This article originally appeared on the 'Interreg Volunteer Youth' website. 

"Interreg Volunteer Youth" (IVY) is an action that offers the possibility to young people aged 18-30 to serve as volunteers in EU-funded cross-border, transnational or interregional programmes and related projects. The initiative managed by the Association of European Border Regions has opened its doors to the ENI CBC community allowing young people to volunteer outside of the European Union. Discover the story of Irini from Greece who has recently started her volunteering period to support the implementation of the SEACAP 4 SDG project.
 

Hello everyone! My name is Irini and I am an IVY Volunteer at the SEACAP 4 SDG project from the ENI CBC Med Programme at the University of Patras.

It’s been an exciting month since I started as an IVY Project Partner and I am eager to share my experiences. The host organization team welcomed me warmly and informed me in every detail about the project I was going to participate in.

SEACAP 4 SDG aims to address climate change adaptation and mitigation challenges in territories surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. Specifically, the project focuses on implementing energy efficiency and renewable energy measures in public buildings in France, Egypt, Greece, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Spain and Tunisia. The main goal of SEACAP 4 SDG is to develop a unified strategy and evaluation framework that capitalizes on the results of reference projects, integrating Sustainable Energy Access and Climate Action Plans (SE(A)CAP) within a common vision. 

The project aims to establish uniform and adapted assessment methods and financing approaches to support sustainable development goals in the context of a smart society. In this way SEACAP 4 SDG will largely benefit public administration agents, energy agencies, actors in the building and construction sector and general public.

As an IVY Project Partner in SEACAP 4 SDG, there are several roles and activities Ι engage in. I actively participate in collaborative workshops, and discussions, working alongside other project partners to define goals, strategies, and action plans. Also, I contribute with my knowledge in areas related to energy efficiency, renewable energy, climate change adaptation, and sustainable development to find innovative solutions that can benefit the project. Additionally, I assist in the implementation of project activities assigned to the organization, which includes conducting research, collecting data and developing guidelines or frameworks. Moreover, I actively participate in efforts to raise awareness about the importance of energy efficiency, renewable energy, and sustainable development.

To sum up being an IVY volunteer is an experience that I will remember throughout my life. Even though, it has been only a month that I am involved in this project, I have had the privilege of connecting with individuals from diverse countries and acquiring knowledge that will be a catalyst for my professional growth and development.