Retrospective on the 2026 ACE-RISE Volunteer Programmes at CUAS

Last February, the ACE²-EU SPACE Centre launched its ACE-RISE (Reach, Inspire, Serve, Engage) Volunteer Programmes, providing students with opportunities to engage in meaningful activities at external partner organisations within an international environment. ACE-RISE responds to evolving societal challenges and are directly aligned with the needs of the local community, thus fostering growth in both communities and volunteers.

ACE-RISE is composed of two distinct programmes:

• The Social Impactors Volunteering Programme, proposing activities focused on addressing major societal challenges
• The Culture Hub Volunteering Programme, enabling students to participate in cultural engagement activities within the regional community

All ACE-RISE activities include an 8-day volunteering period, as well as a 25-hour online course (MOOC) introducing the aims and principles of volunteer work, solidarity, social responsibility and communication. Completing the full programme awards 2 ECTS.

2026 edition retrospective

The 2026 edition is coming to an end and has been very successful, with 39 different activities offered and 70 participating students from all nine ACE²-EU universities. From Carinthia University of Applied Sciences (CUAS), nine students from various faculties and study programmes volunteered in Latvia, Poland, Portugal and Spain, in activities such as “European Night of Museums”; “Past with history”; “Activism in practice” or “Change yourself to change the world”.
Conversely, CUAS proposed several volunteering opportunities and welcomed nine ACE²-EU students, connecting them with Carinthia's sports, events and care communities. We want to thank our two regional partners, the Pedal Performance Group and Sozialhilfeverband Klagenfurt-Land, for embarking in this adventure with us!

In the area of sports and community events, seven students from our Polish, German, North Macedonian and Latvian partners joined the Pedal Performance Group for two internationally recognised cycling events, gathering 1700-2000 participants each: the Wörthersee Gravel Race (12 April, Velden) and Carinthia200 (20 September, Villach). Over several days, they helped with event set-up and branding, race registration, goodie bag distribution, merchandise, warehouse logistics, finish-line operations, the children's race, and the final breakdown. As a student in health sciences, one of them was also invited to accompany the paramedic team during the race, thereby gaining hands-on experience into medical care at such large-scale sporting events. Both sets of volunteers shared that they lived unforgettable moments, from the nervous excitement as the first riders crossed the finish line to small acts of kindness, such as translating, sharing meals and helping one another with travel plans. Using basic German, from a first greeting to a complete store purchase, was challenging at times, but what began as hesitation turned into confidence, and every small success made them feel more at ease. This was only possible thanks to the respect and equality they felt as genuine members of the organising team. The students grew noticeably into their role over the course of the programme, moving from uncertainty to a real sense of belonging. They remain connected to CUAS and Carinthia and will gladly return for future races.

In parallel with the Carinthia200 race, two more ACE students from Romania and Poland volunteered at the district nursing home “Bezirksaltenwohnheim Ferlach/Rosental”, operated by the Sozialhilfeverband Klagenfurt-Land. They participated in daily social and cultural activities, such as crafts, baking, activation exercises, aromatherapy, seasonal events, and board games, with rules adapted to the residents' needs and abilities – they were not involved in nursing and personal care, which remained the full responsibility of professional staff. There, they learned about care workflows and the work of an interdisciplinary team, practising supportive, respectful interaction with older adults, including residents living with dementia. They experienced unforgettable and challenging times, sometimes very humorous, due to intercultural communication and differences in languages, dialects and traditions. Looking back, they reflected with pride on having successfully mastered these situations, which increased their self-confidence. This was only possible thanks to the safe space offered and the support of the nursing home staff. The students grew beyond themselves, which was wonderful to witness. They have kindly offered to support future volunteers and be available as a point of contact.

For each ACE-RISE activity, the first day was hosted by CUAS, where the volunteers got a glimpse of one of our five campuses and its laboratories, attended an interactive workshop to dive deeper into the MOOC topics and got a chance to connect with local students, for instance by joining a class or participating in a small workshop or dialogue circle on culture shock, created and delivered by CUAS Intercultural Awareness Student Club. In September, both groups of volunteers also had a chance to meet each other and CUAS ACE-RISE alumni for a social evening in the city of Klagenfurt. Each volunteering week closed with a final joint reflection and dialogue with the local ACE-RISE coordination team.

Want to join the next ACE-RISE edition?

The next application cycle will open on the 1st December 2026 for activities taking place in 2027. You can keep an eye on the ACE²-EU website and social media channels for the announcement. An article with details specific to CUAS students will also be published on this website. Questions about ACE-RISE can be addressed to C.Mueller@cuas.at, who coordinates the programmes at CUAS.

Testimonials

The student feedback on ACE-RISE has been overwhelmingly positive, citing increased confidence, empathy, teamwork and adaptability, as well as a strong motivation to apply these learnings in their studies, community or workplace.

Several participants agreed to give direct insights. For instance, one of our outgoing students, Olga, shared her volunteering experience in Riga in this article. You can also find the experience of the two Latvian volunteers, Keita and Santa, at the Carinthia200 race here. And a volunteer at the Wörthersee Gravel Race, Grace, created a video capturing her week in Carinthia (see below).

Finally, the Sozialhilfeverband Klagenfurt-Land also shared what hosting international volunteers was like for them: “The support from the ACE²-EU volunteers was a real enrichment for our daily routine and benefited both our residents and our team. It meant a lot to us to give young people an authentic insight into the work in elderly care, while also sharing a piece of Austrian and Carinthian culture and traditions with them and learning from the students' cultures in return. We are proud to have been part of this exchange programme and can only share positive feedback about our experience. We sincerely appreciate the opportunity to participate and are grateful for the valuable experience it has provided”. They also posted about it on their Instagram channel (in German).