ESC: Empower, Stay Afloat, Carry On - How to keep the motivation of volunteers high without losing yours in the process

The main topic of the exchange is motivation in ESC projects, in particular long-term volunteering projects.

As ESC coordinators, mentors, and tutors, we are called to support volunteers through the various stages of their experience. We see them start their projects with high expectations, full of energy and enthusiasm.

After a while, however, the first bumps in the road appear: the language is difficult, the activities are not exactly what they had expected, they feel understimulated but are also not taking initiative, they miss their home, there are issues with their flatmates or other volunteers, they start experiencing moments of miscommunication and misunderstanding…

As youth workers, we want to support volunteers through these difficult moments, guiding them to understand that the volunteering experience is a marathon, not a sprint. 

At the same time, each volunteer will face specific challenges and there is no universal guide on how best to support them. As ESC coordinators, mentors, and tutors, we believe there is nothing more precious than our combined baggage of experiences, which is why we would like to create a space to share the challenges we have faced, as well as our approach to solving both the more common and the more specific complicated situations, exchanging the tips, tools and strategies we have developed over time.

Last but not least, we want to devote time to sharing and reflecting on how to support ourselves to make sure that the hard situations don’t steal away our joy and leave us feeling depleted.

Please read the Infopack carefully before applying. You will find the link to the application form in the Infopack. The deadline for applications is 18/07/2025.

Our plan for the week:

• Get to know each other and our organizations
• Share our experiences, best practices and reflect on motivation from various perspectives:
  • Factors that influence volunteers’ motivation and how motivation fluctuates throughout the volunteering year
  • Most common conflicts and how to deal with them
  • Learning together to accept the different moments that belong to the volunteer experience and developing strategies to cope with the particularly challenging ones
  • Our strategies to protect our own motivation and stay inspired
  • Discuss our needs as members of the ESC support system
  • Network and connect with each other
  • Get to know local volunteers through a Human Library activity

Of course, we also think that the activities should be tailored to your needs and interests, hence we will be happy to tweak the agenda based on your contributions, needs, ideas and suggestions whenever possible ;)