Volunteering Opportunities in Summer 2026
Can you imagine working with children? Do you love mountains? Would you like to get to know an area in Central Europe where four countries (Austria, Germany, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein) meet?
The two small towns of Dornbirn and Lustenau are located in the westernmost part of Austria in the state of Vorarlberg, set in the Alpine Rhine Valley and surrounded by the Alps, just a short distance from Lake Constance. Dornbirn is the largest city in Vorarlberg and combines urban life with easy access to mountains, nature, and outdoor activities. Students can experience both regional Alpine culture and a dynamic city environment in Dornbirn.
The following two volunteering opportunities are available in this special region. Your are volunteering for two weeks in summer in
Offer 1: Support holiday childcare - Volunteering
The “Ferien-Klub” in Dornbirn is a city-run holiday club that provides supervised vacation care for children aged about 6 to 14 during school holidays. It offers a varied daily program with creative activities, sports, games, and group time, helping children enjoy their breaks in a fun and engaging environment.
Your task as a volunteer is to play with the children, do sports, do crafts, go on excursions, and support the group leaders present.
Contact: erika.geser-engleitner@fhv.at (RUN-EU Volunteering Program Manager at the University of Applied Sciences Vorarlberg) or CITY OF DORNBIRN - Esther Schweighofer (Holiday Club Coordinator) esther.schweighofer@dornbirn.at or tamara.kirschner@dornbirn.at if you have any questions.
Offer 2: Support the inclusive summer program - Volunteering
W*ORT is an association that invites children to discover, tell stories, and write. Adults volunteer to accompany the children and help them develop their strengths. Together, the children learn many new things in a playful way, especially in the areas of communication, creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration.
Be part of the creative chaos, be “Zen” in a group of kids, help the artists and workshop leaders, prepare snacks, make a great documentary about the summer, do what you do best.
Contact: erika.geser-engleitner@fhv.at (RUN-EU Volunteering Program Manager at the University of Applied Sciences Vorarlberg) or W*ORT Lustenau – an NGO supporting kids (https://w-ort.at/) “Maria Guevara” <maria.guevara@w-ort.at>
13th of July 2026 to 4th of September 2026
English
Recognition of the LEXS to be handled by the respective universities/institutes.
RUN-EU Bachelor's and Master's students from all fields of study
Programme at a glance
You will be informed about important details on the volunteering partners, your concrete duties as a volunteer, available time slots, travel information and more.
You will receive a Teams-Invitation-Link.
You will arrive on a Sunday and start working on Monday.
Frist day:
You will be welcomed by your contact person, who will introduce you to the facility and announce the schedule for the day (e.g. sports activities with the children; helping to prepare snacks for the children; playing games and doing creative activities with the children, etc.).
All other days:
You and your contact person will discuss and agree on what you would like to offer, support and develop for the children. Apart from the working hours, no two days are ever the same. The programme for the children is always decided and planned in advance.
You are expected to provide support, contribute your own ideas and implement them in consultation with your contact person.
Working hours are from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
You are free to use and organise you free time, including weekends, as you wish.
Learning outcomes
By the end of this Learner Exchange School, learners will be able to:
- Work in an international team and strengthen your collaboration, adaptability, and resilience.
- Take responsibility and show initiative through han
- Connect and work with young people from different cultural backgrounds.
- Reflect on cultural differences and global perspectives in an open, respectful way.
- Learn how volunteering contributes to social change and community development.
- Actively support a shared project within a strong community setting.
- Improve communication, planning, coordination, and problem-solving skills.
- Gain practical experience in working with children.
Selection criteria
Maximum number of participants is 16.
Participant selection will be done by the lead instructor.
Involved organisations and persons
City of Dornbirn
- Esther Schweighofer (Regional Stakeholder)
Vorarlberg University of Applied Sciences
Lead Organisation- Erika Geser-Engleitner (Lead Instructor)
W*ort
- Maria Guevara (Regional Stakeholder)
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them. Grant Agreement Number: 101124674