Between the 29th of November and the 12th of December, the Erasmus Student Network (ESN) launches a renewed initiative - the Social Impact Days, engaging international students, members of local communities, and ESN volunteers, across 40 countries.
The campaign aims at fostering the active engagement of exchange students within their local communities in all kinds of initiatives that can make a positive impact on society. It builds on the success of previous student commitment campaigns, such as the SocialErasmus and Social Inclusion Days, that mobilised thousands of international students around Europe to increase their engagement with their hosting communities.
ESN believes that mobility programmes are beneficial for the whole society, not only for those who take part in them. Therefore, the Social Impact Days are a realisation of ESN´s mission: the enrichment of society through international students. The campaign wants to showcase the efforts that local associations of ESN make throughout the year to make mobilities more impactful for participants and communities, while working on making them more appealing and inclusive to young people.
Through the following two weeks, ESN´s 500-strong local associations will organise online and offline activities that promote education, youth, culture, social inclusion, environmental sustainability, health & well-being, skills development, and employability - the scope of possibilities will give a chance to expand the perspective of the participants and give them new opportunities to grow. ESN advocates that bringing international students and local communities together creates space for solidarity, intercultural dialogue and civic engagement.
The Social Impact Days will coincide with the roll-out of the local phase of the Erasmus+ project Social Inclusion and Engagement in Mobility, offering support to local associations in order to fund community engagement initiatives that foster inclusive internationalisation.
“Learning mobility can help to build better societies, connect people from different backgrounds and walks of life and foster solidarity. Mobility programmes are an excellent catalyst of active citizenship and participation. The Social Impact Days want to showcase the many different ways in which the Erasmus Generation can make a positive impact on society, creating a huge multiplier effect that proves that the benefits of mobility programmes go well beyond their participants.”
Juan Rayón, President of the Erasmus Student Network
The Erasmus Student Network (ESN) is the biggest international student and alumni association in Europe . Present at over 1000 Higher Education Institutions, it unites over 500 local associations in 40 countries. More than 15,000 volunteers take care of international colleagues under the motto “Students helping students”. ESN works for the creation of a more mobile and flexible education environment by supporting and developing the student exchange from different levels and providing an intercultural experience.
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