Volunteering
The Volunteering programme works with a range of entities in the third sector to meet the needs of society and promote the values of solidarity, coexistence, equity, participatory democracy, justice and active citizenship.
We also have our own mentoring programme for refugees, asylum seekers and stateless persons, who can benefit from UOC grants. The aim of this programme is to facilitate access to the university for people whose academic and professional lives have been disrupted by exile resulting from armed conflicts, humanitarian crises, or persecution based on religion, ideology, culture, and similar circumstances.
If you are a student or graduate at any stage of your academic or professional journey, you are eligible to take part in the volunteering projects offered by the UOC and acquire transferable skills that will allow you to understand the global challenges outlined in the Sustainable Development Goals, critically, actively and in a socially responsible way.
- You will acquire transferable skills as part of your learning process.
- It will change the way you see the world around you and you will get to know other realities.
- You will make positive contributions to relevant social issues in your part of the world.
- It will pave the way to new job opportunities and broaden your network of contacts.
- You will be able to apply your theoretical knowledge to real situations.
- And what's more, if you're studying for a bachelor's degree, you can request the recognition of optional credits.
The UOC announces calls for volunteers in October, and occasionally in March or at other times as needed. The duration of activities may vary: they can be ongoing throughout the academic year or limited to semesters or even shorter periods of time. There are also activities taking place in summer, depending on the needs of the collaborating entities.
The UOC Volunteering programme is prepared in agreement with collaborating entities and covers a range of volunteering activities that will complement your learning process. We mainly focus our efforts on the following areas:
- Academic tutoring and socially inclusive mentoring for children, young people and disadvantaged groups.
- Digital literacy and computer skills.
- Combating social, digital and gender divides.
- Employability, support in finding work and social reintegration, empowerment of vulnerable groups, especially from a gender perspective.
- Supporting refugees and asylum seekers in their social integration.
- Psychological and emotional support for the elderly and cancer patients.
- Support for LGBTI+ groups.
- Discussion groups for recently arrived individuals.
- Support for refugees and asylum seekers or those under international protection who have received grants through the UOC's own programme.
The majority are conducted in person, but you will also find some online volunteering activities.
| Organization | Applications | Field | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accem | Open | Support for migrants and refugees | Spain. Check this link. |
| AFEV Catalunya | Closed | Inclusive mentoring for youths at risk of social exclusion | Barcelona, Santa Coloma de Gramenet i Manresa |
| Associació Azahara | Open | Promotion of intercultural integration | Salt (near Girona) |
| Associació Benestar i Desenvolupament (ABD) | Open | Support for groups at risk of social exclusion | Barcelona and the Metropolitan Area |
| Espiral Association: education and technology. Technovation Girls. Catalunya | Open | Gender-based promotion of STEAM | Catalonia |
| Associació Quilòmetre Zero | Open | Inclusive mentoring for youths at risk of social exclusion | Tarragona (Tarragona area) |
| Associació VIOLANT | Open | Support the entrepreneurship | Spain |
| Càritas Diocesana Barcelona | Open | Support for groups at risk of social exclusion | Barcelonès and Maresme |
| Autism Spectrum Disorder Resource Centre | Open | Support for groups with functional diversity | Central Catalonia |
| CODE CLUB | Open | Promotion of STEAM in schools and libraries | Catalonia |
| Cruz Roja Española | Open | Support for groups at risk of social exclusion | Spain. Vacancies for Barcelona city, Madrid city Balearic Islands and Catalonia |
| Despierta sonrisas | Open | Support for children and youths at risk of social exclusion, sport/schools | València, Alacant, Castelló, Murcia |
| Espiral, infància, joventut i família | Open | Support for children and youths at risk of social exclusion, schools/leisure | Balearic Islands (Palma) |
| Fundació Bofill | Open | Socioinclusive mentoring and combatting school drop-out | Catalonia |
