France: ESC: [Carcassonne] Help protect the environment and biodiversity in southern France!

About the local hosting organization

Unis-Cité is a non-profit association, founded in 1994 by three students who wanted to encourage the concrete commitment of young people to fight against inequalities, injustices, racism and exclusion and thus develop living together. Unis-Cité has thus been working for twenty-five years, completely independently, to promote voluntary service for young people, so that it becomes natural for all young people, whatever their background, to dedicate a stage of their life to solidarity and thus contribute to the emergence of a society of responsible and united individuals, aware of their own role in building the society of tomorrow, alongside associations, public actors and businesses. Unis-Cité promotes a society of individuals who respect differences and are able to integrate them as an asset. In this sense, the association aims to promote and enable the voluntary commitment of young people in local associations and structures, in order to act to improve life in the city. Pioneer of Civic Service, Unis-Cité has played a decisive role in the institutionalization and expansion of Civic Service in France. It is approved by the Civic Service Agency as a structure for hosting volunteers. Unis-Cité pays particular attention to the diversity of the promotions of young people it welcomes within its programs, by proactively supporting young people with the fewest opportunities to guarantee them access without prejudice to the diversity and representativeness of each of its promotions.

Presentation of the programme

Are you passionate about protecting the environment and biodiversity in particular? Do you want to discover a region full of natural beauty and history? Would you like to meet other young people motivated to protect the planet, as part of a team of eight including five French volunteers? Come join us in Carcassonne!

About the accomodation

Our missions consist in two programmes that are closely interconnected. One is focussed on working in nature (planting trees and hedges, taking care of natural spaces,…); the other one on raising awareness and doing educational work in various settings (e.g. community centres, schools and our association’s headquarter where we already organise a monthly repair-café), especially in the socially disadvantaged neighbourhoods of Carcassonne. Both programmes function in close cooperation with partner associations and are subject to seasonality (= planting trees in the winter months, organising actions outside during spring and summer, …). Both teams will work together frequently.

About the leisure activities

Volunteers will be hosted in a “Résidence Habitat Jeunes”, a residence for young people in the north of Carcassonne. You will share flats of two, with each volunteer having their own room and access to shared space (one person may share their apartment with a French roommate). The residence is very recent and can be reached by bus or by foot from the city centre. A regional train pass is available at relatively low cost, allowing volunteers to discover the region. Also, there is a team in charge of cultural programme within the residence, proposing diverse activities..

Requirements

The Participant profile: We organise training on several topics linked to the mission, in cooperation with local partner associations. Many of our actions are organised together with local NGOs and prepared in cooperation with them, through training sessions.Deadline: 30/08/2026 23:59