EVS volunteer in Brussels.
I would undoubtedly recommend the EVS to others. It definitely gives an opportunity for personal development, gaining new skills and knowledge as well as for increasing intercultural awareness."
01 October 2008-21 July 2009
Title of the Project: “Communicating Europe”
Laura Pipponzi (Italy):
"Thanks to the EVS project I could practice on the day-by-day basis English and I had the possibility to start learning French, which was a new language for me. The multicultural staff of the organziation and the international environment of Brussels gave me the opportunity to discover more about different cultures and to pay more attention to traditions and habits of the other.
Assistance in Conference organization was one of the most challenging tasks, but it helped me a lot because I could test myself in terms of ability to communicate in a foreign language and to practice my skills. This project represented for me an opportunity to become acquainted with the structures and the decision making process of the EU institutions as well as get an in-depth understanding of the role of European Associations in Brussels.
I learnt more about fundraising, European active citizenship, European communication policy and opportunities in Europe for young people. I learnt more about communication tools and I improved my language skills, and I’m confident that these new abilities will help me to find a job more easily.
I would definitly recommend an EVS experience to others because in my opinion it represents a great opportunity to experience your skills and abilities in a work context where the intercutural dialogue is the base and from where you can really learn a lot."
15 November 2007-15 November 2008
Title of the Project: "Snowballing European Citizenship"
Joanna Smigiel (Poland):
"Having worked as an EVS volunteer I became fully competent with MS Office package and administrative duties. Assisting in organizing of various events (conferences and workshops) helped me to develop my organizational skills. Being involved in developing of the European projects I possessed necessary project management competences and developed my interpersonal and communication skills.
I also gained extensive experience in communications through my contacts with journalists and various international organizations. This gave me good understanding of the challenges of working in multinational environment where English is used on a daily basis. The professional experiences I have gained during the EVS project also includes: team-working, multitasking with set deadlines and collaborating with people in a multicultural environment, which helped me developing my intercultural competences.
During my project I’ve learnt a lot: starting from policy-making, work of the EU Budget when seeking funding for NGOs, lobbying the EU Institutions effectively, to exercising our rights as EU citizens and providing forums for discussion and real change.
Working in a completely new environment was a big challenge at the beginning, but I overcame problems I faced and became competent and comfortable in what I did after couple of months."
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