Upraise (June 2020 – May 2022)

“Upraise – Youth participation for social change” (in Romanian “Growth – Youth participation for social change”) is a project focused on developing the capacity of youth workers to support the active participation of young people.

The project is a transnational strategic partnership through which organizations from Germany, Greece, Cyprus, together with CVCN, are to equip young workers with practical tools to use in their work.

During the 24 months of the project we aim to create resources (manual for facilitators, toolkit with methods, toolkit on creating online campaigns and petitions) that address the topics:

• Democracy and human rights
• Combating anti-Semitism and anti-Islamism
• Gender equality and the right to express sexuality
• Climate change

The project runs from June 2020 to May 2022, being a long-term transitional partnership coordinated by partners from Germany, the organization “Gemeinsam leben und lernen in Europa e.V.”, and co-financed by the European Commission through the Erasmus + Program.

Upgrading Validation (October 2019 – February 2022)

“Upgrading Validation” is a project that, as its name suggests, aims to develop processes for validating the work of volunteers and effectively encourage organizations and stakeholders to validate the competences acquired by volunteers.

The project is being carried out in partnership with Dutch organizations, the EDOS Foundation as coordinator, and The Association of Dutch Voluntary Effort Organizations, together with France Benevolat (France) and the European Volunteer Center based in Belgium, in Brussels.

The objectives of the project are focused on:

– creating a research on good practices in validating the competencies of volunteers in partner countries
– creating a guide on validation, for the benefit of volunteers, organizations and volunteer centers
– elaboration of a support manual for volunteer centers

The project takes place between October 2019 and February 2022, being a long-term transitional partnership, co-financed by the European Commission through the Erasmus + Program.

Building Solidarity (June 2019 – September 2020)

Building Solidarity project, co-financed by the European Solidarity Corps program of the European Commission and implemented by the Cluj-Napoca Volunteer Center in partnership with Green School Romania, between June 2019 and September 2020, had as main goal the involvement of young people from different corners of Europe in educational activities based on modern pedagogical concepts, within the Green School, as well as in two public schools in urban and rural areas.

In total, after the 10 months of volunteering, the 7 volunteers, of which 2 Romanians, totaled 4465 hours of volunteering. Some of them had as main role the realization of activities based on the main themes of the project: global education, sustainable development, human rights and peace education, while promoting among the children of Green School volunteering, multiculturalism and solidarity. Two of the volunteers replicated the methodology learned in two public schools: “Ion Creangă” Middle School in Cluj-Napoca and Luna de Sus Middle School. They also had the role of promoting the project and the European Solidarity Corps program, but also of disseminating the results within the community.

WE FUTURE (April 2019 – September 2020)

We Future is a European project involving young people from 3 countries: Portugal, France and Romania, aiming to encourage their peers to contribute to the creation of solidarity, equal and sustainable societies.

In order to fulfill the aim of this project, 3 international meetings will be organized, each lasting 5 days. These will be the framework in which young people will be able to debate and reflect on issues such as human rights, social justice, peace, diversity, gender equality and environmental sustainability.

The first international meeting will take place in Golega, Portugal in the summer of 2019, the second in Toulouse, in December 2019, and the last in Cluj-Napoca, in the summer of 2020. These meetings will be attended by 60 young people from France, Portugal and Romania who will develop / organize awareness initiatives related to the previously mentioned topics in their communities. There will be moments of discussion, reflection and sharing, which, ideally, will contribute to:

• capitalizing on linguistic, religious and cultural diversity
• developing a sense of belonging to a single Europe and a common humanity
• understanding global challenges
• accumulation of knowledge, skills, attitudes and values related to human rights, social justice, peace, diversity, gender equality and environmental sustainability
• participation in collaborative processes to find alternatives that contribute to overcoming collective, local and global problems.

The We Future project is coordinated by Graal Portugal and co-financed through the Erasmus+ Program of the European Commission.

Wake UP! – Young Europeans becoming change makers for a better Europe (February 2019 – July 2021)

“Wake UP! – Young Europeans becoming Change Makers for a better Europe “is a project that brings together young people and youth workers from Germany, Austria, The Czech Republic, Croatia, Macedonia, Norway, the United Kingdom and Romania, in order to create methods and tools to encourage active participation in society.

