ESC: Building Resilient Communities Through Sustainable Action in Sicily

Code: 45951682f66846c4f8 Copied

Italy Environment European Voluntary Service Environment European Voluntary Service Fixed dates

About the project

📝 Detailed information

🏢 About the local organisation

The Palma Nana cooperative was found in 1983. It operates in the fields of environmental conservation and preservation, and the promotion of environmental and civic awareness with people and pupils. The cooperative organizes and manages activities of environmental education on behalf of the Italian Chapter of the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF).

Environmental Education and Responsible Tourism are the key priorities of Palma Nana’s activities. Aiming to promote ecological awareness, the cooperative organizes didactic activities in schools, updating and training courses, seminars, exhibitions, events, summer camps for youth, nature holidays for adults, family camps and excursions in natural and urban environments. The cooperative mainly operates on two fields: in the city of Palermo our staff works in and with schools, organizing daily excursions and school workshops. We also run a Center for Environmental Education (CEA) in the Madonie Mountains Park.

Serra Guarneri is both a tourist venue and a didactic structure. During the summer, we organize tematic holidays for families and adventure camps for young of different age. In autumn and spring, Serra Guarneri hosts school trips and a range of events in collaboration with diverse institutions that deal with the environment. We work in the structure -where we organize nonformal education activities; in the woods- where we cover both the botanic aspect of nature, and its sensory interpretation; and in the surrounding territory, trying to promote virtuous examples of the rural world.

💼 What the programme involves

LAST PLACE! Join us for a transformative 4-month experience at the Serra Guarneri Centre for Environmental Education. Nestled in the heart of rural Sicily, this project immerses volunteers in sustainable tourism, environmental education, and regenerative agriculture. As a volunteer, you’ll become an integral part of the Serra Guarneri community, taking part in diverse activities that support eco-friendly living and environmental awareness. The project is rooted in revitalizing rural life by encouraging creativity and equipping participants with practical skills for sustainable living. Beyond environmental goals, the initiative emphasizes personal and professional growth. Through solidarity-based, hands-on experiences, young volunteers will gain valuable tools to navigate today’s job market while contributing to a more sustainable and connected world. This is more than a project—it's a step toward regenerating both the planet and yourself.

🏠 Accommodation on site

Shared rooms in the CEA and 6 euros per day as a pocket money for personal expenses. Serra Guarneri is a small rural hamlet immersed in the forest of the Madonie. It is composed of small houses clustered around the main structure. Today, it hosts a Centre for Environmental Education, run by the cooperative Palma Nana. We offer transportations to participants in their free days or according to their needs.

🍲 Food

Food will be shared with the other inhabitants of the CEA.

🎒 Leisure activities

⚠️ Requirements

The Participant profile: Young, motivated and flexible to unpredictable daily schedules. Not a high level of English will be required. No strong previous experience will be necessary to access the project, but a strong motivation to be open to transformation, not only at a personal level but also as a search toward social and environmental justice in the local and wider community. - This project is considered as a long-term ESC project
Deadline: 25/05/2025 10:12

ℹ️ Additional information

Every volunteer will join in an Italian Language course with a certified teacher. The volunteers will join also in the training managed by Italian National Agency in Rome. Volunteers will participate in activities in direct contact with nature, in the ecological garden and collaborate in training and dissemination activities aimed at school students, with the aim of countering the loss of interest in ecology and promoting a healthy lifestyle.

The project is implemented under the European Solidarity Corps Programme, financed by the European Commission.
The participating organisations have to be mindful of these needs as they are responsible for providing a respectful and trusting hosting environment. At the same time, the organisations participating in the initiative devote a great deal of time, energy and resources to set up a high-quality activity; they should therefore expect that European Solidarity Corps participants show a similar level of respect for the local communities and the people that are directly concerned by the activities (https://youth.europa.eu/solidarity/mission_en).
What do we provide ?

Training before and after the project
Health insurance during your project
round-trip travel reimbursement
accommodation and food
pocket money
language course
Return Week-end
Youth Pass and SVI international Volunteer passport

Before applying for this volunteering project, you need to enroll yourself at European Solidarity Corps Platform (https://europa.eu/youth/solidarity_en) and specify your European Solidarity Corps Participant Number (PRN).
This organisation holds a European Solidarity Corps Quality Label.
Contact the ESC coordinator at +32 2 888 67 13 to get more informations.

Interested in this project? Create your account and apply online.

📅 Available sessions

IT45951

01/09/2025 at 00:00 → 24/12/2025 at 00:00

Closed

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Deadline: 25/05/2025

ℹ️ Key information

Age required

18–30 years old

Solidarity donation

0.00 EUR

French tax residents may be eligible for a tax reduction of up to 66% of their costs (membership, plane tickets, solidarity donation).

📍 Location

Piazza Sant 'Euno, 13/14 15, 90133 Palermo PA, Italy

Italy

🌍 Location info

Local currency

Euro Member Countries (EUR / €)

Timezone

Central European Standard Time

Local time: 21:43 (12/11/2026)

🛡️ Before you leave

Security information

📞 Contact us

[email protected]

+32 2 888 67 13

Contact form

✅ Features

🏠 Accommodation

Collective

🗣️ Languages spoken

English Italian