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Research into the Community Service Project 

The Community Service Project (MDT) is aimed at young people between the ages of 12 and 30 who, in addition to their studies, school or work, participate in volunteer projects for approximately six months (on a voluntary basis). The University of Humanistic Studies investigated what the participants’ expectations were and what they learned. It turned out that the participants were not sure what to expect, but most of their experiences were positive in retrospect. The report is available to download.  

Description

In 2018, the Dutch government, in collaboration with the Dutch Youth Council (NJR), the Association of Dutch Volunteer Organisations (NOV) and ZonMw, launched the Social Service Time programme. The aim is to develop talents, meet others and do something for someone else. Since its inception, approximately 60,000 young people have participated and a national MDT network has been established with nearly 5,000 organisations where young people can go. They can spend their MDT time in various sectors: nature & animals, technology & ICT, politics & administration, education, media & culture, sports, safety, care & welfare.

MDT Education and MDT YourCube 

The Time for Action Foundation has been involved in MDT since the initial experimental phase and is currently shaping two MDT projects: MDT Education and MDT YourCube. 

MDT Education is intended for students aged 12 to 30 from partner schools (secondary education, vocational education, higher professional education and university education) and serves as a practical implementation of existing learning objectives in education. This programme is usually completed during school hours. MDT YourCube is aimed at all young people between the ages of 14 and 30. Depending on the interests and qualities of the participants, a suitable programme is developed that is completed over a period of six months, with an average commitment of three hours per week. 

Research by the University of Humanistic Studies 

The University of Humanistic Studies investigated what participants who took part in MDT Education and MDT YourCube in 2020 and 2022 expected at the start of their MDT programme and what they learned during the programmes. The research shows that participants in both programmes did not know what to expect beforehand. However, they did have an idea of what they wanted to learn or how they wanted to develop.  

For the younger participants (who mainly participated in MDT Education), the main focus was on getting to know themselves better so that they would have a clearer idea of what kind of work they wanted to do in the future. The older age groups (who mainly participated in MDT YourCube) mainly wanted to learn skills that would enable them to perform the profession they already had or wanted to pursue more effectively. In retrospect, the participants in both programmes are very positive, even though they sometimes found the work challenging and occasionally encountered limitations. 

Volunteering is very rewarding 

The quantitative research clearly shows that participants – after completing both MDT programmes – score significantly higher on a considerable number of the measured competencies. Participants indicate that they have gained more self-confidence, that they can handle more than they thought beforehand, and that they are no longer afraid to approach people. They are also more positive about volunteering. They have experienced that volunteering is very rewarding and that it is “something very beautiful”. 

Researchers

(Co-)funding

Stichting TijdVoorActie

Results