The Causes of ESN are the translation of our Mission, Vision and Values in our day-to-day activity.
The different programs, projects and services that our Network carries out are born from them. But there are also the thousands of activities that we carry out throughout each course together with international students. Ultimately, everything we do is born from them.
The causes of ESN
Education and Youth
Education and youth are the two areas that give meaning to our activity . We are an association that comes from the world of international education, specifically higher education, and that is composed mainly of young people, claiming the importance of youth as a social group to be taken into account. At ESN we understand education as a tool for social transformation, key to improving society, and we consider the three types of learning essential: formal, non-formal and informal. We defend a quality education with a strong international and social dimension in which mobility plays a key role. We believe that internationalization plays a central role in the development of key competencies for our time. We work with the main educational actors in Europe to convey our proposals related to education, and we are part of the main group of entities that work for education in the EU: Lifelong Learning Platform.
With regard to youth, we believe in the importance of providing youth with opportunities and spaces for their personal development and their involvement in civic and democratic life. We claim the importance of youth rights and we are part of the largest platform for youth representation at European level, the European Youth Forum.
How do you work for all this at the international, national and local level?
- At an international level , we are the main interlocutor with the European institutions with everything that has to do with the Erasmus + program.
- At the national level , ESN Germany also has the objective of being an interlocutor with the national institutions of education and youth.
- At the local level is where we have the real impact on student learning. In addition to being in contact with universities and other institutions to improve the conditions of international students and claim their rights, we also promote the value of international education and mobility experiences within the community. In addition, with all our activities, we are promoting a learning process in the student body that we must always take into account, with a strong component of intercultural education and global competence.
Culture
At ESN , Cultural diversity is a key element of our activity. Throughout the course, we dedicate a very important part of our efforts to connecting international students with all kinds of events and initiatives. Routes, trips, gastronomic workshops, sports, visits to natural spaces are some of the many examples that we can find. But it is not only about bringing the students closer to the local culture, but also about promoting interaction between the different cultures.
Social inclusion
The Erasmus + program has a strong component of inclusion , seeking to offer opportunities for social mobility and personal development to people from underprivileged backgrounds, which is why this field falls within the causes of ESN. And we have a lot to do in this area, connecting these disadvantaged environments with mobility , offering our support during the experiences, and raising awareness among international students about the importance of inclusion.
Inclusive mobility. ESN has among its highest priorities to ensure that international mobility is increasingly inclusive, and more means are put in place so that people from disadvantaged backgrounds enjoy the benefits of international education. Among these projects we can find MappED !, Inclusive Mobility Alliance or Enhancing a thought-out Policy and Framework on Inclusive Mobility across Europe (EPFIME).
Regarding contact with entities that work for inclusion, at ESN we are committed to learning from those entities that are experts in different areas of inclusion through collaborations that allow our volunteers, as well as international students, to get involved in different realities and learn about the local reality.
Sustainability
Through various actions and events, ESN develops both internally and for society the term sustainability . Through various awareness campaigns, volunteer training in terms of sustainability or in cooperation with other associations, the dissemination of sustainability is continuously sought as a way of developing all our actions.
Employability and skills
The latest Erasmus Impact Study clearly shows how mobility, and especially mobility within Erasmus +, represents a real boost to the employability of the participating student body . These mobility experiences also increase the entrepreneurial spirit, the capacity for innovation and adaptation, curiosity, the ability to collaborate and work as a team, and many other skills. In the same way, through the causes of ESN we also work for the recognition of the skills acquired in volunteer experiences, and their importance in terms of obtaining employment.
ESN Internacional works for quality international internships, through the Erasmusintern.org platform and projects such as CAPQI or EMPL-OI.
Health & Wellness
The Cause of Health and Wellbeing encompasses several issues that are very important to those of us who are part of ESN . From ensuring the mental health and happiness of volunteers and international students, to promoting physical activity and sports. But also other aspects such as responsible consumption, addictions or safe sexual relations are aspects to consider in an association of young people.
The initiative International Erasmus Games has as objective to promote the sport among international students and encourage the organization of major sporting events at local, regional and national levels, culminating in the own event of the International Erasmus Games.
Responsible Party is a collaborative program between ESN and Pernod Ricard to raise awareness about the importance of responsible consumption of alcoholic beverages among youth.