Insights from my experience as an IVY volunteer for the Interreg project Observ’Alp in Nice
Hi! I’m Chiara, a 22-year-old Italian IVY volunteer for the Interreg ALCOTRA project “Observ’alp” at Métropole Nice Côte d’Azur, and here’s a glimpse of what I’ve experienced up to now. It all began with my decision to take a year off from my studies to focus on my future career steps and gain firsthand experience in the world of work. Opting to dedicate six months with IVY seemed like the perfect opportunity to make the most of the skills acquired during my university bachelor’s degree in political science, while also deepening my understanding of cross-border cooperation and project management at European level. Additionally, I was looking for an opportunity to live in a country other than my own, so I could immerse myself in an entirely new setting as well as improving a foreign language. Over the past three months, I have been volunteering at the Funding and Projects Department of the Métropole Nice Côte d’Azur, nestled in the stunning heart of the French Riviera. As an IVY volunteer, my primary focus has been on one specific project named Observ’Alp. At its core, Observ’Alp aims to address the challenges faced by cross-border territories of France, Italy, and the Principality of Monaco. How? By establishing a system for territorial data sharing and digital services. The processed data will cover many critical areas that significantly impact life on both sides of the border, ranging from mobility and employment to natural hazards and biodiversity. This cross-border observation system, first of its kind in this area, will hopefully contribute to a better understanding of the needs of the territory as a whole and the needs of its citizens. As an IVY project partner, I support my colleagues in the implementation of the project with a focus on communication, working both in French and Italian. What really gets me excited about my role is how I get to dive into different tasks and constantly learn new things about Cohesion Policy and on how EU cooperation works. My favorite parts? Definitely the opportunity to attend meetings and events with other project partners, the dynamic and youthful environment among my coworkers, and the chance to connect with other IVY volunteers here in Nice. In conclusion, This experience has been incredibly rewarding because it has not only broadened my perspectives, but also made me aware of the numerous possibilities and realities that exist within the EU. IVY volunteering is proving to be an incredible opportunity, and I definitely suggest it to anyone who wants to take their first steps in the field of cooperation! – Chiara, IVY Project partner for the Interreg ALCOTRA project Observ’Alp at Métropole Nice Côte d’Azur Discover more about the Interreg project Observ’Alp Click Here Discover more about the host organization Click Here
Connecting the regions to turn ideas into a reality – 3 months in Euro-MED Joint Secretariat
As of right now, I have just finished my first three months volunteering in the Interreg Euro-MED Joint Secretariat in Marseille. These three months of learning and contributing in the best way possible to the Euro-MED programme have been truly one-of-a-kind experiences for me. In this blog article, I would like to share what Interreg Euro-MED does and what I have learned in these 3 months. First things first, let me start by introducing myself. I am Fahrettin from Turkey. I have two Bachelor’s. One in International Relations and one in English Language Teaching. Especially the first one is the reason why and how I started learning about what Interreg is and what it does. After studying International Relations and getting to know the European Union, I learned that interregional cooperation is at the very core of what makes Europe, Europe. Interregional cooperation between municipalities, regions, and countries turns the ideas in our minds into a reality that impacts people in everyday life. That was why I decided to volunteer in this programme in the first place. In the Interreg Euro-MED programme, we have 4 different areas of missions: Green Living Areas Natural Heritage Innovative Sustainable Economy Sustainable Tourism As Joint Secretariat, our main tasks are to coordinate and provide the related information, assess project applications, and support partners in these 4 different missions. To provide and coordinate the related information, like the application dates of the calls and reach out to programme documents, we have a great Communications team. And that’s where I volunteer and try to contribute as much as I can. Using our social media channels and website, we create effective social media posts, write news articles to announce details, help out the projects in technical ways, and many many more. I believe these three months have been a great learning experience for me and I am glad to have gotten this opportunity to see how interregional cooperation is happening first-hand. If you are also interested in what my programme does, here are some links for you to read further: https://interreg-euro-med.eu/en/ https://interreg-euro-med.eu/en/what-we-do/ – Fahrettin, IVY Reporter at the Joint Secretariat Interreg Euro-MED Discover more about Interreg Euro-MED programme Click Here
Volunteering for the Community4Tourism project at the Adriatic Ionian Euroregion