The objectives of the project are found in the 5 intellectual results that will be created by the partners on the following topics:

• creation of a training curriculum for the training of trainers, respectively peer learning
• active citizenship: raising awareness and activating young people
• democratic citizenship: value mediation for young people
• European citizenship: establishing European values and EU citizenship among young people
• informed citizenship – critical thinking, the ability to find reliable information in the context of the Internet and Social Media

The project runs from February 2019 to July 2021, being a long-term transitional partnership coordinated by partners from Germany, the organization “Gemeinsam leben und lernen in Europa e.V.”, and co-financed by the European Commission through the Erasmus + Program.

EVS Seeds (1 February 2018 – 31 August 2020)

The ”EVS seeds” project is a CVCN initiative based on the needs identified in the local community, namely amongst public institutions and NGO`s that have the potential of implementing EVS/ESC international voluntary projects. This project offers us the opportunity to develop international volunteering (EVS/ESC) in Cluj County, providing the context and resources to cultivate the capacity of the selected organizations to develop international volunteering projects. The principle we rely on is “learning by doing” applied in this case by directly involving 16 EVS volunteers in the selected organizations, while CVCN is providing guidance throughout the whole process. CVCN has the organizational capacity and SEV expertise to implement a double impact project: both on the volunteers and on the organizations involved. As an organization, we are ready to move forward, from the implementation phase to the transfer of expertise phase to other organizations.

The aim of this project is to transfer CVCN`s SEV expertise towards public institutions and NGO`s in Cluj county, motivated to carry out EVS/ESC projects, in order to develop and integrate the international volunteering component in their organizational development strategy.

The project`s objectives:

– Developing the organizational capacity of CVCN in order to extend its support services for developing of international volunteering among 8 organizations in Cluj County for a period of 31 months.

– Developing the organizational capacity of 8 organizations and public institutions in Cluj County for managing EVS/ESC projects

– Personal and professional development of the 16 volunteers involved in the two stages

– Raising the awareness over the value of international volunteering throughout the local community.

Basically, the strategic ESV project has a duration of 31 months and will involve international partners from the Erasmus+ program countries as volunteer sending organizations. The 16 volunteer stages are grouped in two streams, the first of 12 months and the second of 10 months. Both are hosted by CVCN, although the volunteers will also be involved in the associated partners` organizations, especially selected for this purpose.

The associated partners will be participate in a complex process that involves activities grouped on two levels of involvement regarding hosting of EVS volunteers. In the first level, the associated partners receive much support from CVCN (2 one day workshops, individualized consultancy, one four-day course to deepen the topic of international volunteering). In the second level the independence and responsibility of the associated partners increases regarding the involvement of volunteers in their activities. Also, in the 2nd level information regarding the procedure of obtaining the PIC code and of the EVS/ESC accreditation are provided, while the associated partners are assisted in developing strategies for carrying out their own hosting projects.

The estimated impact of the project hits multiple levels:

– For the 16 volunteers involved in the stages, the EVS experience will have an important role in their personal and professional development, by extending their skills of working with vulnerable people and adopting proactive and tolerant attitudes, both important aspects in adapting to the adult life and to the working field

-The local organizations participating in this project will grow professionally and will expand their international component, indispensable for sustainable development

– Regarding CVCN, this project will widen the services that our organization, as a resource center, offers to the community, namely: support for the development of international volunteering

– At community level, international volunteering will become more accessible to the people because of its promotion, the local organizations will develop, and, last but not least, the project will contribute to the integration of vulnerable people.

This project was coordinated by CVCN and co-financed through the Erasmus+ Program of European Commission.

Education for Volunteering (November 2018 – February 2019)

The project „Education for Volunteering” was one of the tools used by CVCN to promote volunteering in high schools from Cluj-Napoca. It was initiated and coordinated at national level by Federation Volum, with the aim of transmitting the idea that volunteering means non-formal education.

During the 4 months of implementation, experiential workshops have been delivered in over 5 high schools, reaching a number of over 500 participants. They have been challenged to attend team work activities through which they would develop competences needed in the work field. This was linked with the importance of volunteering for personal and professional development of each individual, also the necessity of having a volunteering contract and a role description.

This project aimed at informing youth about the benefits of volunteering, but also a desired outcome was to encourage youth to be active citizens in the communities they live in.

