After an intensive awareness-raising campaign, the Action Day takes place: high school students freely choose to skip a day of school and get active by looking for a place to work, with the aim of supporting the winner of the Human Rights Award. This is done in agreement with school principals and employers, in exchange for a donation (suggested at 51 euros) to the winning organisation.
In Trentino-South Tyrol in recent years, around 650 young people and around 400 employers have participated in the day of action annually, raising an average annual sum of €18,000! Thanks to the commitment of civil society, projects were supported in India (2008), Honduras (2009), El Salvador (2010), Peru (2011), Palestine (2012), Bosnia Herzegovina (2013), Burkina Faso (2014), Albania (2015), Colombia (2016), Cape Verde (2017), Benin (2018), West Bank (2019) and Guatemala (2021)
Each year we organize the Action Day and this year is no exception. During this day, students trade one day of school with a day of work experience. The pay of at least 51 euros (suggested donation) will be donated to the prize winner voted by OD members.
This year the winner of the human rights award is COPROPAP.
You choose! Take the opportunity to work in the place that fascinates you the most. You could work in the family business, help your neighbour, work at the bakery, in the library, in a restaurant…
Important: if you are under 15 years of age by the Action Day, you can only work for private individuals.
If you have found a job with a company or private person that offers you the chance to work for them on 14 April 2023, register and enter your details and the details of your employer.
Before the Action Day please download, print and fill in the form “Action Day 2022 Agreement“.
At Action Day your employer will sign both copies of the Action Day 2023 Agreement.
One copy of the agreement gets to your employer (company or private person) and the second copy you will hand in to your school secretary to prove your presence at the workplace. The school will be responsible then for forwarding this copy to us, Operation Daywork. Remember to hand in this copy!
Both copies must be signed by a parent/tutor if you are a minor.
Deadline for handing in the 2023 Day of Action Agreement to the school secretariat: 17 April 2023. It is very important that the agreement is then sent to Operation Daywork.
Once the activity is over, the employer (company or private person) pays the salary (proposed donation 51 euros – 1 euro is used to guarantee insurance) into the Operation Daywork bank account that is written on the Action Day Agreement. The amount paid will benefit the winner of the Human Rights Award 2022/2023, COPROPAP. The donation can be tax deducted by the company.
The Day of Action is not an employment relationship but an educational activity. Students, who have not yet turned 15 by the time of the Action Day, can only work for private individuals. Students are covered by accident insurance on their way to and from work and during working hours. In addition, civil liability insurance is taken out with Aurora Assicurazioni S.p.a with an insurance premium of up to €2,500,000.
For further information please contact us: info@operationdaywork.org
DOWNLOAD AND PRINT: Action Day Agreement 2022
Swap a day of school for a day of work for a good cause. High school students from South Tyrol and Trentino have the opportunity to financially support through a concrete and direct action the winner of Operation Daywork EO’s human rights award, COPROPAP, a cooperative of sugar cane farmers actively fighting against ever-growing soil extractivism.
Yes! Last year, more than 650 students from all over the region participated and 18,000 euros were raised to support ASOREMI activities in Guatemala.
Are you motivated to support the activities of COPROPAP? Would you like to make a concrete gesture of solidarity combined with work experience? Then the Action Day is for you!
Whatever you want! Ask at the shop around the corner, in your father′s business, at your grandmother′s or your neighbour′s, or in a youth centre. Anything is possible!
Exception: If you are not yet 15 years old, you can only work for family members or acquaintances, e.g. you can mow your mother’s lawn, fix your neighbour’s garage, do your grandmother’s shopping etc.
Job vacancies: If you cannot find a job despite your search, take a look at the vacancies on our website in the job vacancies section.
No! Your commitment to the Action Day corresponds to an INTERNSHIP, which is part of the school’s training plan.
No! If you participate in the Action Day, your absence is excused. Remember to hand in a copy of the action day agreement to the secretariat to prove your commitment.
Yes! You are insured by the school against accidents and by OD for third party liability for the duration of the activity.
The employer values your work through a donation. Our suggested donation is 51 euros. The donation will be transferred to the OD donation account, and after that, the sum collected can be sent to COPROPAP, winners of the human rights award.
COPROPAP wants to build a sufficiently large oven in order to centralize all panela production in one large factory. The new oven will bring with it a reduction in environmental impact, less wood consumption, higher quality standards due to more careful controls, and finally the farmers will be able to concentrate all their efforts on tending their crops, instead of also thinking about sugar production. In addition, part of the money collected will be devolved to legal costs necessary to defend farmers who have been criminalized because of their efforts to protect their land against mining companies.
Dear Parents and Tutors,
Operation Daywork EO is an association formed by high school students based in Bolzano. Since 2007 it made it possible for young people to experience the world of international cooperation and solidarity. The proposal of OD to the students attending the schools with which it collaborates is a path of active citizenship that starts with the choice of the winner of the human rights award, passes through the awareness campaign at school through the workshops, then the guest visit and finally proposes to the motivated students to participate in the Action Day.
The activity does not lead to an employment relationship, as it is part of a school training programme. From a legal point of view, it is a one-day internship. Students under 15 years of age can only take part in the Action Day by working for family members or acquaintances.
Students are insured by the school against accidents during the outward and return journeys and during all activities. OD also takes out insurance against third party damage. In the event of an accident or damage, please contact the school and OD immediately so that the insurance company can be notified.
By handing in the Action Day’s agreement to the secretary, the participant absence from school will be excused as the activity is part of the school’s teaching plan.
Parents and tutors can also become apprenticeship employers!
Mow the lawn, fix the garage, help around the house, babysit and much more. If you are under 15 years of age, the only option is to work at your family. For further information, please refer to the “INFORMATION FOR TEACHERS AND EMPLOYERS” section.
Dear employer,
Operation Daywork EO (OD) is an association formed by high school students who engage with the world of international cooperation and solidarity. At the last general assembly, the students elected the winner of the OD Human Rights Award, COPROPAP, ecuadorian sugar cane farmers who fight in a non-violent way for the retention of their human rights. Following the awareness campaign in schools, students participate in the Action Day, a day in which student skip school to work (5hrs). Then, the proceeds will be donated to COPROPAP. An average of 300 employers work with us annually.
A student can apply independently by asking directly to the employer.
Another option is for the employer to contact OD and make one or more places available, which are then published on the website.
The activity does not lead to an employment relationship as it is part of a school training programme. From a legal point of view, it is a one-day internship.
At the Action Day the student will give you 2 copies of the Action Day’s Agreement, which we kindly ask you to sign. Of the two copies:
– Copy 1: remains to employer.
– Copy 2: is given to the participant, who will hand it in at school
Students are insured by the school against accidents during the outward and return journeys and during all activities. OD also takes out insurance against third-party damage.
OD is an ONLUS registered with the tax office. The donation can therefore be deducted in the tax return.
To make one or more internship places available, to request a donation receipt or for any other information please write to job@operationdaywork.org.