Hello everyone! My name is Daniele Sabato and I want to share with you all my experience as an IVY Volunteer who is supporting the Adriatic Ionian Euroregion (AIE) in Campobasso (Italy) in the implementation of the Community4Tourism project. The project has been financed by the 2021-2027 Interreg Euro-MED funding programme and it will last from January 2023 until September 2029 (!) The Euro-MED programme covers 69 regions of 14 countries from the Northern shore of the Mediterranean and focuses on 4 main missions: 1) strengthening an innovative sustainable economy; 2) protecting, restoring, and valorising the natural environment and heritage; 3) promoting green living areas; 4) enhancing sustainable tourism. The programme supports two kinds of projects, transversal Governance Projects and Thematic Projects addressing specific priorities. For each mission, there are two governance projects: a Thematic Community project and an Institutional Dialogue project. COMMUNITY4TOURISM Community4Tourism is the Thematic Community governance project that has been selected for the Mission 4, “Sustainable Tourism,” and as such its main goal is to facilitate exchanges and synergies among the corresponding Thematic Projects and enhance the value, outreach, and transferability of their results to other territories or stakeholders. The Adriatic Ionian Euroregion (AIE) is a network constituted as an association of 33 members (Regional and Local governments from Italy, Greece, Croatia, BiH, Montenegro, and Albania) for the promotion of transnational cooperation between regions and local authorities. In particular, AIE leads the Community4Tourism’s second Work Package, “Transferring,” creating the conditions for transferring and mainstreaming best practices and tools to other beneficiaries in the Adriatic Ionian (EUSAIR) Area. It will also act as the contact partner for the Result Amplification Strategy and be involved in the third Work Package, “Coordination,” for the activities to be performed in the EUSAIR area. In November 2023, Community4Tourism welcomed the first round of thematic projects (TPs) that will operate as part of the Sustainable Tourism Mission. C4T is currently organising the first Kick-off Meeting (KOM) of the Community of Projects of Sustainable Tourism Mission, which will meet in Rome on the 10th and 11th of April 2024. The event will be the occasion to welcome new projects to the Community, start building connections, and finding synergies, share Community4Tourism’s plans and strategies to support the projects’ activities, the transferring and capitalisation of their results; and organise the 1st Annual Meeting of the Mediterranean Clusters, one of the project’s central proposals to fulfil its main objectives. As an IVY Volunteer, I have been helping the AIE team in the daily management of the project and in its role as the thematic coordinator for the MED cluster “Innovation,” one of the key actions of the work package “Transferring.” Therefore, I have been gathering information from the various relevant TPs and contributing to the organisation of the KOM. The experience so far has been very engaging and interesting and I look forward to continue supporting AIE and C4T for the rest of my stay! – Daniele S., IVY Project Partner for the Interreg Euro-MED project “Community4Tourism” at the Adriatic Ionian Euroregion Discover more about Community4Tourism project Click Here Discover more about the host organization Click Here
My IVY experience for the Interreg project”Rural Youth Future”
Hello everyone! I am Carlota, I am 29 years old and I am a project partner of the interreg project “Rural Youth Future” in the offices of the General Directorate of Youth, Participation and Volunteering (DXXPV) of Xunta de Galicia since January 2024. The DXXPV is my host organization, and is also the regional government department responsible for the development of programs, initiatives and actions to address the needs of young people in Galicia. “Rural Youth Future” is a project that arises in response to the great challenge posed by the depopulation and aging of rural areas. Its main objective is to improve the effectiveness of youth employment policies for sustainable rural development. The project focuses on 6 policy instruments at the municipal, regional and national levels to address the common challenge of responding to the needs of youth in rural territories. It aims to identify and promote actions that generate youth employment opportunities and increase the skills and competencies of young people in rural areas. The different project partners come from 7 European countries: Spain, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Lithuania, Portugal, Estonia and Belgium. They all follow an integrated partners approach based on the participation of all and their Local Stakeholders Groups (LSG) in different activities at inter-regional and regional level. For example, study visits to the countries that are part of the project, which allows them to observe good practices in other territories and promote communication between partners and stakeholders. The project has financing of 1.6 million euros, under the Interreg Europe Program, co-financed with FEDER funds. My role is to support the project in terms of communication by providing ideas and suggestions to increase the visibility and success of the cooperation. I can say that as a result of this experience I am acquiring new skills and competencies, while learning about the benefits of cooperation in the EU. And most importantly, encouraging other young people to do it too! – Carlota S.Á., IVY Project Partner for the Interreg Europe project “RuralYouthFuture” at Xunta de Galicia Discover more about the RuralYouthFuture project Click Here Discover more about the host organization Click Here
Decision-Making Youth for CB-COOPeration (DEMY-Coop) project to boost youth engagement in the Italy-Croatia cooperation area
