
Scholarship for young people with vocational training
“Weltweit engagiert” – Scholarship program for persons who have completed an apprenticeship
Do you want to discover a new culture and broaden your horizons? Would you like to volunteer for a social or ecological project?
SCI Switzerland has the scholarship program “Worldwide”, supported by the Mercator Foundation, and we can award a total of 10 scholarships each year. Thanks to these scholarships, young graduates and young professionals receive a 50% discount on the total cost of a volunteer placement in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe.
Your contact person

Loretta Scherler
Communication & projects, volunteer management, program manager LTV
CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION
You..
- are between 18 and 25 years old
- have completed your vocational training
- are motivated
- want to participate in a project for 1-12 months
- would like to implement a project idea of your own
COSTS
You will have to pay the costs first and we will reimburse you 50% at the end of the project:
- Long-term participation fee: CHF 340.-
- There is a reduction of CHF 30 for those with no or little income.
- Travel expenses (you yourself will have to organize your trip).
- For visa, vaccination, etc.
- In some projects there are additional costs on site. These are noted in the search engine under the respective project.
Where do you want to go?

Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand

Great Britain, Russia, Spain, Turkey

Ecuador
El Salvador

USA
SCI Switzerland and its partner organizations offer:
- Food and lodging on sitea moderate allowance (depending on the location)
- Supervision by SCI Switzerland before departure, during the assignment and on returning
- Invitation letter for visas, if needed
- Preparation and evaluation of the assignment
- One-year membership in SCI Switzerland (incl. SCI newsletter, reduction of seminar fees, etc.)
REGISTRATION
If you are interested in a long-term engagement, please contact us well in advance. Depending on the country of destination: 2 to 6 months before departure; in case of short notice, registrations are not possible.
STEPS TO LONG-TERM ENGAGEMENT:
- Check that you meet the requirements.
- Find your long-term assignment on the long-term assignments database. All long-term assignments are listed on this international database. There are also some projects in Cambodia listed here.
- Contact Loretta Scherler for an interview (loretta.scherler@scich.org) and for the application form.
- Attend our preparation seminar before your placement (participation is compulsory for long-term placements in the Global South -Africa, Asia and Latin America-).
- For a definite registration, fill out the application form which will be sent to the project partner and pay the placement fee for long-term assignments to SCI Switzerland (CHF 340).
- As soon as you have been accepted into the project, you can start planning and booking your trip. Please also inform yourself about the entry requirements (incl. visa) and possible vaccinations. We will assist you throughout the entire process.
- Your registration is binding. Cancellation fees apply (60% up to three weeks before departure, 80% of the placement fee thereafter).
- After your return from the long-term placement, you will have an individual evaluation interview. In addition, you can share your experiences with us by writing an article for our members’ magazine and/or participating in a preparation seminar or a public event as a “returnee” and thus passing on your experiences.
Do you have any questions? Contact Loretta Scherler for all questions regarding long-term assignments.