Here you can find answers to some Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s) for being an ambassador. If you can not find the answer you are looking for, or would like some more information, do not hesitate to contact us at eot@aegee.eu.
General
What is Europe on Track?
Europe on Track is a project of AEGEE, run entirely by young volunteers. Each year since 2012, ambassadors divided in teams travel through Europe during one month, gathering the opinions of young people and delivering workshops about a topic which changes for every edition.
What is the topic of this year’s edition?
“Europe on Track 10: Digital Voices, European Choices: Youth Impacting Tomorrow!” will focus on young people’s role in digital socio-political processes and digital consciousness. Our aim is to empower young individuals to navigate the digital world effectively, make informed online choices, and actively participate in shaping Europe’s digital future through democratic activity.
How can I get in contact with the project team?
You can write us an email at eot@aegee.eu – we’ll get back to you as soon as possible!
Ambassadors
What does it mean to be an ambassador?
Ambassadors are the travellers of Europe on Track – if you are selected, you will be going on an unforgettable trip around Europe for one month during April/May 2024. During the trip, you will receive training about the topic of this edition and then deliver workshops and interview young people from all over the continent. Ambassadors this year will work online or offline.
What is the difference between online and offline ambassadors?
This year’s edition of Europe on Track has 3 routes: 2 physical routes and 1 online route. The offline ambassadors will be assigned to one of the 2 physical routes. During their trip they will conduct interviews and give workshops to participants in every city they visit. The online ambassadors will be assigned to the online route. They will facilitate online workshops and conduct online interviews from home with people from cities that are part of the online route.
Can I apply if I’m not a member of a student organisation or NGO?
Yes, you can apply as an ambassador for Europe on Track 10 also if you are not a member of a student organisation or NGO.
What tasks do you expect ambassadors to carry out?
Ambassadors will need to deliver workshops, interview young people, and meet with local stakeholders and political representatives in each of the cities they visit. Throughout their journey, they will prepare written (e.g. social media posts) and graphic (e.g. pictures and videos) material for the social media and external channels of Europe on Track. At the end of the journey, they will finalise the material they produced and carry out an evaluation to help out with measuring the impact of the project. They will participate in a conference which will take place after the end of the journey.
How will the ambassadors be prepared for the project?
The routes start off with a week long training for the ambassadors of the physical routes where they will be prepared for their journey and finalise the workshops that they will give during the project. This training will take place in Central Europe from 2nd April – 8th April. From the moment the ambassadors are selected until the start of the routes the chosen ambassadors will work together with the project team on the preparation of the workshops already in an online setting.
How much time per week is needed for the project?
Starting from January 2024, about 5 hours per week are required for starting the preparation of the materials and keeping communication with the project team and the local organisers from the cities you are going to visit. This amount will increase to about 10 hours per week in March where we will need to finalise the preparation. Full commitment is required from the ambassadors of the physical routes from 2nd April to 8th May 2024.
The same time for preparation is required for the online ambassadors. Between 2nd April and 8th May 2024, you can expect a daily commitment between 3 and 6 hours depending on the days.
How is the selection process?
For offline ambassadors there are 3 selection rounds: the first one is applying through this form, the deadline to apply is 26th November 2023 23:59 CET. Then a pre-selection round by video call interviews with the Project Team takes place (beginning of December). And lastly a group Q&A session in December. You will be informed about the selection results before the end of 2023.
For online ambassadors there are 2 selection rounds: the first one is applying through this form, the deadline to apply is 26th November 2023 23:59 CET. Secondly a pre-selection round by video call interviews with the Project Team takes place (beginning of December). You will be informed about the selection results before the end of 2023.
Are there age restrictions to being an ambassador?
All our ambassadors need to be aged between 18 and 30 years old.
Are there country restrictions to being an ambassador?
AEGEE and Europe on Track are primarily based in Europe. Nonetheless, we welcome applicants from all over the world.
Money
Do ambassador get an allowance?
Europe on Track is a volunteer project – therefore ambassadors do not receive any allowance or salary for their work. Nonetheless, most important expenses for the project are covered by us.
What is covered for (physical) ambassadors?
- Transportation during the route
- Accomodation and food in each stop
- Your trip from home to the training location and from the evaluation location back home can be reimbursed under certain conditions
- All activities relation to the project and local transportation
What isn’t covered for ambassadors?
- Visa fees – we will try to lower the costs by providing you with invitation letters
- Health insurance
- Pocket money – based on previous experiences, an amount of 200€ (+/- depending on personal spending habits) will be necessary for the trip
Will you help me get a visa?
If you need a visa for any country on your route, we will provide you with the necessary invitation letters and will support you in the various stages of your application. However, the final responsibility with the visa application lies with you.
When will I receive my reimbursement?
After the final conference, provided that certain conditions are met – all materials need to be finalised and delivered to the project team, and all of your extra expenses need to be documented properly. We will explain to you how that’s done once you’re selected.
Trip
When will Europe on Track 10 take place?
Europe on Track 10 will take place from 2nd April – 8th May 2024. It will start with a training session for ambassadors from 2nd April – 8th April. Then the routes will take place between 8th April and 8th May. Afterwards the ambassadors will have an evaluation of the project.
What is a physical route?
In total Europe on Track ambassadors travel to ~20 cities during the physical routes. These 20 cities are divided into 2 routes in separate regions of Europe. Every team of ambassadors will be assigned to one of these routes. While travelling the ambassadors will conduct interviews and facilitate workshops in every city they visit. This year’s routes will be announced soon.
What is an online route?
To include cities and AEGEE-locals that are harder to reach by train, this year the project has an online route as well. The online route will take place parallel to the physical route and will consist of a series of online sessions facilitated by the online ambassadors from their home. The local organisers of the AEGEE locals on the online route will help with the logistics. An online stop consists of at least two workshops led by the ambassadors, furthermore the AEGEE-local can choose to organise additional activities during their stop as well.
How many cities will I visit?
The number of cities visited depends on the route you’ll be selected for. You can expect to visit around 8-10 cities during your 1-month travel.
Which cities will I visit?
Each ambassador will be assigned to a different route depending on logistics and also keeping into account your personal preferences as much as possible. If you come from a country where a route is taking place, please consider before applying that you cannot be assigned to that route.
Is free time included in the trip?
While 8-9 hours per day will be dedicated to working, you can expect to have social time organised by locals in each city that you’ll be visiting (e.g. city tours, nights out) and also some free time, when applicable. We believe that rest is crucial in order for our ambassadors to be productive.
Covid-19
Will travelling be safe when the routes are due to happen?
The safety and well-being of our ambassadors is our top one priority and, for this reason, we have adjusted and adapted our project to the current pandemic. Besides shortening the routes in comparison to other years and having an online route to reach those cities where traveling is particularly hard today, we are taking all the necessary measures to ensure that Europe on Track 10 happens in the safest way possible. We will closely monitor the COVID-19 developments in all places we will visit, and always keep the local, regional and national measures into account.
What measures will be put in place to ensure the health and well-being of people involved in the project?
All our ambassadors will be taking COVID-19 tests before and after their journey, which will be completely covered by the project. They will also be provided with masks, gels and equipment they can use during their trip. Moreover, all the recommendations and protective measures from the World Health Organization and local, regional and national authorities will always be respected. In case you are at additional risk of COVID-19 (e.g. you are immunocompromised) we strongly advise you not to apply for the physical routes.