Project dates
​for Green Skills IX
April 2018 - March 2019
October 2018 - September 2019

Spaces open: 6

APPLICATION IS OPEN

Project topics:

Environment and Climate change
Renewable Energy
Organic gardening
Resources management
​Closed Loop systems
Community-building
​Physical and emotional health
Personal growth

Application deadline

31 AUG 2018
The EVS project "Green Skills" is hosted by the non-profit organisation RELEARN based in Suderbyn Ecovillage. The Green Skills projects are completely integrated into the local Suderbyn community. Through the Green Skills program, we want to offer international participants the possibility of experiencing the way of life of the social, ecological, economic and cultural dimensions of an ecovillage, and to develop themselves in a holistic way. We try to provide a complete package of healthy sustainable lifestyle and ecovillage life involving practical tasks such as: permaculture gardening, organic and vegetarian/vegan cooking, ecological building, animal care, and administrative work. Volunteers participate in all other issues concerning the ecovillage life, such as community building, conflict resolution, administrative and organisational issues and collective decision making.
accommodation, food, traveling.
pocket money
​and all administration 
are covered 
by Erasmus+
The volunteers will have simple accommodation in a small single or shared room. The same conditions apply for permanent inhabitants and are part of the voluntary simplicity of life in Suderbyn. A bicycle will be assigned to each volunteer for the duration of their service, but there are possibilities to travel by public bus or by car when circumstances require it. Volunteers are treated as residents in the collective, meaning they participate in community chores such as: cooking, cleaning, and maintaining the household. All food is cooked in common with the residents and is vegetarian/vegan.
During the service there will be non-formal learning opportunities in community meetings, group discussions and workshops, along with physical work. 
Greens Skills will impart theoretical knowledge and practical competences in the areas of:
- Permaculture principles  and ecovillage design
- Organic gardening and sustainable food production
- Ecological construction, maintenance and renovation
- Handicraft
- Organisational and administrative issues

Volunteers will have the possibility to develop Swedish and English by formal and informal means.

Volunteer Profile
We prefer volunteers who are highly motivated and who understand that living in an ecovillage entails practical work and a simple, healthy lifestyle. Volunteers who will show an understanding of the actual conditions at Suderbyn and who have a personal motivation for learning and living in community will be selected. Everyone living in Suderbyn participates in gardening, building, cooking, cleaning, and all the other tasks that create our holistic lifestyle. For this reason, we will not base our recruiting on the specific existing skills of volunteers, but rather the willingness to learn and try new things.

Additional Information

The practical arrangements for the volunteers are a flexible 35 working hours per week, including work-related discussions and instruction, as well as voluntary language training. Normally weekends are days off, and the Green Skills project adheres to standard Swedish bank/government holidays. Volunteers earn an additional 2 days of holiday from work per month. The role of the volunteer is as a co-worker, co-habitating resident and sometimes as project co-leader.
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If you are interested, please send us an email with your C.V. and Motivation Letter!