NatureWISE (15 June 2018 – 14 November 2019)

The project „NatureWISE” contributed to the developement of outdoor education. It has been co-financed through the European Voluntary Service part of Erasmus+ Programme, and consisted of two flows of volunteers during a whole year, each flow of volunteers being hosted for 6 months. The volunteers came to Cluj-Napoca from the following countries: Moldavia, Kosovo, Azerbaijan and Armenia.

The project has been coordinated by Cluj-Napoca Volunteer Center, in partnership with Green School Cluj-Napoca, an organisation who hosted the volunteers for their weekly activities.

„NatureWISE” has been developed in order to help the volunteers have an easier access to the green pedagogy and agile learning methods, used and implemented in Green School. Also, the volunteers had the role to create education spaces for children, to implement activities with kindergarten and primary school youth, and to make a contribution in making the school more innovative and multicultural.

Thus, the main objectives have been:

• creating a safe space for volunteers to develop both personally and professionally
• developing local community through the involvement of international volunteers.

Apart from the outdoor educational activities implemented, the project aimed also at organizing public events in order to promote volunteering (National Week of Volunteering, other personal projects initiated by volunteers), and weekly meetings with the staff of CVCN in order to evaluate and reflect upon the experience of being an international volunteer.

This project was coordinated by CVCN and co-financed through the Erasmus+ Program of European Commission.

“CiVi – Trained Coordinators, Engaged Volunteers” (1 September 2018 – 31 October 2019)

The present project „CiVi – Trained Coordinators, Engaged Volunteers” directly responds to challenges and needs of the volunteer centers members of the hereby consortium, which are: an insufficient organizational development, especially because of limited competences of the staff of the organizations (volunteer coordinators, but not only) and the lack of focus on strategic planning. From this point of view, the project meets the need to offer opportunities to the volunteer centers to develop their professionalism, so as to act better for the benefit of the community. 

The project proposes a specific and tailor-made intervention aimed at developing the organizational capacities of the volunteer centers members of the consortium.

The project targets the development/improvement of competences of the staff of volunteer centers members in the consortium, in order to increase the quality of education services that the volunteer centers provide to adult and elderly volunteers in the community

The project objectives are:

1. Developing competences to manage adult/elderly volunteers, to organize corporate volunteering events and training competences, for 17 team-members of the volunteer centers members in the consortium, until the end of the project
2. Developing the strategic organizational capacity of 8 volunteer centers in Romania, members in the project consortium, regarding 3 of the services they provide to the community (Promotion, Development, Training)
3. Increasing the awareness level within the 7 local communities of the consortium members, regarding the value of volunteering for adult/elderly persons and also regarding the value of corporate volunteering

In the project „CiVi – Trained Coordinators, Engaged Volunteers” – 17 members of the 8 volunteer center teams will participate, people who are directly involved in working with volunteers and who have the interest and availability for professional development as well as the capacity to multiply learning outcomes gained within the mobilities. The project will imply 3 group mobilities in Hungary, Slovenia and the Italy dealing with the 3 categories of competences mentioned above. The methodology of the learning activities taking place within the mobilities is one based on experential learning, non-formal education tools, study-visits and case studies and sharing good practices.

Expected results are related on one hand with the 17 participants in mobilities, who will be better equipped to involve adult and elderly volunteers from their communities, and on the other hand, results will be visible within the members of the consortium, who will benefit from a solid and sustainable organizational development process. Beyond the participants and the organizations, the project impact targets the local communities of the consortium members, more specifically – developing qualitative engagement practices for adults in volunteering activities.

The CiVi project is co-financed by the Erasmus + Program of the European Commission managed in Romania by the National Agency for Community Programs in the Field of Education and Vocational Training.

Volunteer Organizations’ Input to Community Education (VOICE)  (01 September 2017 – 30 August 2019)

Community education promotes learning and social development work with individuals and groups in their communities using a range of formal and non-formal methods. Community education is significant for local social, economic, cultural, environmental and political development.  

Volunteer centers, intercultural centers as well as neighborhood centers are important providers of community education in a local context. In dialogue with their communities and participants they develop non-formal education and training opportunities as well as a variety of volunteer programs and activities. Through these learning, training and volunteer activities they support the capacity building of individuals and groups of all ages and backgrounds and improve their ability to participate in democratic processes. As their scope is much broader and less formal than educational institutions such as schools, colleges and universities, they reach large sections of the population, and therefore are taking out learning and development opportunities to socio-economically disadvantaged individuals and poorer areas within their communities.

