Hello everyone, We are currently active in the BASCIL project (Innovative Solutions for the Rural Food Production Sector to Diversify into Sustainable Culinary Tourism Services) and have been working intensively with pilot organizations by organizing and participating in three workshops on different topics.
Hello everyone! My name is Alice Crocco, a 26-year-old deeply passionate about social work and international cooperation. Always on the lookout for new opportunities, I discovered the Interreg Volunteer Youth (IVY) initiative, which enables young people to volunteer in cross-border and interregional projects.
Hi everyone! My name is Lisa, I’m 23 and I’m an Interreg Project Partner for the cross-border “Strategy HEurOpen 2021-2027” since February 2024. This strategy has the aim to promote and sustain cross-border collaboration between the Italy-Austria border. It is developed between three partners: GAL Open Leader, GAL Euroleader, based in Italy, and LAG Region Hermagor based in Austria. The Gal Open Leader is my host organization, is located in Pontebba, a small town in Friuli Venezia Giulia. It is a local action group that works in three main areas: Val Canale, Canal del Ferro and Gemonese, involving 15 municipalities. HEurOpen is an integrated cross-border strategy under the EU’s CLLD (community led local development) approach for the Interreg VI Italy-Austria Program. It promotes local social, economic, cultural and environmental development, sustainable tourism and safety in non-urban areas. Its main goal is to build dynamic, resource-balanced communities that benefit from cross-border cooperation. In order to achieve the goal the strategy can fund: Small projects: their objectives are to stimulate broad participation, promoting the integration of the three border areas and also to make it easier for the local actors to start taking part in the cross border cooperation. The budget for the whole project is between 3.000 and 50.000 euros( 80% public contribution + 20% partners funds); Medium projects with the goal of building cross-border cooperation, promoting local development and cooperation between the three areas in order to address common obstacles. The budget for each project is between 50.001 and 200.000 euros ( 80% public contribution + 20% partners funds). My role is to help improve the communication so that the strategy HEurOpen can be better promoted and reach as many people as possible. I’m also creating a database of possible stakeholder in the HEurOpen area. Thanks to the promotional activities I’m learning a lot about communication strategies and tools, but most importantly I’m learning a lot about cross-border cooperation and Interreg. – Lisa, IVY Project Partner at the Local Action Group OPEN LEADER for the Interreg Italy-Austria Project “Strategy HEurOpen”. Discover more about the Interreg project HEurOpen Click Here Discover more about the host organization Click Here
During my involvement in the D.E.C. (Digital Ethics Culture) project, I had the opportunity to contribute to an initiative aimed at providing a territorial analysis of the main gaps in citizens’ knowledge and awareness regarding the use of new technologies and the internet. The project aims to identify specific areas where citizens and young people encounter the greatest difficulties and provide them with the necessary tools to manage new technologies consciously. Throughout these three months, I had the opportunity to contribute to the project through various activities: Participation in project meetings: I collaborated with project partners and stakeholders, both locally and cross-border. Management of the project’s social media: I handled the project’s online presence, sharing news and results to increase visibility and awareness. The specific objective of the project is to create tools and methods that young generations can use to autonomously manage new technologies without being subjugated by them. To achieve this goal, the project focuses on analyzing three main areas: European legislation on data protection, cybersecurity, and the challenges and opportunities offered by artificial intelligence. The approach of the D.E.C. project aims not only to ensure compliance with data protection regulations but also to promote technological awareness among citizens and young people. Through concrete and specific actions, the project aims to provide practical tools that enable future generations to manage new technologies responsibly and consciously. – Sabrina, IVY Project Partner at the Eurelations Eeuropean Economic Interest Grouping – Eurelations EEIG for the Interreg Italy-Croatia Project “D.E.C.” Discover more about the D.E.C. project Click Here
Hey there, I am Luka, and I would like to share with you what my IVY experience has been so far. It has been a month and a half since I first stepped into the offices of the Manging Authority of the Interreg VI-A Italy-Slovenia Programme in Trieste and I am writing this to present to you, future IVYs, what such volunteering experience entails. I must admit that the first days were quite hard, a new environment, a new desk, and especially new colleagues, quite a lot to digest and get used to! But I soon found out that the work atmosphere is really relaxed, everyone is always ready to answer my questions, listen to my proposals and quickly jump to my rescue when I find myself in doubt. My role as an IVY reporter is to promote what the Interreg Programme does as an active member of the communication team, so as everyone can imagine my daily tasks are publishing content on the Programme website, revise and help with the writing of the brochure to present the state of the art of the projects cofinanced by Interreg Italy-Slovenia Programme, take part in the weekly meetings with the rest of the communication team, writing emails and much more. I also had the opportunity to be present at the 5th Monitoring Committee of the Interreg VI-A Italy-Slovenia Programme held on March 21st and 22nd 2024, this was something different from the usual day to day office work and was also the occasion for my first study