The LEGO Foundation Fellowship opens with $300,000 of flexible research funding over three years for early- and mid-career researchers working on how children thrive — across crisis and conflict, neurodivergent children and AI-enabled learning. The NGFP 2027 Fellowship for young futures and foresight practitioners aged 18-35 offers a USD 1,000 kick-starter fund and a chance at a USD 10,000 grand prize, open from anywhere in the world. DAAD's Helmut-Schmidt-Programme fully funds Master's scholarships in Public Policy & Good Governance at seven German universities with a €992/month stipend, German course and waived tuition. Eurojust and EIF round out the EU traineeship side. Plus BioArt Village off-grid animal care in a Dutch forest, an Italian anti-trafficking residential shelter, Brazilian Capoeira community work in a disadvantaged district, two Italian-residents-only placements in Romania and Spain, the Strasbourg primary school language placement for Austrian/German women, Ostello Monte Barro environmental education in a Lombardy mountain park, and Cracow active ageing intergenerational work.
Every ESC placement is fully funded — flight, accommodation, food, monthly pocket money and insurance. The Erasmus+ online seminar is free. EU institution traineeships at Eurojust and EIF come with €1,500/month grants. Two global fellowships and the DAAD scholarship come with substantial multi-year funding. A massive deadline cluster falls 22-31 July.
What's in this batch:
10 ESC Volunteering Placements · 3 EU Institution Traineeships · 1 Erasmus+ Online Seminar · 2 Global Research Fellowships · 1 Fully Funded Master's Scholarship · 10 Countries + Global
🌱 ESC Volunteering Opportunities
🇮🇹 Italy — Residential Care for Unaccompanied Minors and Victims of Human Trafficking 💛
📅 Deadline: ASAP
A residential care house working for the social integration of people in marginalisation, with particular attention to victims of human trafficking, unaccompanied minors and vulnerable young adults — support the educators by helping build an environment based on respect, sharing and legality, contribute to domestic life (cooking, cleaning, house rules), accompany beneficiaries toward autonomy and social-health services, and organise workshops and orientation toward work placement.
🇳🇱 Netherlands — BioArt Village Off-Grid Living with Animal Care and Permaculture Gardening 🐄
📅 Deadline: ASAP
A unique off-grid placement at a forest location where you'll develop practical skills in animal care, renovation and green maintenance while embracing sustainable living — the animal family includes cows, ponies, sheep, pigs, chickens, geese, an aviary, dogs and a cat — ⚠️ Off-grid lifestyle; daily tasks are physically demanding; Dutch weather can be challenging.
🇧🇷 Brazil — Umbúntu Community Cultural Space with Permaculture Gardening and Capoeira 🥁
📅 Deadline: ASAP
A six-month humanitarian aid experience at a community and cultural space in a disadvantaged district — take part in workshops on edible plant processing, handicrafts, capoeira, percussion and language teaching, and contribute hands-on to environmentally sustainable practices through farming, permaculture gardening, construction and other manual activities, raising awareness about climate change and green alternatives — ⚠️ Compulsory Humanitarian Aid Volunteering training required.
🇷🇴 Romania for Italians — Fundatia Nationala pentru Tineret with Workshops, Promotion and Logistics 📅
📅 Deadline: 20 June 2026
A transformative experience focused on organising activities that respond to the needs of young people while supporting your own growth as a volunteer — prepare and run events, workshops and activities; handle media and promotion through photography, video, articles and online content; manage event logistics by setting up spaces, equipment and materials; and take part in awareness-raising actions across a heterogeneous and collaborative team — open to Italian residents only.
📋 New to ESC volunteering? Everything you need to know — how it works, who can apply, what costs are covered — is in one place. Read the complete guide →
🇭🇷 Croatia — Soften Our Steps with Sustainable Rural Development and Community Building 🌾
📅 Deadline: 25 June 2026
A summer team project at an eco centre in a small village focused on sustainable and rural development, community building, volunteerism and multiculturalism — maintain and renovate properties, organise events for the local community, take part in gardening, help in the kitchen, support local residents and contribute to renovating an old school in the village while living a slow rural lifestyle.
🇮🇹 Italy — Ostello Monte Barro Environmental Education at a Mountain Park Hostel 🏔️
📅 Deadline: 26 June 2026
Ostello Monte Barro is looking for volunteers to join its environmental education activities inside a nature park — help with hostel maintenance, guest check-in and room preparation, recycling and upcycling materials for the hostel, give visitors information on local hiking paths, and design and run didactic workshops on art, environmental education and creative recycling for school groups, plus social media support — ⚠️ Vegetarian or vegan diet asked; isolated natural setting; CV and motivation in English.
🇵🇱 Poland — Stories Smiles and Connections Promoting Active Ageing and Intergenerational Bonds 🧓
📅 Deadline: 26 June 2026
A friendly, communicative placement focused on promoting active ageing, social participation and community wellbeing — support the organisation and implementation of workshops, social gatherings, cultural events and recreational activities for older adults; help create a welcoming and inclusive environment; assist with material preparation, event logistics and local community promotion; document activities through photos and short reports respecting privacy; and contribute ideas for new activities that encourage lifelong learning — ⚠️ B1 English required.
🇮🇹 Italy — Stay Active Volunteer Vol. 5: Long-Term Volunteering with InCo 🤝
📅 Deadline: 30 June 2026
Motivated to volunteer abroad for the long term? InCo is coordinating 12 ESC individual volunteering projects in Italy, generally lasting 10 to 12 months from September 2026, in fields like social challenges, education, and creativity and culture — accommodation and pocket money covered, plus weekly Italian classes.
