❗ EXCLUSIVELY FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES OR CHRONIC ILLNESSES ❗

⏳⏰📅📌 APPLICATION DEADLINE: 12.01.2026 ⏳⏰📅📌

European Solidarity Corps volunteering at the SCI Austria

What is SCI Austria?
Check it out on www.sciaustria.org or on Instagram

SCI Austria, founded in 1947, is a non-political, non-religious, non-governmental and not-for-profit organisation and is the Austrian branch of the global peace, anti-militarist and volunteering network Service Civil International (SCI).

SCI Austria office is located in the 1^st district of Vienna, Austria, where currently three paid employees work together in a shared community office with other NGOs engaged in areas such as migration, refugee support, women’s rights, and remembrance culture.

As SCI Austria is a grassroots organisation, most of the people involved are local volunteers themselves. The team includes three volunteer board members and five active volunteer team members who regularly visit the office, creating an inspiring place for a volunteer to contribute, learn, and connect with people from diverse backgrounds.

They mainly organize together with local partners short-term volunteer projects in Austria and promote long and short-term volunteering projects all over the world. They also offer the possibility to become active for a local branch or participate in seminars, training and thematic workshops focused on active citizenship, raising awareness and criticism concerning unequal and violent social structures.

Over the past years, SCI Austria has hosted one volunteer per year through the French Service Civique program. Within the European Solidarity Corps (ESC), we have experience in sending and coordinating volunteers, and in 2026 we are excited to welcome our first long-term ESC volunteer to the office of SCI Austria!

SCI Austria is committed to connecting this activity with the broader strategy on Inclusion and Diversity, as well as our ongoing work on Decolonising International Voluntary Service. We believe that volunteering should not be a privilege limited to a few and engaging young people with fewer opportunities is at the heart of our mission to make solidarity accessible to all. Through this project, we aim to address both an internal and external need: ensuring that youth who face social, educational, economic, or cultural barriers can fully access and benefit from solidarity activities, develop personal and professional competences, and gain experiences that support their inclusion in the labour market.

Profile of the volunteer

To volunteer at SCI Austria, no specific previous experience is required — what matters most is motivation, openness, and willingness to learn. A basic level of English or German is an advantage, but not mandatory. Communication and teamwork skills, curiosity about social issues, and an interest in volunteering, peace, and inclusion are helpful qualities.

The youth4inclusion project at Service Civil International Austria is exclusively open to young people with fewer opportunities, such as those with a disability or a migration background, who are between 18 and 30 years old and reside in an ESC Programme or Partner Country.

Proposed activities for the ESC volunteer 

As a volunteer at the SCI office, you will:

• Gain insight into the work of a small non-profit NGO, international youth exchanges, and voluntary services.
• Contribute to inclusive youth seminars and workcamps (e.g. interculturality, non-violent communication, Global Justice, anti-racism, war prevention).
• Support awareness-raising and solidarity actions in the community (schools, social hubs, asylum/migrant initiatives, nature conservation).
• Assist in developing inclusive communication and outreach strategies, including creative contributions to social media.
• Take part in planning and reflection processes, offering feedback to strengthen SCI’s Inclusion and Diversity policies.

These tasks are tailored to the volunteer’s abilities and interests, ensuring accessibility and meaningful engagement. Your involvement will foster your non-formal learning, personal growth, and active citizenship, while benefiting the local community through fresh perspectives, solidarity actions, and strengthened inclusion strategies. We really look forward to learning from your experience!

Your typical week as a volunteer with the SCI Austria team will include a mix of office-based work and participation in various activities and events. At the beginning, you will receive an introduction to the office work, learning how the organisation functions and supporting the team with their daily tasks. This phase will give you the opportunity to explore different areas of our work, gain insight into the programs, events, and international projects, and understand the working methods and team structure. You may also have the opportunity to join special events or seasonal activities, to get familiar with our SCI Network and meet other international volunteers and partners. For example, during the summer you could take part in short-term international volunteering projects (workcamps), which bring together national and international young people with fewer opportunities. You may also join one of our international seminars, trainings, or youth exchanges.

As a volunteer at SCI Austria, you will have the chance not only to support existing activities but also to take initiative, share your ideas, and develop your own projects, especially related to inclusion and participation. The SCI team will guide and support you throughout the process, helping you turn your ideas into reality.

Application procedure

This European Solidarity Corps (ESC) project in Vienna is coordinated by the association Grenzenlos within the MELANGE program. If you want to apply for this project, please fill in the Melange application form and send it together with your CV (curriculum vitae) and motivation letter to application@melange.wien  

Please state the name of the ESC project (youth4inclusion – SCI AUSTRIA) in the subject of your e-mail. Grenzenlos will forward your documents to the hosting project, where the selection will be made.  

Important! Your application will only be accepted if it is complete and if you already have a supporting (sending) organisation. 

All ESC placements coordinated by Grenzenlos are generally available to everyone between the age of 18 and 30 who is residing in an ESC program or partner country. However, in the selection procedure, a preference is shown for candidates with fewer opportunities. You will be informed about the outcome of the recruitment process a few weeks after the application deadline. For more information, please visit www.melange.wien.

⏳⏰📅📌 APPLICATION DEADLINE: 12.01.2026 ⏳⏰📅📌