| Fundació El Llindar | Open | Professional accompaniment in schools | Cornellà and Hospitalet |
| Fundació Enllaç | Open | Support for older LGTBI people | City of Barcelona |
| Fundación AYO Accelerating Youth Opportunities | Open | Intergenerational socioinclusive mentoring | Madrid, Toledo |
| Fundación Ecca.edu | Open | ICT educational support for young people at social risk | Canary Islands |
| Fundación Esplai Ciudadanía Comprometida | Open | Psychosocial support for people in prisons and STEAM/gender programmes | Andalusia, Barcelona, Galícia and Madrid |
| Fundación Secretariado Gitano | Open | Support for Romani people in multiple disciplines | Spain, take a look at this link |
| Fundesplai | Open | Socio-inclusive mentoring for young people at social and collective risk for the LGTBI community | Barcelona, Metropolitan Area and Baix Llobregat |
| Grup Esplai Blanquerna | Open | Psychosocial support for vulnerable women and youths | Tarragona (Ebre Lands and Tarragona demarcation) |
| Justícia i pau | Closed | Psychosocial support for people in prison | Catalonia |
| Òmnium Vincles | Open | Link conversation and learning Catalan | Catalonia |
| ONCE | Open | Support for the visually impaired community | Catalonia |
| Oncolliga | Open | Pyschosocial and health care | Badalona, Barcelona, Sabadell, Sant Cugat and Terrassa |
| Punt de Referència | Open | Socioinclusive mentoring and fostering for youths at risk of social exclusion | Barcelona and Metropolitan Area |
| Balearic Home Project | Open | Support for people with addiction | Balearic Islands (Palma, Manacor Inca, Menorca, Ibiza) |
| Voluntarios por Otro Mundo | Open | Socioinclusive mentoring and fostering for youths at risk of social exclusion | Seville, Cadiz and Jerez de la Frontera |
- Choose the programme that is most aligned with your interests.
- Contact the volunteer organization you want to work with directly and they will provide you with all the details of the available places and the amount of time you would need to dedicate to it.
- Be sure to point out you are a UOC student or graduate.
In the specific case of the Spanish Red Cross, once you have signed up, they will contact you for an interview, explain the projects under way and look for the one that best suits your preferences. It's very important that you point out that you're a UOC student during the interview. This will allow us to register you as a member of the UOC Volunteering Community.
If you choose a volunteering activity that involves working with minors, you will need to provide a recent Certificate of Sexual Offences.
You can apply for Prior studies assessment and the recognition of RECAAU credits if you are doing a bachelor's degree and the activity has been carried out with one of the UOC's collaborating entities.
The recognition of RECAAU credits can be requested for volunteering activities carried out from the year in which the UOC began collaborating with the entity. If you volunteered prior to the year in which the UOC signed the agreement with the entity, you will not be eligible for recognition. See the collaborating entities and the year in which the collaboration began.
Up to a maximum of six optional ECTS credits will be recognized for university activities (RECAAU). One ECTS credit is equivalent to 25 hours of volunteering (hours of compulsory training are also included).
These activities typically span one academic year, but there are also cases of shorter projects or workshops lasting 25 hours (equivalent to one ECTS credit), which also count toward the recognition of RECAAU credits.
The entity must give you a certificate stating your personal details (first name, surname and ID Card number), the time period involved, the tasks carried out in the project and the number of hours of dedication. It must also include the hours of compulsory training, the logo and original seal of the organization and the signature of the person in charge of the volunteering.
The certificate must be added to the application for prior studies assessment.
This type of volunteering is exempt from the Prior studies assessment application fee, although you must pay 15% of the price of the credit on enrolment to incorporate the credits into your academic record.
You will find more information about university activities (RECAAU) at Procedures / Recognitions and validations / Previous studies eligible for validation / University activities (RECAAU) and you can apply for recognition at Procedures / Recognitions and validations / Request prior studies assessment.