✍️ Last-minute motivation letter? Here's how to write one that actually gets read — and remembered. Read the guide →
🇫🇷 France for Austrian and German Residents — Helping Language Courses in a Primary School 🗣️
📅 Deadline: 30 June 2026
Join a primary school in Strasbourg supporting teachers and mainly stepping into the English and German language classes, with the project running across the school year — hosted in a shared flat a short walk from the school, with your own bedroom and shared common spaces — ⚠️ Open to women only due to accommodation rules; German and English speakers only, basic French recommended; open to residents of Austria and Germany.
🇪🇸 Spain for Italians — Youth Department with Bolsa de Idiomas Language Exchange and Eurodesk 🌍
📅 Deadline: 31 July 2026
A dynamic project at a Youth Department supporting young people in education, employment and international mobility — design and run programmes, workshops and recreational activities (especially within the Bolsa de Idiomas language exchange and a local Eurodesk information point), manage social media and promote European opportunities through workshops at youth organisations and secondary schools — open to Italian residents only.
🎓 Erasmus+ Opportunities
🇮🇹 Italy — Transforming Challenges into Shared Happiness with Positive Psychology and Empathy Tools, Online Seminar 😊
📅 Deadline: 2 July 2026
A free online seminar for 50 youth workers, trainers, mentors, coaches and educators — discover what emerged from two international workshops and several local labs, explore open reusable resources (Happiness Toolkit and Happiness Calendar) and join a European Community of Practice sharing positive psychology and empathy tools for emotional wellbeing and community resilience.
🏛️ EU Institution Traineeships
🇳🇱 Netherlands — Traineeship in Internal Control & Risk Management at Eurojust, €1,500/month 📊
📅 Deadline: 22 June 2026
Recent graduate in business administration or a related field, interested in internal controls and risk? Eurojust, the EU Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation, is offering a 5-month traineeship in the Netherlands, with a €1,500 monthly grant — open to nationals of EU Member States and EU candidate countries.
🇳🇱 Netherlands — Traineeship at the JITs Network Secretariat at Eurojust, €1,500/month ⚖️
📅 Deadline: 22 June 2026
Recent law graduate interested in judicial cooperation and joint investigation teams? Eurojust is offering a 5-month traineeship at its JITs Network Secretariat in the Netherlands, covering legal analysis, meeting preparation and database management, with a €1,500 monthly grant — open to nationals of EU Member States and EU candidate countries.
🇱🇺 Luxembourg — Trainee in Equity Investments & Data Analytics at the European Investment Fund 📊
📅 Deadline: 23 June 2026
Studying or recently graduated in finance, data analytics, business analytics or applied mathematics, and strong with Excel and dashboards? The European Investment Fund (EIF) is offering a 5-month traineeship in Luxembourg, improving portfolio data and analytics across venture capital, private equity and infrastructure funds.
💡 What do organisations actually look for in an ESC volunteer? Skills, values, attitude — what makes a strong profile. Read the guide →
🏆 Fellowships
🌍 Global — NGFP 2027: Next Generation Foresight Practitioners for Young Changemakers, $1,000 Fund + $10,000 Prize 🔮
📅 Deadline: 26 June 2026
Aged 18 to 35 and just beginning in futures and foresight, with a bold project for systems-level change? The NGFP 2027 Fellowship offers a one-year journey of project support, training and global community, a USD 1,000 kick-starter fund and a chance to win a USD 10,000 grand prize — open from anywhere in the world.
🌍 Global — The LEGO Foundation Fellowship: Research on How Children Thrive, $300,000 over 3 Years 🧒
📅 Deadline: 31 July 2026
Early- or mid-career researcher with a PhD working on how children thrive? The LEGO Foundation Fellowship offers $300,000 of flexible research funding over three years, across three themes: children in crisis and conflict, neurodivergent children, and children's learning in an AI-enabled world — open to applicants from almost any country.
🎓 Scholarships
🇩🇪 Germany — DAAD Helmut-Schmidt-Programme: Master's Scholarships for Public Policy & Good Governance 2027, Fully Funded €992/month 🌍
📅 Deadline: 31 July 2026
Graduate from a developing or emerging country aiming for a career in public policy or good governance? The DAAD Helmut-Schmidt-Programme fully funds an English-taught Master's at one of seven German universities, with a €992/month scholarship, health insurance, travel, a German course and waived tuition.
🗺️ Not sure if your country is eligible? The full list of ESC and Erasmus+ programme and partner countries — including many outside the EU. Check eligibility →
This batch sits at the heavyweight end of the season — two global research fellowships (LEGO Foundation at $300,000 over three years and NGFP Foresight at $1,000 + $10,000 prize), the DAAD Helmut-Schmidt Master's Programme with €992/month and waived tuition for graduates from developing and emerging countries, plus three EU institution traineeships at €1,500/month each. On the long-form ESC side, the Italian anti-trafficking residential shelter and the Brazilian Capoeira community work in a disadvantaged district both open with rolling ASAP deadlines, while BioArt Village's off-grid animal family in a Dutch forest awaits volunteers ready for cows, ponies, sheep, pigs and challenging Dutch weather. The Italian-residents-only cluster covers Romania, Spain and Italy itself, the Strasbourg primary school role opens to Austrian and German women residents only, and Ostello Monte Barro hosts a mountain park environmental education placement (vegetarian/vegan diet). Three ASAP roles. Romania closes 20 June. Eurojust ×2 close 22 June. EIF closes 23 June. The biggest cluster lands 26 June – 31 July.