Within this project the involved partner organizations (Gemeinsam leben & lernen in Europa -Germany – the coordinator of the project, Intergenerational and Volunteer Center TOTEM – Czech Republic, Stadtlabor – Austria, Intercultural Center of Kuopio –Finnland,  Auróra –Hungary, Centrul de Voluntariat Cluj-Napoca –Romania), want to explore community education approach practiced by volunteer centers, intercultural centers as well as neighborhood centers, and want to exchange their expertise in providing non-formal learning and training opportunities for their communities.

 The result of the project will be an E-Book with an input about community education, practical tips on implementation of community education in local communities, the role and success factors of volunteer/neighbourhood/intercultural centers as important providers of community education as well as a good practice collection of learning and training programs offered by the involved partners.

Each partner organization hosted a transnational visit and gave partners an inside about the practical implementation of their community education approach, as well as “taster” sessions of their existing learning and training programs for volunteers. 

The project was financed with the support of the Erasmus+ programme “Strategic partnerships in Adult Education”. The European Commission support for  this project does not constitute an endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Support: Erasmus+

Land of Games (1 June 2017 – 31 October 2018)

The project is part of the European Voluntary Service of the Erasmus+ Programme and its main activity consist of a 12 months long volunteering stage (01/09 /2017 – 31/08/2018) of 6 young people aged 18-24 in Cluj-Napoca.

The project “Land of Games” was coordinated by our NGO in cooperation with 6 partner organisations from 5 European countries: Kölner Freiwilligen Agentur e.V. (Germany), aha Tipps und Infos für junge Leute (Germany), Associação Spin (Portugal), Associació Alba (Spain), Maison de l’Europe Bordeaux – Aquitaine (France) and Internationaler Bund Polska (Poland).

The project was developed in the context of the successful cooperation CVCN has developed  both with the international partners that have the role in the process of recruitment, preparation and sending of the international volunteers, and with the local organizations and public institutions where the volunteering activities were carried out – the “Ioan Alexandru” Secondary School Sinpaul, the Secondary School Tureni, the “Gheorghe Sincai” Secondary School Floresti, the Prison Fellowship Romania Foundation and the Down Association Raluca Educational Centre.

The main objective of the project tackled two main areas: to create a frame which encouraged the personal and professional development of the 6 volunteers on one side, and to impact the the community development through the volunteering work. The beneficiaries of the international volunteering activities (non-formal education activities) are various disadvantaged groups: primary school children from rural multiethnic areas, teenagers at risk for school dropout, children with precarious socio-economic situation, young adults with Down Syndrome, etc.

Beside these permanent activities (facilitation of weekly intercultural clubs in the 3 rural primary schools, free time activities and socio-cultural animation), the project included other activities as well: the organization of public events for the promotion of volunteering in the local community, meetings with Romanian young people interested in volunteering stages abroad, educational workshops using board games, a board games caravan in 10 schools of Cluj county, etc.

Thereby, through the “Land of Games” project CVCN extended its expertise in relation to the variety of direct beneficiaries, the approach and the types of activities carried out.

WeActiveVol -Ways to enhance active aging through volunteering (1 October 2016 – 31 March 2018)

The main objective of the WeActiveVol project is to strengthen volunteer activity among 50+ persons. It will be carried out through an international cooperation of 6 partner organizations from Poland, France, Slovakia, Lithuania, Hungary and Romania, that will explore the topic of senior volunteering, by exchanging ideas, knowledge, experiences and good practices. The project team will conduct a research on the main obstacles for involving volunteers over 50s, will analyze the differences and similarities in the volunteering legislation of the 6 partner countries, will explore and learn how to work with 50+ volunteers, will search and select best practices examples from each country and publish a brochure with them, will organize public events promoting volunteering for people over 50, and many more. Through all of these activities, we aim that the mutually shared examples of good practice have a real impact on improving volunteer programs and to stimulate the initiation of new ways to encourage active aging, through volunteering.

The target group consists of educators / trainers / trainers active in adult education, volunteer coordinators, project managers, volunteering and active aging practitioners, counselors, decision-makers in this field.

Partners of the project: Voivodeship Labour Office in Katowice – Coordinator, Poland; E-Seniors Association, Partner, France; Centrum dobrovolníctva, Partner, Slovakia; Initiatives Network Association, Partner, Lithuania; Önkéntes Központ Alapítvány, Partner, Hungary; Centrul de Voluntariat Cluj-Napoca, Partner, Romania.

