We all know Erasmus plus as a student mobility project, but it is something more.
Erasmus+ is the EU programme to support education, training, youth and sport in Europe.
But Erasmus+, which runs until 2020, is not just for students. As the result of a merger of seven previous programmes, it offers opportunities to a wide range of people and organisations.
But rest assured that from 2021 another project will be created with a different name, but the functions will remain the same, supporting European youth and their development, which will last until 2027.
Who can participate?
Erasmus plus is open to individuals and organisations, although eligibility depends on the type of project (explained below) and the type of country.
You can be elected as an individual, but the most affordable and usual way is to be part of an organisation.
In terms of eligible countries, we distinguish between two types of countries: programme countries and partner countries.
What differentiates them, easy, a country that belongs to the programme can participate in all the types of projects proposed while an associated country can only participate in some of them. Spain as well as the whole European Union belongs to the programme and for example our association does send people to the projects.
Project types
The Erasmus project does not only cover the student mobility part, which is certainly one of the most important part of this project, but we cannot underestimate the other opportunities that this project gives us.
Youth Exchange
It is an exchange of young Europeans for up to 30 days, although each project can set its own limits, the duration is between 13 and 30 days. The most common is between 7 and 10 days. These projects bring together young people from different countries, with different cultures in which you not only acquire new skills, languages… but you also learn about the culture of other countries in an alternative and direct way.
Training Course
These are projects that promote the training of people involved in the youth field. The duration can be between 2 days and 2 months, although they usually last between one or two weeks and participants must be at least 18 years old. These exchanges serve to grow personally and professionally, learn new working methods and exchange ideas. Some of the areas worked on are culture, social inclusion, art, free time, communication, environment, immigration, among many others.
Solidarity Project
It is a project that can be carried out in a group of five or more people, aged 18-30, to help bring about positive change in the local community. It is created and implemented by the young people themselves in the place where they live. The duration of these projects is between 2 and 12 months. For these projects, the European Union subsidises up to 500€ of monthly expenses for the development of the project, as well as the hiring of a mentor specialised in the subject of the project in order to develop it correctly.
European Solidarity Corp (ESC)
It is a volunteering programme that offers a series of opportunities to all young people between 18 and 30 years of age belonging to the territories of the European Union States to create an inclusive and conscious society through experiences that can change the way we see the world.
After a simple registration process, participants will be selected to join a wide range of projects related, for example, to natural disaster prevention or reconstruction, assistance in asylum seekers’ reception centres or other social problems.
European Solidarity Corps projects will have a duration of between two months and one year. They will usually take place within the Member States of the European Union. You will also be given pocket money depending on the cost of living in the country where you will be volunteering.
