The Interreg Volunteer Youth (IVY) initiative is part of the broader European Solidarity Corps Initiative launched by the European Commission in December 2016.
IVY officially started on 1st March 2017 and is a 1-year pilot action to offer the possibility to young Europeans aged 18-30 to serve as volunteers in the cross-border, transnational or interregional programmes and related projects. Each experience is between 2 and 6 month long.
The initiative aims at involving young volunteers to support, promote and report the concrete achievements of Interreg programmes and projects, as well as generally promote cooperation across European borders and related values such as solidarity. IVY will give volunteers the opportunity to familiarise with the Interreg programmes and projects, make them aware of the many benefits of collaboration among EU internal borders as well as enhance their sense of European solidarity, citizenship and civic engagement. Moreover, thanks to the IVY, volunteers will acquire a unique experience of personal growth as well as enhancing and gaining skills that they can employ in their future experiences.
Support and visibility through volunteering are the leitmotiv of this initiative.
The Association of European Border Regions (AEBR), a longstanding AER partner, has the pleasure and honour to manage this pilot initiative on behalf of the European Commission.
AER supports this initiative which complements, on the volunteering side, its Eurodyssey programme.
Interreg Programmes & Projects interested in joining IVY and are welcome to contact AERB at: [email protected]