Greetings everyone, I am Maria Antonietta, proudly serving as an IVY Volunteer for the Interreg CBC Italy-Croatia DEMY-Coop Project. The project takes steps from the results of the AI-NURECC PLUS project, a joint initiative of the key EUSAIR local and regional stakeholders, aimed, among other things, at supporting a greater and more meaningful youth engagement in the Strategy and at placing young people at the heart of territorial cooperation. Our project endeavors to capitalize these results by forging robust partnerships between local authorities and youth organisations in Italy and Croatia, with a view to amplify the voices of young people in shaping strategic decision-making processes related to the EUSAIR. At its core, DEMY-Coop pioneers a novel approach to governance—one that champions participation and transcends borders. Through collaborative endeavors, the project aspires to cultivate a shared understanding, fostering synergy between policymakers and youth. The focus lies in making informed choices regarding policies and actions that directly impact the lives of young people. Our comprehensive suite of activities spans awareness-building efforts aimed at both youth and decision-makers alike. By illuminating the intrinsic value of involving young voices in decision-making, we strive to engender a culture of inclusivity and engagement. Moreover, DEMY-Coop seeks to empower local and regional public authorities by equipping them with the tools to navigate legal, administrative, and cultural impediments to participatory governance models effectively. In parallel, our project endeavors to equip young people with the knowledge and skills necessary to navigate the landscape of territorial cooperation and macro-regional processes. By facilitating access to opportunities, we aim to empower youth to become active participants in shaping the future of their communities. Join us on this transformative journey as we pave the way for a more inclusive and collaborative approach to decision-making. Together, let us build a brighter future, where the voices of youth resonate loud and clear across borders. I was in charge of and supported the implementation of the DEMY-COOP project with particular reference to involvement and communication activities. Specifically, during these three months, I supported the project through these tasks and activities: Participation to project meetings, relating with project partners and stakeholders; Support to the mapping and selection of youth organizations in partners areas; Support to the implementation of an awareness raising campaign, including the creation of a project’s graphic image and communication messages Creation of content for the project website with information regarding the project activities and management of project social media. Here are the networks where you can follow us: Website www.italy-croatia.eu/web/demycoop Facebook page: Interreg DEMY-Coop project Thanks to IVY, I am broadening my knowledge of Cohesion Policy and Territorial Cooperation, and I will also have the opportunity to travel between Italy and Croatia, to network with other young people and to practice soft skills (communication and digital, using a foreign language, meeting other young people) and technical skills (supporting with project implementation and more). I am very grateful for this opportunity and at the same time I am thankful for the chance to broaden my knowledge in the world of Interreg projects, which can open new horizons for my studies and work. – Maria Antonietta D’A., IVY Project Partner at Eurelations Eeuropean Economic Interest Grouping – Eurelations EEIG for the Interreg Italy-Croatia project DEMY-COOP Discover more about Interreg project DEMY-Coop Click Here Discover more about Host Organization EURELATIONS Click Here
My IVY experience at POCTEFA
It has been two months since I assumed the role of IVY Reporter at the Joint Secretariat POCTEFA as part of the Interreg Volunteer Youth (IVY) Program. The Joint Secretariat POCTEFA is located in Jaca, a small town in the heart of the Pyrenees, which will be my home until the end of May. Interreg POCTEFA is a European cross-border territorial cooperation program between Spain, France, and Andorra. POCTEFA’s main aim is to expand the economic and social integration of this area by co-financing cross-border cooperation projects lead by actors from both sides of the Pyrenees and from the coastal areas participating in the Program. Over the past two months, I have acclimated to a new professional environment while gaining insights into European funding and cooperation. My primary contributions have been in the Communication and Finances department, working both in Spanish and French. Thus far, this experience has proven to be a noteworthy professional journey, introducing me not only to the realm of European cooperation but also demonstrating the practical and beneficial impacts of European funds on the daily lives of inhabitants of the area. Regarding the latter, I recently assisted to the opening of the Centro de interpretación del Camino de Santiago in Jaca as part of the Jacob@ccess project co-financed by Interreg POCTEFA during the period 2014-2020. This project aims to make the Camino de Santiago accessible to people with physical and mental disabilities and represents one of the multiple examples in which European funds and cooperation help to improve the quality of life of the area’s inhabitants. I would also like to highlight that as part of my participation on the IVY Program, I was recently invited by the Interact Program to share my experience as an IVY Reporter during the XVIII Jornadas of the CIPFP Ausiàs March in València. Throughout the day, representatives from various European initiatives and opportunities provided information to young attendees about mobility opportunities in Europe. Having the opportunity to inspire young students and future leaders filled my heart as I strongly believe that Interreg is an exceptional program that deserves broader recognition. – Marina Alda L., IVY Reporter at the Joint Secretariat Interreg Spain-France-Andorra POCTEFA Discover more about Interreg POCTEFA Click Here