visit of one of the partner’s sites of the MEDS GARDEN+ project. The prospect of an office job could sound a touch boring and always the same, but it is not. There is always something new and exciting to discuss and learn. Sure, it is quite a steep learning curve, getting used to the terminology and to the new role is not always easy. However, all the challenges and the opportunities that this IVY experience has presented so far were all moments of enrichment, of learning what volunteering in an atmosphere that promotes cooperation and shared European values is. I would strongly recommend to try it for yourself. Apply and become an IVY and help to promote what cooperation is and how can be implemented. It is an opportunity to challenge yourself, have fun and learn something new, an experience where you can participate in shaping our common future. Sure, everyone has a different memory, a different experience, however I am sure that this volunteering opportunity can help you, young people, to be prepared to work for a better cooperation and with that help to build a Europe ready for future challenges. Say YES and help shape a better tomorrow! – Luka, IVY Reporter at the Managing Authority of the Programme Interreg Italy-Slovenia
My name is Lisa Brenier and I am an IVY project partner for the COOL NOONs project at the Agency for Sustainable Mediterranean Cities and Territories (AViTeM) in Marseille, France. I recently graduated from the University of Freiburg and Sciences Po Aix with a double degree in political sciences, specializing in Euro-mediterranean cooperation. I was looking for an on field experience where I could use what I learned during the past few years. I was particularly interested in working on a project addressing climate change consequences in Mediterranean cities. What is COOL NOONS about? The goal of COOL NOONS is to promote climate change adaptation in urban settings while renewing the tourism offer in 5 pilot Mediterranean cities, during the hottest hours of the day : Lisbon (Portugal), Marseille (France), Imola (Italy), Dubrovnik (Croatia) and Budva (Montenegro). First, the pilot cities will develop some Cool Noons paths, mapping and connecting fresh spots and cool areas, including tourist attractions. The firsts paths will be tested on summer 2024. If you happen to visit one of the pilot cities, feel free to check those itineraries out and let us know what you think! Secondly, creative workshops involving citizens, tourists and local stakeholders will be organized to imagine and select some solutions to improve the quality of life and comfort of visitors. This could be greening the city, creating new shadow spaces, reinventing the use of some buildings, designing new indoors activities… Cool noon paths and some of the technical solutions will be implemented and tested during the summer 2025! Who is involved? The COOL NOONS project started in January 2024 and is funded by the Interreg Euro-Med program. This project is coordinated by the Agency of Mediterranean cities and territories (Avitem, France) and involves 8 other partners from 7 European countries: the Municipality of Lisbon, the Municipality of Marseille, the Metropolitan city of Bologna, the Imola Faenza Tourism Company, DURA (City Of Dubrovnik Development Agency), the Municipality of Budva, the University of Coimbra (Portugal) and the American College of Greece. As an IVY volunteering with AViTeM I support my colleagues in coordinating the activity of each partner – a little bit like an orchestra conductor. It is really fulfilling in the sense that I have an overview of the whole project and get to learn about a lot of different things (mapping tools and methodology, data collection, co-designing, communication etc.) Being posted in Marseille, one of the pilot cities, also allows me to see COOL NOONs being developed on the ground ! A project off to a great start From March 25th to 27th 2024, my colleague and I organized a workshop gathering all project partners gathered in Marseille to kick-off the collective work and to get trained on design thinking and collective intelligence. Through this training we acquired essential skills to coordinate and facilitate the co-designing workshops in their respective cities. It was a nice way to meet everyone working on this project in person! COOL NOONS was also under the spotlight during the kick-off of the Sustainable Tourism Community (Community4Tourism, C4T) in Rome on March 10th-11th 2024. The Community gathers all the thematic projects working on sustainable tourism funded by the Interreg Euro-Med program and aims to create synergies between them. We already saw promising connections with some “sister” projects! COOL NOONS was also presented on April 2024 at the public session of the other horizontal project related to sustainable tourism in Interreg Euro-Med: Dialog4Tourism(D4T). The COOL NOONS project partners during the meeting in Marseille Taking part in such events is a great opportunity to interact with the people and institutions shaping European action on the ground. Plus, it help to get in touch with common issues we have in our respective countries and address them in a transnational collaborative effort. As we presented COOL NOONS in Rome, the temperatures were reaching almost 30°C (in April), showcasing that the issues tackled by our project urgently need to be addressed beyond our five pilot cities. Don’t hesitate to follow the updates of the project on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and its website. – Lisa, IVY Project Partner at AVITEM – Agency for Sustainable Mediterranean Cities and Territories for the Interreg Euro – Med project “COOL NOONS” Discover more about the COOL NOONS Interreg project Click Here Discover more about the host organization Click Here
Hello everyone, We are currently active in the BASCIL project (Innovative Solutions for the Rural Food Production Sector to Diversify into Sustainable Culinary Tourism Services) and have been working intensively with pilot organizations by organizing and participating in three workshops on different topics.
