We strengthen European youth volunteering by improving conditions for volunteering across Europe and partner regions and by spreading awareness about the European Solidarity Corps.
SNAC Volunteering is a strategic cooperation of National Agencies and SALTO Resource Centres dedicated to improving conditions for youth volunteering in Europe and its partner regions. As coordinators of the 2022–2027 Strategic National Agencies’ Cooperation, we work to enhance the European Solidarity Corps and embed solidarity at the heart of European volunteering efforts.
We raise awareness about the Corps and support the development of high-quality standards and better recognition for volunteers. Grounded in the EU Council Recommendation on the Mobility of Young Volunteers, our mission is clear: to build a stronger, more inclusive, and impactful European volunteering landscape.
Through online courses, international events, and policy dialogue, we help organisations support volunteers in reflecting on and recognising what they’ve learned. We also contribute to shaping a common approach across Europe - working towards future tools like a shared EU volunteer status and stronger recognition of youth volunteering in the education and business sectors.
Through this work package, we explore how youth volunteering helps shape and respond to EU policies. Grounded in evidence, we turn insights into practical tools, webinars, and events that raise awareness, highlight trends, and support learning. Initiatives like NextGen Volunteers: Shaping Europe’s Future Together give young people space to reflect, connect, and share their ideas.
2026 Symposium: Recognising Youth Volunteering: From Experience to Impact - Dublin
Save the date: 3. to 5. November 2026 in Dublin, Ireland.
This European symposium will bring together practitioners, policymakers, researchers, and young people to explore how youth volunteering is recognized and valued across Europe, and how learning gained through volunteering can be validated in meaningful, inclusive, and future-oriented ways.
Objectives
- Build a shared understanding of recognition and validation in the context of youth volunteering, and map current practices, policies, and frameworks across Europe.
- Identify gaps, barriers, and enablers at local, national, and European levels, including challenges in validating learning outcomes.
- Develop actionable recommendations by co-creating proposals for improved policies, tools, stakeholder collaboration, and support mechanisms, and suggesting concrete next steps for organisations, National Agencies, policymakers, and European bodies.
Further information, including registration details and the draft programme, will be shared in due course.
We are looking forward to two days of exchange, reflection, and co-creation on strengthening the recognition and validation of youth volunteering across Europe.
2025 Building Bridges, Creating Change - The Power of Youth Volunteering - France
Celebrating the unique value of lived solidarity and the transformative power of EU volunteering. The conference aimed to explore the transformative power of youth volunteering. It brought together stakeholders to advocate for a renewed vision for the future of EU youth volunteering.
Organized by the SALTO European Solidarity Corps Resource Centre and Agence Erasmus+ France Jeunesse & Sport, it has highlighted the profound impact of the European Solidarity Corps and showcased its potential as a value-driven European youth programme, having solidarity naturally in its heart.
Through discussions, knowledge exchange, and mutual support, we aimed to strengthen the Solidarity Corps and empower youth volunteering to address societal challenges and create a brighter, more united future.
From policy to practice, we created this magazine to capture how youth volunteering is building bridges across Europe. It brings together the key outcomes and insights from the 2025 conference, reflecting our shared ambition to strengthen the European Solidarity Corps and improve conditions for youth volunteering across the continent.
Read the magazine,find more impressions and infos about the speakers here
2023 Shaping Volunteering in Europe and Beyond - Montenegro
Volunteering Conference 2023: Shaping Volunteering in Europe and Beyond
The Volunteering Conference 2023 was held in Podgorica, Montenegro. It marked the start of a long-term cooperation project between National Agencies working in volunteering.
The main goals of the conference were:
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To help with the EU Council's Recommendation on making it easier for young people to volunteer across Europe.
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To create opportunities for networking and sharing ideas among everyone involved in the European Solidarity Corps.
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To support the mid-term evaluation of the European Solidarity Corps program.
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To celebrate 5 years since the first application deadline of the European Solidarity Corps.
Around 100 participants—including National Agencies, civil society and volunteering organisations, young people, experts, and trainers—came together to share knowledge and inspire each other.
You can read and download the full conference report as a PDF here.