Are you ready to make an impact while gaining unforgettable experience in the Netherlands? "Empowering Youth: Live, Learn, Share, Serve, in the Heart of Nature" is an ESC short-term volunteering project organised by Stichting Don Bosco Youthnet Nederland and funded by the European Solidarity Corps, based in Assel on the Veluwe, the largest national park in the Netherlands. Built on the values of inclusion, sustainability, and networking, you help create a welcoming community while caring for the environment, living and working alongside an international team of youth workers, volunteers, and the Salesians of Don Bosco.
In a nutshell, you will be part of a dynamic, multicultural team, gain real-world experience in youth work and ecology, make a difference in the lives of others, and live in the largest national park in the Netherlands.
🏠 Who Are We?
Don Bosco Youthnet Nederland is a youth-work foundation founded in 2006 that aims to create new opportunities for young people. Alongside being part of the worldwide Don Bosco network, it enjoys close partnership with 17 other Don Bosco organisations that promote international activities for and by young people as part of the European Don Bosco Youth-Net.
🎯 Mission: to give all young people the opportunity to develop their travel and volunteer skills, skills they almost always use in their own communities afterwards, helping them actively engage with the world and grow into independent, responsible citizens, regardless of faith, physical disability, or financial possibilities.
🌱 Vision: working from the Don Bosco philosophy, giving young people the chance to develop freely, take responsibility, connect with others, and find meaning, built on four key elements:
🏡 A home where everyone can be themselves in a warm, relaxed atmosphere
🏫 A school where every young person has the opportunity for personal, personally adapted development
🎡 A playground where young people are given space to express themselves and learn to take responsibility
🧭 A place of meaning where young people can find direction in their inner world of dreams, motivations, ideals, and beliefs
🌍 What Will You Do?
The project focuses on inclusion (helping everyone feel part of the community) and sustainability (caring for the environment). Working together with the other volunteers, your tasks include supporting a local Youth Centre with their activities, helping with ecological maintenance, cleaning accommodations, and assisting with an international Erasmus+ project. You also help plan and take part in international youth exchanges, trainings, and cultural events, gaining experience working with young people from different backgrounds, especially those facing challenges, and you assist the hospitality manager with the day-to-day operations of running a group accommodation.
🌲 Also drawn to youth work close to nature? This placement blends the two in Finland: ESC Volunteering in 🇫🇮 Finland 🌲 Youth Work in a Coastal Town 🏖️ → https://youthworkshub.org/21765
🕒 Working Schedule
You are expected to work approximately 34 hours a week, spread across different tasks over the project:
🧒 Youth Centre, 30%: a welcoming place where young people meet, learn, and create together. After school it is a safe, inspiring space to study, play games, develop projects, make music in the recording studio, and take part in creative workshops, with monthly events, concerts, and activities. Because it is an after-school programme, working hours on these days run from approximately 13:30 to 22:00
🏨 Hospitality Management, 30%: supporting the day-to-day running of the group accommodation
🇪🇺 Erasmus+ Projects, 25%: helping host and organise international activities
🎨 Your Talent, 10%: every week, 10% of your hours can be spent developing something you want to grow in, such as photography, painting, or woodcarving
🌿 Ecological Maintenance and Cleaning, 5%
Keep in mind that not every week has the same schedule; some weeks lean much more heavily on one task than another, as the percentages are calculated across the entire project.
🧑🤝🧑 Who Are We Looking For?
The project is looking for a volunteer between the ages of 18 and 30 who is enthusiastic, open-minded, and motivated, and who wants to make a positive impact on society, learn new skills, and experience a different country and culture. The qualities sought are:
🌱 Willing to learn and try new things
🤝 Interested in helping others and working with young people
🌍 Passionate about the environment and promoting green initiatives
💡 Motivated to take initiative and propose new ideas
🗣️ Comfortable working in English
👥 Ready to work in a multicultural team, and friendly, empathetic, and eager to connect with others
🏡 Practical Arrangements
🌲 You will live on the Veluwe, surrounded by green forests, fresh air, and natural beauty, with accommodation provided on the Don Bosco grounds in Assel
🛏️ You share a room with the other short-term volunteer (same sex), and share the bathroom, kitchen, and living room with two long-term volunteers, in what may be a mixed-sex household; the site also has a laundry room, sports field, and chapel
🍽️ Some lunches and dinners are organised with the local community, and for other meals volunteers are free to cook together or for themselves
🚲 The centre of Apeldoorn, the nearest town, is about 30 minutes (10 km) away by bicycle; several bicycles are available, as well as a car belonging to the association, and having a driving licence is preferred, as the venue is not easily accessible by public transport
💶 You receive pocket money according to European Solidarity Corps standards every month, based on the year and the country of volunteering
🌾 Prefer a simpler, off-grid community experience in the Netherlands? This placement offers exactly that: ESC Volunteering in 🇳🇱 Netherlands 🌾 Simple Living, Yoga & Sharing Circles at Land van Aine Ecovillage in Ter Apel 🧘 → https://youthworkshub.org/19372
📆 Activity Dates
A total of 8 weeks during the period 1 September 2026 to 31 October 2026. The activity location is Pomphulweg 106, Hoog Soeren, Netherlands (Don Bosco grounds in Assel).
🌍 Eligible Countries
🇦🇹 Austria, 🇧🇪 Belgium, 🇧🇬 Bulgaria, 🇭🇷 Croatia, 🇨🇿 Czechia, 🇩🇰 Denmark, 🇫🇮 Finland, 🇫🇷 France, 🇩🇪 Germany, 🇬🇷 Greece, 🇭🇺 Hungary, 🇮🇪 Ireland, 🇮🇹 Italy, 🇱🇻 Latvia, 🇱🇺 Luxembourg, 🇲🇹 Malta, 🇳🇴 Norway, 🇵🇱 Poland, 🇵🇹 Portugal, 🇸🇰 Slovakia, 🇸🇮 Slovenia, 🇪🇸 Spain
📩 How to Apply
Read the infopack and project description carefully, then apply through the official European Solidarity Corps opportunity page. Registration on the European Solidarity Corps Portal is required.
⏰ Deadline
24 August 2026 (12:00).
🔗 Links
📄 Official project page: https://youth.europa.eu/solidarity/opportunity/53775_en
⚠️ Important Notice
Youth Works Hub is not the organiser, partner, or representative of the listed projects. This listing is shared for information only, based on details from the source. Deadlines, eligible countries, dates, and other details may change or be withdrawn at any time, and all funding, reimbursements, and allowances are set by the project coordinator or National Agency. Applications go directly to the coordinator or hosting organisation through the official link. Listings may include third-party links (ESC Portal, infopacks, forms) that Youth Works Hub does not control. Always verify the details on the official project page before applying.
