Madrid — International students from across the ACE²-EU alliance gathered at Universidad Francisco de Vitoria (UFV) this June for Change Yourself to Change the World, a week-long volunteering programme that turned solidarity into hands-on action with some of Madrid’s most vulnerable communities.
The initiative is part of ACE RISE (Reach, Inspire, Serve, Engage), the international volunteering strand of ACE²-EU, the Applied, Connected, Entrepreneurial and Engaged European University alliance that brings together nine universities across Europe. Hosted by UFV, the programme invited students to step outside the classroom and into real-world contexts where empathy, patience and commitment matter as much as any academic skill.
Over the course of the week, participants supported people with intellectual disabilities, families at risk of social exclusion, homeless people and those who are ill. Working alongside a network of partner organisations — UNIDIVERSIDAD (Fundación ONCE), VAS, Fundación Altius, CESAL and Cottolengo del Padre Alegre — the volunteers taught English, facilitated workshops and games, prepared and distributed food and clothing, ran awareness-raising activities, and accompanied people who simply needed company and care.
The programme was designed to do more than fill a calendar of good deeds. Its goals reached toward personal and professional growth: strengthening social commitment, fostering intercultural integration, and helping young people develop into engaged global citizens. Along the way, participants practised teamwork, active listening, clear communication and the kind of cultural sensitivity that comes only from working side by side with people whose lives look different from your own.
For the students themselves, the impact was immediate. “Everything is great here, and I’m hoping to develop my communication skills, gain self-awareness and build patience,” said Nadia, one of the participants in the programme. The experience also reshaped how others see their role in society. “I have learned how to help people in need, and that volunteering is beneficial for our society,” reflected Gabriel, a student from Constantin Brâncuși University. “We should do more for the people who need our help.”
Structured around a welcome day, several days of fieldwork with the host organisations, and a closing day of assessment, celebration and certificates, the week offered both rigour and warmth. It was, in many ways, a small portrait of what the wider alliance hopes to achieve: connecting students and communities across borders to tackle shared social challenges together.
The activity at UFV was coordinated by Ángela Barahona Esteban and Lorena Lobato. As its title promises, Change Yourself to Change the World sent its volunteers home a little changed — and, just as importantly, left a mark on the people and organisations they served.