Hello everyone! My name is Alice Crocco, a 26-year-old deeply passionate about social work and international cooperation. Always on the lookout for new opportunities, I discovered the Interreg Volunteer Youth (IVY) initiative, which enables young people to volunteer in cross-border and interregional projects.
Hi everyone! My name is Lisa, I’m 23 and I’m an Interreg Project Partner for the cross-border “Strategy HEurOpen 2021-2027” since February 2024. This strategy has the aim to promote and sustain cross-border collaboration between the Italy-Austria border. It is developed between three partners: GAL Open Leader, GAL Euroleader, based in Italy, and LAG Region Hermagor based in Austria. The Gal Open Leader is my host organization, is located in Pontebba, a small town in Friuli Venezia Giulia. It is a local action group that works in three main areas: Val Canale, Canal del Ferro and Gemonese, involving 15 municipalities. HEurOpen is an integrated cross-border strategy under the EU’s CLLD (community led local development) approach for the Interreg VI Italy-Austria Program. It promotes local social, economic, cultural and environmental development, sustainable tourism and safety in non-urban areas. Its main goal is to build dynamic, resource-balanced communities that benefit from cross-border cooperation. In order to achieve the goal the strategy can fund: Small projects: their objectives are to stimulate broad participation, promoting the integration of the three border areas and also to make it easier for the local actors to start taking part in the cross border cooperation. The budget for the whole project is between 3.000 and 50.000 euros( 80% public contribution + 20% partners funds); Medium projects with the goal of building cross-border cooperation, promoting local development and cooperation between the three areas in order to address common obstacles. The budget for each project is between 50.001 and 200.000 euros ( 80% public contribution + 20% partners funds). My role is to help improve the communication so that the strategy HEurOpen can be better promoted and reach as many people as possible. I’m also creating a database of possible stakeholder in the HEurOpen area. Thanks to the promotional activities I’m learning a lot about communication strategies and tools, but most importantly I’m learning a lot about cross-border cooperation and Interreg. – Lisa, IVY Project Partner at the Local Action Group OPEN LEADER for the Interreg Italy-Austria Project “Strategy HEurOpen”. Discover more about the Interreg project HEurOpen Click Here Discover more about the host organization Click Here
During my involvement in the D.E.C. (Digital Ethics Culture) project, I had the opportunity to contribute to an initiative aimed at providing a territorial analysis of the main gaps in citizens’ knowledge and awareness regarding the use of new technologies and the internet. The project aims to identify specific areas where citizens and young people encounter the greatest difficulties and provide them with the necessary tools to manage new technologies consciously. Throughout these three months, I had the opportunity to contribute to the project through various activities: Participation in project meetings: I collaborated with project partners and stakeholders, both locally and cross-border. Management of the project’s social media: I handled the project’s online presence, sharing news and results to increase visibility and awareness. The specific objective of the project is to create tools and methods that young generations can use to autonomously manage new technologies without being subjugated by them. To achieve this goal, the project focuses on analyzing three main areas: European legislation on data protection, cybersecurity, and the challenges and opportunities offered by artificial intelligence. The approach of the D.E.C. project aims not only to ensure compliance with data protection regulations but also to promote technological awareness among citizens and young people. Through concrete and specific actions, the project aims to provide practical tools that enable future generations to manage new technologies responsibly and consciously. – Sabrina, IVY Project Partner at the Eurelations Eeuropean Economic Interest Grouping – Eurelations EEIG for the Interreg Italy-Croatia Project “D.E.C.” Discover more about the D.E.C. project Click Here
Hey there, I am Luka, and I would like to share with you what my IVY experience has been so far. It has been a month and a half since I first stepped into the offices of the Manging Authority of the Interreg VI-A Italy-Slovenia Programme in Trieste and I am writing this to present to you, future IVYs, what such volunteering experience entails. I must admit that the first days were quite hard, a new environment, a new desk, and especially new colleagues, quite a lot to digest and get used to! But I soon found out that the work atmosphere is really relaxed, everyone is always ready to answer my questions, listen to my proposals and quickly jump to my rescue when I find myself in doubt. My role as an IVY reporter is to promote what the Interreg Programme does as an active member of the communication team, so as everyone can imagine my daily tasks are publishing content on the Programme website, revise and help with the writing of the brochure to present the state of the art of the projects cofinanced by Interreg Italy-Slovenia Programme, take part in the weekly meetings with the rest of the communication team, writing emails and much more. I also had the opportunity to be present at the 5th Monitoring Committee of the Interreg VI-A Italy-Slovenia Programme held on March 21st and 22nd 2024, this was something different from the usual day to day office work and was also the occasion for my first study visit of one of the