About the Project

The aim of the SocialErasmus project is to allow international students to benefit at the utmost from the local community and enrich the latter through the international background of the students. It promotes as well a social attitude amongst international students all over Europe. International students are invited to volunteer in the framework of the SocialErasmus project under three main areas of action: education, charity and environment.

The SocialErasmus project enables people to experience something new and to get new perspectives as well as learn more about European cultures. This gives a highly valuable contribution to the learning mobility period for international students and local communities. SocialErasmus was initiated in 2008 in Poland and rapidly showed to be a big success. ESN thus decided to transfer this experience to other countries and it became an ESN International level project by 2010.

Twice a year, once in spring and once in autumn, ESN sections from all over Europe organise a full week of SocialErasmus activities called Social Inclusion Days. International students that are on exchange can join local ESN volunteers and leave a mark in their host country. This way they show that mobility does not only consist of travelling or studying abroad, but also engages students actively in local communities. Cultural awareness and understanding is fostered, and international students come back to their home countries inspired by their experiences, bringing motivation and creativity there. 

 

SocialErasmus has three main areas:

 

  • raising awareness
  • collecting goods
  • taking action

 

Aims

The aim of the SocialErasmus project is to complete the stay abroad with the original values of the Erasmus Programme. Erasmus is supposed to be an opportunity to get to know new cultures and education systems as well as to make new unforgettable friendships, but also it should be a kind of inspiration for a future life. Moreover, the SocialErasmus project enables people to experience something new, as a consequence, Erasmus programme participants will get a new perspective, which would be beyond their cognitive abilities, if they did not take part in the Erasmus program. Taking into consideration the above factors, the main slogan of the project is: Leave your mark!

 

ESN Austria Involvement

In coordinance with the international Social Inclusion Days in late autumn 2018, various events such events were organised by Austrian sections. There was for example, an Inernational Dinner in the Dark in Krems, a Sign Language Course in Graz and a Charity Running Sushi in Vienna. Each semester Socila Inclusion Weeks are taking place where the Austrian sections actively and creatively participate!