Connecting Cultures and Brands: My IVY Journey in the Polish–Czech Borderland
Hi everyone! My name is Marta and since January I have been IVY volunteer at Fundacja Ochrony Krajobrazu (FOK) in Poland. I am working on the programme Central Mountains: From the Alps to the Carpathians – strengthening governance models for sustainable development of mountain areas in Central Europe which is implemented in the framework of Interreg Central Europe. I am working on the transborder pilot project called House of Brands (HoB) which is led by my host institution (FOK) and Association of Regional Brand (ARZ) from the Czech Republic. HoB brings together Polish and Czech regional brands. The task of the project is to create a platform for the exchange of experience for existing Local Brands in the Polish-Czech borderlands. The aim of the HoB is to strengthen the market position of the brands, activities for the promotion of the mentioned institutions and the possibility of establishing relations between Polish and Czech stakeholders. Among other things, a calendar of events has been created as part of the project, webinars are held for Polish HoB members on marketing and branding, and individual consultations are offered in the aforementioned area. My task is to conduct meetings for members of the House of Brands, in which we address the topics of branding of local brands, promotion in social media or involvement of young audiences in the history of the regions. It is an amazing experience for me to be able to combine the topics of localism, tradition and heritage together with new media and technologies. As a student of journalism and social communication, I like the opportunity to put my knowledge into practice in such an important area. The development of border areas, along with the activities of local and regional brands, is an important area for the economy and culture. Using the experience of Czech partners, we can pass on the best opportunities for development to Polish stakeholders. They are constantly faced with new challenges and tasks, the implementation of which contributes to the development of the area of the Polish-Czech border. Getting to know the institutions, working for the benefit of the region is extremely inspiring. I am glad that thanks to the IVY programme I could join such an important project! – Marta, IVY Project Partner at Foundation for Landscape Protection, for the Interreg project Central Mountains, under the programme Interreg Central Europe.
Empowering the Green Transition in My Region: My Experience with Interreg as an IVY Volunteer
Since May 2025, I have had the opportunity to serve as an IVY Project Partner volunteer in the Region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace (REMTH), within the framework of the Interreg Europe project Green4HEAT. This volunteering experience, which takes place under the direct supervision of Mr. Spyridon Arseniou, Head of the Department of International and European Programmes and Projects at REMTH, has been an important learning journey that deepened both my understanding of European cooperation and the practical implementation of Cohesion Policy at the regional level. Green4HEAT is a European initiative that aims to accelerate the adoption of green heating and cooling technologies across EU territories, with a particular focus on district heating systems. REMTH coordinates this ambitious partnership, which brings together nine organisations from eight countries, working jointly to support the energy transition in their respective regions through better heat planning, stakeholder engagement, and the exchange of good practices. As part of the project team, I have contributed to several aspects of project implementation. I’ve been actively involved in supporting communication activities, contributing to thematic input papers and stakeholder meeting summaries, preparing for interregional workshops, and helping coordinate the reporting and dissemination efforts. This hands-on experience gave me the chance to work closely with regional officials, policy experts and international partners, offering me a realistic view of how complex, but at the same time how impactful the European territorial cooperation can be. One of the most rewarding parts of this experience is witnessing how a transnational project like Green4HEAT can have a real and measurable impact on local communities. The primary beneficiaries of the project are citizens, public authorities and small municipalities, especially in rural and less developed areas that still rely on outdated and inefficient heating systems. Through the project, they are gaining access to new tools and knowledge that will help reduce their energy costs, improve the resilience of public infrastructure, like schools or health centers, and actively contribute to broader environmental objectives which are key in order to combat effectively the climate change. What I find most valuable in this volunteering journey is that it has allowed me to connect policy with people. By contributing to a project that tackles a critical issue, namely, the sustainable heating and energy efficiency, I’ve seen how targeted European funding can support tangible improvements in the everyday lives of citizens, something that has shown me how the EU works at the regional level on the ground, empowering public administrations and local actors to make meaningful progress through shared knowledge and cooperation. Volunteering through IVY gave me and is still giving me the opportunity not only to contribute to a bigger or greater goal, but also to grow and mature both professionally and personally. It helped me build new skills, understand European project dynamics from the inside, and feel more connected to the European project and its values. Hence, this is an experience I would truly recommend to any young European who wishes to be part of and deliver a meaningful change towards a brighter future. – Anastasios, IVY Project Partner at Region of East Macedonia & Thrace, for the Interreg project Green4HEAT, under the programme Interreg Europe.
