Onda Verde – Associação Juvenil de Ambiente e Aventura, was founded in 1996, in Avintes, Vila Nova de Gaia. It has more than 900 members, most of them youngsters. The main objectives of the organization are: to defend and preserve nature, to occupy young people's free time with sports activities, to make youth more sensitive to environmental problems, both rural and urban, and to encourage them to be active in this field. In the International field, we have been active since 2002, and we have already participated in more than 100 Erasmus+ and EVS/ESC projects (be it Exchanges, Seminars and Volunteering Projects). Our activities are dedicated not only to members of the organization, but also to the local community. In our organization dynamic, many activities are carried out in Schools, promoting Environmental Education and the practice of Sports. Seasonally we carry out more outdoor activities, such as: canoeing, rock climbing, slide, paintball, hiking, etc. The monitoring of volunteers, the creation and promotion of activities, the management of projects and other issues related to international projects are already common practice among members of the organization. We have had success stories with the volunteers we received and where strong bonds of friendship are created that still persist today and some volunteers even chose to return to Portugal, after finishing their project and making their lives here. We are Members of the Board of FAJDP - Federação das Associações Juvenis do Distrito do Porto (President Marco Santos is from Onda Verde), of CPADA - Confederação Portuguesa das Associações de Defesa do Ambiente, of FNAJ - Federação Nacional das Associações Juvenis, of FABP - Federação dos Arqueiros e Besteiros de Portugal, of FCMP - Federação de Campismo e Montanhismo de Portugal and of FPCUB - Federação Portuguesa de Cicloturismo e Utilizadores de Bicicleta, among others.

The community of Avintes and Vila Nova de Gaia, located in the second largest district of Portugal, places great importance on raising awareness among children and young people about the need to preserve and protect nature. Volunteers will support us in a variety of activities related to environmental education and non-formal learning. Through the practice of adventure sports and the organization of outdoor activities, they will help develop a project designed to engage young people with fewer opportunities or at risk of social exclusion. Using non-formal education methods, the goal is to promote both social and educational inclusion. Volunteers will bring fresh perspectives to our project while enjoying the chance to connect with the local community and gain a truly enriching volunteering experience. We currently run several ongoing projects, and volunteers will have the opportunity to participate in all of them, experiencing different people and places along the way.

Volunteers will be accommodated in a fully equipped house located in downtown Porto, the project work place is in Vila Nova de Gaia (Avintes). All food expenses are covered. Volunteers are responsible for doing their own grocery shopping and will be reimbursed weekly for food costs. We also provide a transportation monthly ticket that covers travel within the city and surrounding areas.

OLS - Online Language Support (Portuguese) Pre-Departure Training On-Arrival Training Mid-Term Training

The Participant profile: The volunteer should demonstrate flexibility, a willingness to work as part of a team, and an openness to learning new things. It is important to be someone who enjoys interacting with others, is communicative, and socially engaged, as most of our work relies heavily on interpersonal relationships. We are looking for someone who is proactive, interested in Portuguese culture, and eager to learn. Onda Verde is an environmental organization, so we value volunteers who have a passion for nature and sports, and who are capable of, or willing to learn how to, engage with people from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Deadline: No application deadline

The project is implemented under the European Solidarity Corps Programme, financed by the European Commission.
The participating organisations have to be mindful of these needs as they are responsible for providing a respectful and trusting hosting environment. At the same time, the organisations participating in the initiative devote a great deal of time, energy and resources to set up a high-quality activity; they should therefore expect that European Solidarity Corps participants show a similar level of respect for the local communities and the people that are directly concerned by the activities (https://youth.europa.eu/solidarity/mission_en).
What do we provide ?

• Training before and after the project
• Health insurance during your project
• round-trip travel reimbursement
• accommodation and food
• pocket money
• language course
• Return Week-end
• Youth Pass and SVI international Volunteer passport

Before applying for this volunteering project, you need to enroll yourself at European Solidarity Corps Platform (https://europa.eu/youth/solidarity_en) and specify your European Solidarity Corps Participant Number (PRN).
This organisation holds a European Solidarity Corps Quality Label.
Contact the ESC coordinator at +32 2 888 67 13 to get more informations.