ESC Volunteer in Education & Youth at ESN Int. HQ 2023 Spring

1. PRESENTATION The Federation Erasmus Student Network Portugal (ESN Portugal) is a non-profit organisation that belongs to the Erasmus Student Network (ESN), the biggest student organisation in Europe, recognised and supported by the European Commission. ESN Portugal is present in 15 Portuguese cities through 14 sections and it is supported by the Portuguese National Agency of Erasmus+ Education and Training. ESN Portugal has more than 500 young volunteers and works for the creation of a more mobile and flexible education environment by supporting and developing youth exchanges on different levels, giving guidance to around 14 000 mobility programmes' participants in Portugal. 2. AIMS - Work in the interest of international students; - Work to improve the social and practical integration of international students; - Represent the needs and rights of international students on the local, national, and international level; - Provide relevant information about mobility programmes; - Motivate students to study abroad; - Work with the reintegration of homecoming students; - Contribute to the improvement and accessibility of student mobility; - Care about its members; - Promote the value of volunteering and active citizenship. 3. ACTIVITIES & TARGET GROUPS It develops recreational, cultural, social, sportive and civic activities under specific causes, such as environmental sustainability, social inclusion, health and wellbeing, culture, employability and education and youth. The realisation of these activities has the purpose to facilitate the integration of international students in the diverse local communities, giving help whenever needed, in order to make it easier all integration processes, aiming to provide the best mobility experience possible. At the same, provides an intercultural experience to those who cannot access a period abroad ('internationalisation at home') and has a determinant role in the reintegration of students who arrived from their mobility period. Our current activities are: - Communication: we are investing in campaigns to spread the mobility opportunities and its advantages, within the EU Programmes, assuring that all young people access to this information, especially those with fewer opportunities. Aware of the power and potential of the digital world, we implement not only offline communication activities but also online campaigns; - Events: also held in online or physical environments, these are special moments for the clarification and dissemination of mobility, solidarity and volunteering opportunities, especially within the EU programmes with a particular attention with the promotion of the accessibility for young people with fewer opportunities; - Projects: to fulfil our objectives of promoting the integration of students, the potential of the mobility’s experiences and support the personal, social and professional development of young people, we implement the following projects: - Erasmus in Schools, whose main objective is to bring international students closer to local communities. It takes place in mid and high schools in an interactive format, where international students are invited to enter classroom and play a key role in promoting mobility. The sessions are carried out using non-formal education and aim to break stereotypes and promote European Values to Portuguese youth. - Christmas with Portuguese Families: aims to be a cultural exchange between an international student who stays in his/her mobility city during the Christmas holidays and a Portuguese family. The Portuguese families are invited to receive during the holiday season one or more international student(s) in their home for the Christmas celebrations. - Christmas with Portuguese Retailers: This initiative was created as a way to help one of the areas most affected by the pandemic, small businesses. With Christmas with Portuguese Retailers we encourage not only international students but the local community to buy Christmas gifts in their communities, as a way to help the local economy. - Survival Guide Incoming and Outgoing: currently in its 12th edition, this initiative intends to distribute free guides to thousands of incoming and outgoing students. In 2019, we developed the Survival Guide for local students, where we promoted mobility as a lifestyle, the Erasmus + Programme and answered the most common questions regarding participating in mobility. - Support reintegration / follow up process: with the view to provide complete support and integration to students, it’s key for ESN not only to be involved in the first stages of the process but also in the reintegration in society, in the post-mobility actions. In this way, and together with the Higher Education Institutions, ESN Portugal volunteers are in permanent contact with former students to understand on the post-mobility process in going and how this experience was key to shape their path as a professional and European civilian.