Borders, Connections and Changes: my start with Interreg between Italy and Austria
Trieste, May 2025A few weeks have passed since my arrival at the Trieste headquarters of the Interregional Council of Mayors of Friuli Venezia Giulia – Carinthia, and I am still immersed in a phase of observation and discovery. I entered the Interreg project, but what I am experiencing goes far beyond a training experience: it is a journey of understanding, connection and personal transformation. 🌍 A traveler in search of new horizons In recent years I have lived, studied and worked in several countries: from New Zealand to Australia, passing through Portugal, Lithuania (as a volunteer European Solidarity Corps) and Denmark.I am a UX/UI web designer by profession, also with skills in communication and digital marketing. I have always tried to combine my technical skills with a passion for travel, multiculturalism and meeting people.Having taken part in several European programs, such as Erasmus Plus, I am also starting to approach the world of writing European projects. The current experience with Interreg represents for me a precious opportunity to better understand how a European cross-border cooperation project is structured and developed. ✨ An experience that intertwines with my path This project represents an important stage in my personal and professional path, offering me the opportunity to look at my territory with new eyes. Returning to Italy was not easy. But this experience is offering me a precious opportunity: to return with a new, more aware look and with a strong desire to contribute to my territory.I feel that every day here, between desks, borders and new relationships, I am putting a little more piece in my mission: helping people to orient themselves in the world, overcome borders – geographical and mental – and find new opportunities for growth. 🏛️ The arrival at CISL and the Interreg project With Interreg and CISL I am having the opportunity to approach a new dimension for me: cross-border cooperation. The project I am involved in focuses on the dynamics between Friuli Venezia Giulia and Austria, and was born with a very concrete objective: to support the mobility of cross-border workers.What does this mean? We are working on the creation of a bilingual information platform (Italian/German), conceived as a real virtual infopoint. It will contain practical materials,thematic sheets and infographics on various areas related to work mobility: legal, fiscal, social security, contractual aspects, and much more.Together with colleagues and stakeholders of the project, we are building this tool from scratch, which will be accessible and easily consultable for workers, employers and interested citizens. One of the main tasks is the identification of eight key professional figures (including legal experts, labor consultants and specialists in international mobility), who will help us structure the contents. 💬 Observe, listen, learn My role, at the moment, is that of an active observer. I participate in meetings, planning sessions and stakeholder consultations. I am learning how a trade union works in Italy, but also how to build a concrete and useful European project for the territory.Thanks to my background in digital communication and design, I will also be able to contribute to the visual and technical part of the project: the creation of information content, the design of infographics and the structure of the platform. – Enrico, IVY Project Partner at Interregional Trade Union Council Friuli-Venezia Giulia- Carinthia (IRTUC Friuli Venezia Giulia- Carinthia), for the Interreg project WORK- FAIR, under the programme Interreg Italy-Austria.
My Experience as an IVY Volunteer in the CROSUSMOB Project
I started my volunteer experience in mid-October 2024 with Xavier Garcia at the Région Sud in Nice, working on the Interreg project CROSUSMOB – Fostering Sustainable Cross-Border Mobility. The project began in April 2024 and will run until June 2028, and I am proud to be the first IVY volunteer on this initiative! What is CROSUSMOB? CROSUSMOB is a European cooperation project aimed at improving policies at local, regional, and national levels to overcome cross-border mobility barriers. It brings together five public partners from different regions: Basque Country (Spain) Institute of Traffic and Transport Ljubljana (Slovenia) Province of Drenthe (Netherlands) Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Region (France) KTI Hungarian Institute for Transport Sciences and Logistics (Hungary) Project Objectives The key objectives of CROSUSMOB are: Establishing Cross-Border Transport Strategies: Ensuring that cross-border mobility is integrated into regional and national policies to better address local needs. Enabling Cross-Border Travelers: Encouraging citizens to contribute to sustainable, resilient, and intelligent intermodal transport systems. Simplifying Public Transport: Making sustainable transport the most attractive option by improving pricing, timetables, and connections. Modernizing Infrastructure: Expanding the availability of cross-border trains and promoting digitalization, interoperability, and infrastructure upgrades. My Role in the Project The project is structured into semesters, each with specific objectives. During the first semester, the main goal was to launch the project and establish communication channels. My task was to set up and manage the project’s social media accounts (LinkedIn, X), create a newsletter, and ensure that each partner met their communication obligations. We are now in the second semester, where the focus is on conducting regional diagnoses. This involves analyzing the mobility and transport landscape in each partner region to identify challenges and opportunities. I am currently working with my tutor on the territorial diagnosis for the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region, particularly in its cross-border connections with Italy (Liguria and Piemonte regions). This includes evaluating train services and cross-border mobility policies. What I’ve Learned and Enjoyed This project has taught me a lot about the communication needs of European projects and how to implement them effectively. My current tasks align perfectly with my academic background and skills, allowing me to move from theoretical knowledge to real-world application. Collaboration with partners is essential in this project. We hold regular online meetings and organize field visits each semester in a partner region. The first visit took place in Bilbao (Basque Country) in October 2024, and the second will be held in Aachen (Germany) in March 2025. In 2026, Nice will host one of these visits, which will be an exciting opportunity for my team to showcase our progress and for the future IVY to meet the team in real life. Being part of CROSUSMOB as an IVY volunteer has been an enriching experience, allowing me to contribute to an important initiative while gaining hands-on experience in European project management. I look forward to continuing my journey and seeing the project’s impact on cross-border mobility! – Carla, IVY Project Partner at Region Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur – SUD, for the Interreg project CROSUSMOB, under the programme Interreg Europe.
