From eco-living and mushroom farming with worm compost at a rural French eco-place and reviving 30 hectares of degraded land through permaculture and syntropic agroforestry in Portugal, to 52 days of creative events on the Black Sea in Burgas, habitat conservation in a Croatian nature park, greening a university campus with recycled pallets in Poland, open youth work in a small Estonian community, and daily dog-shelter life in northern Italy โ this batch of 16 fully funded ESC placements spans 10 countries, with a strong environmental and community thread running through many of them.
Every ESC placement is fully funded โ flight, accommodation, food, monthly pocket money and insurance. Four placements are open "as soon as possible," and the rest run all the way from 17 July 2026 to April 2027, so there's a fit whether you want to leave this summer or plan far ahead.
What's in this batch:
16 ESC Volunteering Placements ยท 10 Countries ยท Deadlines from Now to April 2027
๐ฑ ESC Volunteering Opportunities
๐ต๐ฑ Poland โ Culture and Reading at a Library ๐จ
๐ Deadline: As soon as possible!
Bring an international spirit to a municipal public library serving a small Polish town. Support the staff in preparing and running cultural and educational activities for all ages, create content and manage social media like TikTok and Instagram, and realise your own initiatives with an intercultural twist. Help with excursions, workshops and concerts, run language cafรฉs and STEM sessions, promote reading with children, and capture it all through photos and videos. Open to residents of Portugal โ a content-creator's dream wrapped in a community role.
๐ท๐ด Romania โ Solidarity in a Rural Community ๐ชต
๐ Deadline: As soon as possible!
Be part of a team of volunteers helping life in a rural Romanian community. Do you like physical work, walking around, chatting with locals and youngsters, and sharing your experiences? Then this is for you! Together you'll help less fortunate locals with autumn chores and winter preparations, arrange and prepare youth centres, run learning activities for youngsters, and take part in cleaning actions. From fixing, painting and chopping wood to games, workshops and intercultural events, a little bit of everything is needed. Spend 30 days being solidary. Open to applicants from ๐ฎ๐น ๐ช๐ธ ๐ซ๐ท ๐ฉ๐ช ๐ต๐น and 26 more โ roll up your sleeves and become part of village life.
๐ช๐ช Estonia โ Open Youth Work in a Small Community ๐ค
๐ Deadline: As soon as possible!
Become part of a welcoming small community on a 10-month project in Estonia, contributing to the daily life of youth centres, schools and kindergartens. At the youth centre, discover an open, inclusive approach where young people aged 7 to 26 feel safe, spend time together and express themselves freely. Cooperate with local institutions to connect with children, teachers and community members, share your perspectives and interests, and develop your own ideas with support from local staff. A great way to experience everyday Estonian life. Open to applicants from ๐ฎ๐น ๐ช๐ธ ๐ซ๐ท ๐ฉ๐ช ๐ต๐ฑ and 41 more โ ten months to truly belong to a small Estonian town.
๐ New to ESC volunteering? Everything you need to know โ how it works, who can apply, what costs are covered โ is in one place. Read the complete guide โ
๐ต๐ฑ Poland โ Play, Language and Culture in a Kindergarten ๐จ
๐ Deadline: As soon as possible!
Bring an international spirit to a municipal kindergarten for children aged three to six. Assist teachers with daily care, outdoor play, excursions, events and art, and take the initiative to organise workshops and presentations that introduce your culture and language to the little ones. Teach English and other languages in a fun, informal way through games and exercises, adding an intercultural spark to everyday learning. A joyful placement for patient, creative people who love working with children. Open to applicants from ๐ฎ๐น ๐ช๐ธ ๐ซ๐ท ๐ฉ๐ช ๐ต๐น and 25 more โ the youngest, most joyful classroom in this batch.
๐ฎ๐น Italy โ Dog Care and Animal Rights ๐
๐ Deadline: 17 July 2026
Spend your days with the dogs at an animal rights shelter in northern Italy. Care for the shelter dogs, prepare their food and take them for walks, clean their spaces and get to know each animal's personality and special needs. Support the organisation of animal rights events and help tell their story through social media and the website. A hands-on placement for animal lovers ready to get up early, get their hands dirty and be fully immersed in shelter life. Open to applicants from ๐ฉ๐ช ๐ซ๐ท ๐ช๐ธ ๐ธ๐ช ๐ณ๐ฑ and 24 more โ early mornings, muddy boots, and a lot of grateful dogs.
