Such volunteering experience provides unique, inspiring, and positive opportunity for young people to improve themselves, while also allowing to use acquired skills in further professional development. Voluntary work from paid employment or internship differs in a way that volunteers are provided with greater freedom in the execution of assigned jobs; also volunteers are encouraged to use their imagination and creativity in order to implement innovative alterations in their workspace. The goal of this experience is to strengthen mutual cooperation and collegial relationships.



The president of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker announced the launch of the initiative “Interreg Volunteer Youth” (IVY) in his State of the Union speech at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France on September 14, 2016. This initiative is aimed at developing skills in cooperation while involving young volunteers aged between 18 and 30 years in cross-border, transnational, and interregional IVY projects and programmes in order to support, promote, and report about achievements of Interreg programmes and projects; also to promote collaboration across EU internal borders. IVY is a part of the European Solidarity Corps which main aim is to promote such significant values like solidarity, collaboration, and civic engagement. Voluntary work exchange can last a minimum of two months and a maximum of six months.