V O L U N T E E R A T I C Y E I NT E R N A T I O NA L

OFFICE
What ESC position for one volunteer at ICYE International Office in Berlin
When 15th September 2022 to 14th September 2023
Duration 12 months
Age and residency 18-30 years (20+ is prioritized), EU nationality with residence in
Denmark
How to apply Send ICYE application form to Bolette Aagaard at:
esc.sending@icye.dk
Application deadline 15th June

Description of the project

The ICYE International Office in Berlin, Germany is the

head office of the ICYE Federation in which they
coordinate the activities of its member organisations in
41 countries worldwide. The volunteer will join the
three permanent staff members at the ICYE IO
(international office) in the role of an assistant.

The volunteer will work hand-in-hand with the

Secretary General and the Programme- and Grants Officer at the ICYE IO, supporting them in
tasks related to ICYE’s main programme priorities; long-
term voluntary service, short-term exchanges, seminars and training courses, as well as the
Erasmus+ and youth mobility programme. The volunteer will thus be in regular contact with
volunteers and staff of ICYE member and partner organisations in around 41 countries
worldwide, and gain experience in project management and other office related tasks.

After the exchange, they will have gained an insight into the functioning of the ICYE IO and
the ICYE Federation, the organisation of its exchange programmes and the underlying concept
of international voluntary service programmes. This enables the volunteer to acquire both
social and professional skills and competences in a multicultural environment, as well as
building self-confidence and leadership, which will contribute to personal and future career
development of the volunteer. Additionally, the volunteer will benefit greatly from the
opportunity to work in a different country and cultural setting.

Staff at the ICYE IO also benefits from the intercultural interaction with
the ESC volunteer and their contribution to the office work in terms of new ideas and
perspectives. The hosting environment and the multicultural city of Berlin will give
the volunteer a true intercultural learning experience, which we believe will benefit the
volunteer (and others they interact with), help broaden their horizon and open up to new
perspectives, ideas, insights, living and working styles, as well as becoming a more active
European citizen.

The volunteer’s activities:

Here are some examples of the different tasks that will be given the volunteer:
- Communication by email and in person with staff of partner organisations and
volunteers related to Erasmus+ projects.
- Responding to information enquiries via phone and email by young people interested
in volunteering
- Conducting online research as and when required.
- Supporting the promotion and dissemination activities by updating project websites,
Facebook, Instagram and YouTube accounts/pages.

Learning outcomes

The volunteer will work hand-in-hand and support the activities of the ICYE IO programme
officer. The concrete learning outcomes for the volunteer will include:
− Getting to know and understanding the dynamics of different cultures by discovering
different lifestyles and opinions
− Getting to know themself better as they will be confronted with new situations
− Negotiating in different contexts and with people from different cultures and/or
backgrounds
− Being independent and autonomous in a different context other than their home
country/local environment
− Learning about the social and political situation in Germany, especially the position/
situation of young people in society
− Experiencing teamwork and participant-centred working methods
− Playing a leadership role in groups
− Communicating in a foreign language and in a foreign context, as well as
communication at a global level
− Recognizing that respect, understanding, flexibility and patience are key elements in
bringing about intercultural understanding
− Developing skills and competences in project management, social media, updating of
project websites, public relations, quality assurance, networking, etc.

The learning process in the above-mentioned fields will be supported by on-the-job training
whenever needed, structured and informal discussions as well as weekly team meetings and
regular monitoring meeting. The mentors and colleagues will play an important role in
providing training and support for the volunteer.

The volunteer will gain knowledge about the programmes and the issues at stake when
implementing international youth voluntary service programmes, through their work with
publications and online information about the different types of youth and voluntary service
programmes and implementation guidelines. From time to time, the volunteer will be directly
involved in the preparation and implementation of international and European meetings (i.e.
seminars or training courses), which will enable them to gain hands-on experience in the
running of international youth activities. The intercultural dimension will be present
throughout the service period through the socio-cultural experiences of living in Berlin and
being able to explore a new culture on a daily basis. The volunteer will be able to attend
German language courses at a local learning institution. During the service period, they will
be invited to participate in international meetings and youth encounters organised by the
ICYE IO or an ICYE member organisation. The volunteer will thus have interaction with
young people and youth workers from a variety of countries and cultures and gain further
intercultural competences.

About the volunteer

This project is open to young people interested in volunteering in an international

environment in the capital of Germany. The volunteer hosted at the ICYE IO should:
- Have a keen interest in discovering and interacting with other cultures and learning a
new language
- Be emotionally and psychologically stable, sociable and outgoing
- Be strongly motivated to do volunteer work, flexible, respectful and willing to carry out
a variety of tasks
- Be creative and motivated to work in a dynamic international atmosphere
- Be diligent and reliable and willing to work overtime in peak seasons
- A good command of English as well as PC literacy (Word, Excel) are assets

Local travel: The volunteer will receive money to purchase a monthly local transport card
that includes the bus, underground, train and tram within Berlin.

Accommodation: The volunteer will live in a shared flat in the city of Berlin.

Besides this, the volunteer will receive a monthly food allowance as well as the applicable
pocket money.

We look forward for your applications!