โ๏ธ Last-minute motivation letter? Here's how to write one that actually gets read โ and remembered. Read the guide โ
๐ญ๐ท Croatia โ Habitat Conservation in a Nature Park ๐ฆ
๐ Deadline: 20 July 2026
Get hands-on with nature conservation in a beautiful Croatian nature park. Learn about the area's habitats, wildlife and the links between the park's work and sustainability, ecology and conservation. Your tasks focus on maintaining grasslands and ponds, clearing small bush areas, and simple hand-gardening with tools like scissors and rakes, under the guidance of park staff. You'll also help the local elderly population with their gardens, orchards and stables, with results directly visible in nature protection. Open to applicants from ๐ฎ๐น ๐ช๐ธ ๐ซ๐ท ๐ฉ๐ช ๐ต๐น and 20 more โ conservation work you can see take effect, season by season.
๐ต๐น Portugal โ Youth Work and Intercultural Exchange (Lisbon) ๐จ
๐ Deadline: 20 July 2026
Join a youth NGO in Lisbon dedicated to exchange, training and cooperation between peoples. As an ESC volunteer, you will support the organisation's youth work and intercultural activities, contribute to non-formal education, citizenship and creative projects, and grow your skills in an international, dynamic environment. A great opportunity to experience life in Lisbon while making a meaningful contribution to youth and community work. Open to applicants from ๐ฎ๐น ๐ช๐ธ ๐ซ๐ท ๐ฉ๐ช ๐ต๐ฑ and 28 more โ youth work by day, Lisbon by evening.
๐ก What do organisations actually look for in an ESC volunteer? Skills, values, attitude โ what makes a strong profile. Read the guide โ
๐ฆ๐ฑ Albania โ Summer Team Volunteering (Tirana) ๐จ
๐ Deadline: 27 July 2026
Spend your summer in Tirana as part of an international volunteering team bringing together young people from Italy and Albania. Through education, creativity, culture and sport, you will contribute to community activities, foster intercultural dialogue, and develop your teamwork, communication and leadership skills, all while discovering Albanian life and making new friends. A vibrant short-term experience for motivated, open-minded young people. Open to applicants from ๐ฆ๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐น โ a short, sociable summer in an under-explored capital.
๐ต๐ฑ Poland โ Community Work at a Neighbourhood House (Gdaลsk) ๐
๐ Deadline: 31 July 2026
Join a non-profit foundation in Gdaลsk dedicated to lifelong learning, community development and social inclusion, especially for people from disadvantaged backgrounds. At a neighbourhood house, help the coordinator organise and run various activities, create and lead your own initiatives, deliver English lessons for the local community, seniors and staff, develop senior education activities, and manage the foundation's social media. A varied placement for dynamic, patient people who love working with all ages. Open to residents of Italy โ every generation in one welcoming house.
๐ง๐ฌ Bulgaria โ Creative Events on the Black Sea (Burgas) ๐
๐ Deadline: 31 July 2026
Your unforgettable summer on the Black Sea starts here! Join an international volunteering team in Burgas for 52 days of adventures, new friendships and community-changing causes. Get involved in organising large-scale, creative events: an Urban Treasures Festival reviving memory sites, a Humanifesto Youth Talk Conference giving voice to innovative ideas, a PARK(ing) Day transforming parking spots into spaces for art and relaxation, and the European Day of Languages celebrating cultural diversity. Open to applicants from ๐ช๐ธ ๐ต๐ฑ ๐บ๐ฆ ๐น๐ท ๐ซ๐ฎ and 11 more โ a whole summer of festivals with the Black Sea at the end of the day.
๐บ๏ธ Not sure if your country is eligible? The full list of ESC and Erasmus+ programme and partner countries โ including many outside the EU. Check eligibility โ
๐ต๐ฑ Poland โ Greening a University Campus and Sustainable Living ๐ณ
๐ Deadline: 31 July 2026
Spend two weeks with an international team greening a university campus in Poland and inspiring a more sustainable way of life. Plant greenery, build outdoor furniture from recycled pallets, run workshops and co-create eco-friendly materials with students and the local community. Open to applicants from ๐ฆ๐น ๐ฌ๐ช ๐ต๐น ๐ฑ๐น ๐ท๐ธ and 20 more โ a short, hands-on burst of campus greening.
