There are lots of opportunities for young people to get involved with international activities and gain international experience as a way to enhance their lives, connect to the world and support their future ambitions.
Today, as part of Eurodesk’s Time to Move campaign, International Newcastle joins Eurodesk in celebrating 30 years of supporting international opportunities for young people.
In this article, we are promoting the range of international opportunities available to young people including learning, volunteering, participation and internships, work experience or traineeships, as well as the support that is available from Eurodesk UK to help them access these.
Discover new ways to experience the world
There are hundreds of possibilities through which young people can go abroad and take part in an international project, study, or gain work experience. As well as this month’s Time to Move campaign, these are always listed and updated on the Eurodesk UK website with links, advice and support available.
Time to Move campaign and events – Throughout October, young people are benefitting from online events being run by the Eurodesk network as part a campaign across 36 countries. All the activities are run by Eurodesk information experts, who can chat things through and help find the international project most suitable for people’s needs.
EMA the virtual Eurodesk UK Advisor – As well as the Eurodesk information experts who can talk to people, EMA is a new virtual advisor, providing services 24/7 to young people and youth workers, links, signposting and practical advice on any of the opportunities available.
Volunteering opportunities – find out about the wide range of volunteering projects across 36 countries that young people can engage with, both short term and longer term – from Greenpeace, to European Heritage, organic farming to intercultural projects.
Internships – find out about the latest internships on offer with European and other institutions, as well as work placements and traineeships.
Participating – find out about a range of current competitions that young people of different ages can get involved in, sharing young people’s views on issues and the chance to participate in debates and apply for awards.
Learning – find out about the latest MOOCS (online courses), learning opportunities, fellowships and research grants, forums, summer schools and more.
Grants – find out about travel grants, international youth participation, vocational training, Erasmus funding for projects in the field of youth, research, volunteering, environmental projects and more.
Joining forces with the UK’s Internationalism Alliance
Eurodesk UK has signed up to the national Internationalism Alliance, led by British Council, along with International Newcastle and many national youth organisations and those interested in promoting international opportunities. Find out more and sign up to the Pledge here.
Young people’s futures matter and international and intercultural experiences are important
It may seem strange to be promoting international experiences for young people, during a pandemic and as the transition period for the UK leaving the EU is coming to an end in December, but it has never been more important.
Young people’s futures matter and it has been an incredibly difficult year for them, with great uncertainty about the future. It is even more important to connect young people to the opportunities, which can help them fulfill their ambitions and give them valuable experiences.
When International Newcastle published a framework plan for international relations, Our Newcastle Our World international plan, children and young people (0-30) became the priority for our partnership and 2020-22 work programme. We consulted widely with young people and those who work with them and we are focussed on meeting the ambitions they outlined.
Young people want to have international opportunities and experiences (travel, work, study, volunteering and projects), want languages to be celebrated and language learning promoted, as well as celebrating the diverse cultures and communities in the city.
Many young people have had to change their plans, but this doesn’t mean that the chance is lost forever.
International Newcastle will continue to develop the Newcastle Internationalism Alliance with local, regional and national partners and as part of that, our partnerships with British Council and the UK Internationalism Alliance, Eurodesk UK and others.
We are committed to promoting access to the wide range of opportunities that remain available to young people to help them achieve their ambitions and widen their horizons.