Volunteering with Interreg Volunteer Youth (IVY)
Hi! My name is Assya and I am the first IVY volunteer to join the Interreg Greater Region Programme team at the House of the Greater Region in Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg. I recently completed my studies with a Master’s degree in Border Studies. As abstract as it may seem, it is a field in which I found myself very comfortable, having grown up in the cross-border region between the French Moselle and Luxembourg and being quite familiar with borders. During this cross-border Master programme, I had the opportunity to study in three languages, at four universities and in three different countries. This experience was my first contact with Interreg and the Greater Region (Belgium, France, Germany and Luxembourg). Over the course of these two years, I realised that the cross-border region in which I had grown up extended to a much larger territory, that of the Greater Region, and that my opportunities were expanding at the same time. After this period of intense mobility, I now have the opportunity to settle down in Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg, at the House of the Greater Region, for a six-month experience where I will support the Interreg Greater Region Programme team in various tasks. As an IVY Reporter, my objective is to promote the projects supported by Interreg in the Greater Region, the role of the Interreg Greater Region Programme, while emphasising their objectives and results, in order to bring the local population closer to the projects but also to inform them about the possibilities offered by Interreg in their territory. Cross-border cooperation opened doors for me and brought me many opportunities because I was lucky enough to have been informed at the right time. So, I would like the local population, especially young people, to be equally well informed and aware of the opportunities they have in their territory, in terms of social, cultural, educational and professional life. The idea is to strengthen community life a little more by promoting cross-border cooperation and solidarity. A little work about my first steps: On the third day, I had the opportunity to take part in the meeting of the monitoring committee for the third call for projects 2021-2027, which took place at the Luxembourg Ministry of Housing and Spatial Planning. All the stakeholders were present: the managing authority, the project managers, the partner authorities from the four countries, the contact points and the functional areas. This allowed me to see the internal process of setting up Interreg projects, to understand how they are built, why the partner authorities agree for them to be set up or what they lack in order to receive the funds. So, barely three days in, I already feel like I’ve learned a lot. I can’t wait to see what’s coming next! I will try to share as much as possible about the stages of this six-month adventure through articles and posts on social networks, follow us! https://www.instagram.com/interreggr/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/interreggr/ https://www.facebook.com/interreggr – Assya, IVY Reporter at the MA Interreg V-A Grande Région Learn more about Interreg Greater Region Programme Click Here Learn more about House of the Greater Region in Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg. Click Here
My Role in the Baltic Cider Project: Strengthening Rural Tourism and Regional Collaboration
Hey, readers! I’m Krista Krage, an IVY Project partner, and I’m thrilled to share that I’ve joined the Latvian Country Tourism Association “Lauku Ceļotājs,” an organization dedicated to promoting rural and nature-based tourism in Latvia. Through this exciting collaboration, I’ve become part of the Baltic Cider project, which is supported by the Interreg Estonia-Latvia Cross-border Cooperation Programme 2021-2027. This initiative aims to create a powerful regional cider brand by connecting local cider makers, encouraging innovation, and integrating sustainable tourism in both Latvia and Estonia. As part of my role, I’ve had the opportunity to explore the Cider Route—a unique tourism project that connects cider producers throughout both countries. The route allows visitors to not only taste ciders but also immerse themselves in the local landscapes and traditions that make each producer’s cider distinct. I’ve learned so much about the different practices, the people behind these brands, and the stunning natural locations where many of these cider makers are based. Another exciting thing will be our participation in CiderCon 2025, the largest cider conference in the U.S. Here, we’ll showcase Latvian ciders to an international audience and introduce two standout producers, Abuls and Mūrbūdu, who blend traditional methods with innovative techniques. I’m incredibly proud to be part of this project and to witness how it’s bringing cider makers together, encouraging collaboration, and strengthening the growing cider community in the region. It’s inspiring to be involved in an initiative with so much potential for growth—not only for the cider industry but also for local tourism. Plus, we’ll soon be working on refreshing the Baltic Cider website to make it easier for people to discover and explore the exciting cider scene in Latvia and Estonia! – Krista, IVY Project Partner at Latvian Country Tourism Association “Lauku celotajs”, for the Interreg project BALTIC CIDER, under the programme Interreg Estonia-Latvia. Discover more about Baltic cider project Click Here Discover more about “Lauku Ceļotājs” association Click Here