๐ท๐ด Romania โ Youth Centres and Environmental Education ๐ช
๐ Deadline: 15 August 2026
Join a team preparing activities in youth centres and educating young people about the environment in rural Romania. Run interactive activities, lectures, simulation games and role-plays with youngsters, including at a mobile youth centre, take pupils on visits to a landfill and recycling centre, and organise treasure hunts, wide games and intercultural events. You will work across youth centres, local schools, libraries and the outdoors, and help organise summer events including a rural festival. Open to applicants from ๐ฎ๐น ๐ช๐ธ ๐ซ๐ท ๐ฉ๐ช ๐ต๐น and 25 more โ make the environment click for kids through games, not lectures.
๐ฉ๐ช Germany โ Intercultural Youth Work and Camps (Stuttgart) ๐ช
๐ Deadline: 20 August 2026
Join a non-profit youth organisation in Stuttgart focused on non-formal education, intercultural learning, youth mobility and camps. As one of three ESC volunteers, you will support and develop intercultural projects, help with office tasks and materials for seminars and camps, prepare educational activities and youth camps, and create social media content. Depending on your interests, you can even help lead a summer camp or develop a small project of your own, with the chance to gain a youth leader certification. Open to applicants from ๐ฎ๐น ๐ช๐ธ ๐ซ๐ท ๐ต๐น ๐ต๐ฑ and 24 more โ a placement that can leave you with a youth-leader qualification.
๐ซ "I'm not qualified enough." "I don't speak the language." Four common ESC myths โ and the facts that prove them wrong. Read the facts โ
๐ซ๐ท France โ Eco Living and Mushroom Farming ๐
๐ Deadline: 31 August 2026
Nature lovers wanted for a short-term placement at an eco-place in rural France. Help develop the site and work at the mushroom farm, tending the fruiting room, harvesting mushrooms and caring for the worm compost, alongside gardening and maintenance. Living a minimal, resilient and ethical lifestyle, you will learn sustainable practices, eat very local, seasonal and fresh food, and become an agent of positive social, cultural and environmental change. Open to applicants from ๐ฎ๐น ๐ช๐ธ ๐ฉ๐ช ๐ต๐น ๐ญ๐ท and 11 more โ off-grid living, mushrooms and worm compost included.
๐ต๐น Portugal โ Supporting European Project Management ๐
๐ Deadline: 8 October 2026
Support the project management work of an organisation dedicated to improving democracy through youth participation. Assist with planning, implementing and monitoring projects, join team meetings and discussions, help prepare reports, minutes and presentations, support event logistics, and contribute to research for new project proposals and funding. You'll also help prepare Erasmus+ applications and promote European programmes in schools and public spaces, gaining real inside experience of how EU-funded projects work. Open to residents of Italy โ learn how EU-funded projects really run, from the inside.
๐ต๐น Portugal โ Regenerative Gardening and Agroforestry ๐ณ
๐ Deadline: 11 April 2027
Dive deep into nature on a project reviving 30 hectares of degraded land through permaculture and syntropic agroforestry. Rooted in cooperation with nature and the power of diversity, this model for eco living builds food and water security through regenerative practices. Get hands-on creating and maintaining agroforestry systems, organic gardening, developing compost areas and regenerative landscaping, and contribute to cultural and community events like collective cooking, local markets and listening sessions. Open to applicants from ๐ฎ๐น ๐ช๐ธ ๐ฉ๐ช ๐น๐ท ๐ต๐ฑ and 60 more โ the longest runway in this batch, and 30 hectares to bring back to life.
Sixteen fully funded ESC placements across 10 countries โ with the natural world at the heart of many of them. Eco-living and mushroom farming in rural France, reviving 30 hectares of degraded land through syntropic agroforestry in Portugal, 52 days of Black Sea creative events in Burgas, habitat conservation in a Croatian nature park, greening a university campus with recycled pallets in Poland, and open youth work in a small Estonian community โ these are not opportunities you'll see grouped together again.
Poland leads with four placements โ a library, a kindergarten, a Gdaลsk neighbourhood house and a campus-greening project โ while Portugal offers three (Lisbon youth work, project management and a regenerative land project) and Romania two rural roles. Environmental and community work run right through the batch, from Croatian conservation to French mushroom farming. The four "as soon as possible" placements reward the fastest applicants; then the Italian dog shelter closes on 17 July, a busy cluster falls on 31 July, and the calendar stretches through autumn all the way to a Portuguese regenerative-gardening role closing in April 2027. Choose yours before the early ones fill.