The project WeActiveVol is financed by European Commsion through Erasmus + Program, Key Action 2, Strategic Partnership.

D.E.A.F (Development, Employability, Accesibility, Future) for DEAF (1 septembrie 2016 – 31 mai 2017)

Proiectul “D.E.A.F (Development, Employability, Accesibility, Future) for DEAF” este coordonat de Asociatia Alter Ego, Grecia in parteneriat cu Centrul de Voluntariat Cluj-Napoca si Asociatia Nationala a Interpretilor Autorizati in Limbaj Mimico-Gestual, Romania, Asociatia ALBA, Spania si SHRUTI, Nepal. Proiectul a pornit de la o serie de dificultati identificate in cele 4 tari participante, printre care: lipsa unei cooperari constante intre organizatiile de tineret si organizatiile ce ofera servicii tinerilor surzi, marginalizarea tinerilor surzi si participarea scazuta a acestora in proiecte Erasmus+, accesibilitatea scazuta a tinerilor surzi la oportunitati educationale si de formare, etc.
Toate acestea creeaza un context ce limiteaza participarea tinerilor surzi la activitati de voluntariat sau de schimburi internationale. Proiectul abordeaza aceasta situatie prin planificarea unei serii de activitati focusate pe acest grup tinta:
– stagii de voluntariat de scurta durata, prin Serviciul European de Voluntariat (SEV) – prin intermediul SEV, organizatiile implicate vor realiza un program de schimburi de voluntari, surzi si auzitori; timp de 2 luni, acestia vor desfasura activitati de voluntariat in comunitatile gazda (Kathmandu, Tesaloniki, Tarrega si Cluj-Napoca), pornind de la nevoile acestora dar si de la interesele voluntarilor;
– vizite de studiu pentru lucratori de tineret – respectand acelasi principiu al schimburilor intre tari, lucratori de tineret din Romania, Grecia, Spania si Nepal vor beneficia de o perioada de 2 saptamani de vizita de studiu in alta tara din proiect; aceasta va fi focusata pe identificarea de activitati si metode pentru stimularea implicarii tinerilor surzi;
– eveniment final – Conferinta de inchidere a proiectului ce va avea loc la inceputul anului 2017.
Proiectul “D.E.A.F (Development, Employability, Accesibility, Future) for DEAF” este finantat de Comisia Europeana, prin Programul Erasmus +, Actiunea Cheie 2, Consolidarea capacitatilor in domeniul tineretului.

Ready for diversity (1 iunie 2016 – 30 noiembrie 2017)

Proiectul “Ready for diversity” este implementat de catre Centrul de Voluntariat Cluj-Napoca, in parteneriat cu 5 organizatii de trimitere din Germania, Spania, Austria si Portugalia, prin Programul Erasmus+. Principala activitate a acestuia include un stagiu SEV pentru 6 tineri din tarile mentionate, durata acestuia fiind de 12 luni (septembrie 2016 – august 2017).

Proiectul isi propune sa promoveze implicarea voluntarilor in institutiile publice (spital si scoli) si sa contribuie la promovarea voluntariatului in general si a Serviciului European de Voluntariat in mod specific. In acealsi timp, proiectul este conceput intr-o maniera care sa faciliteze dezvoltarea personala si profesionala a celor 6 voluntari SEV prin asigurarea sistemului de suport necesar dar si prin cresterea treptata a gradului de independenta in activitati, in functie de dorintele si nevoile voluntarilor.

Voluntarii sunt implicati in activitati de animatie clinica in diverse sectii ale spitalului de copii din Cluj-Napoca. In acelasi timp ei organizeaza activitati de educatie non-formala in cadrul unui club multicultural pentru elevii de scoala primara din trei comunitati rurale din jurul orasului (Floresti, Tureni si Sinpaul ). In a doua parte a stagiului, voluntarii vor pregati evenimente publice de promovare a voluntariatului in cadrul Saptamanii Nationale a Voluntariatului (mai 2017) si se vor focusa pe implementarea propriilor idei in comunitatea locala, prin proiectele personale.

Proiectul „Ready for diversity” este finantat de Comisia Europeana prin programul Erasmus+, un program administrat in Romania de Agentia Nationala pentru Programe Comunitare in Domeniul Educatiei si Formarii Profesionale.