partner’s sites of the MEDS GARDEN+ project. The prospect of an office job could sound a touch boring and always the same, but it is not. There is always something new and exciting to discuss and learn. Sure, it is quite a steep learning curve, getting used to the terminology and to the new role is not always easy. However, all the challenges and the opportunities that this IVY experience has presented so far were all moments of enrichment, of learning what volunteering in an atmosphere that promotes cooperation and shared European values is. I would strongly recommend to try it for yourself. Apply and become an IVY and help to promote what cooperation is and how can be implemented. It is an opportunity to challenge yourself, have fun and learn something new, an experience where you can participate in shaping our common future. Sure, everyone has a different memory, a different experience, however I am sure that this volunteering opportunity can help you, young people, to be prepared to work for a better cooperation and with that help to build a Europe ready for future challenges. Say YES and help shape a better tomorrow! – Luka, IVY Reporter at the Managing Authority of the Programme Interreg Italy-Slovenia
My name is Lisa Brenier and I am an IVY project partner for the COOL NOONs project at the Agency for Sustainable Mediterranean Cities and Territories (AViTeM) in Marseille, France. I recently graduated from the University of Freiburg and Sciences Po Aix with a double degree in political sciences, specializing in Euro-mediterranean cooperation. I was looking for an on field experience where I could use what I learned during the past few years. I was particularly interested in working on a project addressing climate change consequences in Mediterranean cities. What is COOL NOONS about? The goal of COOL NOONS is to promote climate change adaptation in urban settings while renewing the tourism offer in 5 pilot Mediterranean cities, during the hottest hours of the day : Lisbon (Portugal), Marseille (France), Imola (Italy), Dubrovnik (Croatia) and Budva (Montenegro). First, the pilot cities will develop some Cool Noons paths, mapping and connecting fresh spots and cool areas, including tourist attractions. The firsts paths will be tested on summer 2024. If you happen to visit one of the pilot cities, feel free to check those itineraries out and let us know what you think! Secondly, creative workshops involving citizens, tourists and local stakeholders will be organized to imagine and select some solutions to improve the quality of life and comfort of visitors. This could be greening the city, creating new shadow spaces, reinventing the use of some buildings, designing new indoors activities… Cool noon paths and some of the technical solutions will be implemented and tested during the summer 2025! Who is involved? The COOL NOONS project started in January 2024 and is funded by the Interreg Euro-Med program. This project is coordinated by the Agency of Mediterranean cities and territories (Avitem, France) and involves 8 other partners from 7 European countries: the Municipality of Lisbon, the Municipality of Marseille, the Metropolitan city of Bologna, the Imola Faenza Tourism Company, DURA (City Of Dubrovnik Development Agency), the Municipality of Budva, the University of Coimbra (Portugal) and the American College of Greece. As an IVY volunteering with AViTeM I support my colleagues in coordinating the activity of each partner – a little bit like an orchestra conductor. It is really fulfilling in the sense that I have an overview of the whole project and get to learn about a lot of different things (mapping tools and methodology, data collection, co-designing, communication etc.) Being posted in Marseille, one of the pilot cities, also allows me to see COOL NOONs being developed on the ground ! A project off to a great start From March 25th to 27th 2024, my colleague and I organized a workshop gathering all project partners gathered in Marseille to kick-off the collective work and to get trained on design thinking and collective intelligence. Through this training we acquired essential skills to coordinate and facilitate the co-designing workshops in their respective cities. It was a nice way to meet everyone working on this project in person! COOL NOONS was also under the spotlight during the kick-off of the Sustainable Tourism Community (Community4Tourism, C4T) in Rome on March 10th-11th 2024. The Community gathers all the thematic projects working on sustainable tourism funded by the Interreg Euro-Med program and aims to create synergies between them. We already saw promising connections with some “sister” projects! COOL NOONS was also presented on April 2024 at the public session of the other horizontal project related to sustainable tourism in Interreg Euro-Med: Dialog4Tourism(D4T). The COOL NOONS project partners during the meeting in Marseille Taking part in such events is a great opportunity to interact with the people and institutions shaping European action on the ground. Plus, it help to get in touch with common issues we have in our respective countries and address them in a transnational collaborative effort. As we presented COOL NOONS in Rome, the temperatures were reaching almost 30°C (in April), showcasing that the issues tackled by our project urgently need to be addressed beyond our five pilot cities. Don’t hesitate to follow the updates of the project on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and its website. – Lisa, IVY Project Partner at AVITEM – Agency for Sustainable Mediterranean Cities and Territories for the Interreg Euro – Med project “COOL NOONS” Discover more about the COOL NOONS Interreg project Click Here Discover more about the host organization Click Here
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