International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development (IVY)

05/01/2026

The United Nations General Assembly has proclaimed 2026 as the International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development (IVY)! 

" As the world prepares for the final push towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, this recognition amplifies the role that volunteers play in driving meaningful progress for the future" (IVY).

StudentVolunteer.ie has been invited to join the National Committee for the 2026 year with community partners across Ireland to drive celebrations for the year and a series of objectives, hosted by Volunteer Ireland. Members of the National Committee include:

• Comhlámh
• Student Volunteer Ireland
• Federation of Irish Sport
• Irish Rural Link
• ALONE
• Dept of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht
• St Joseph's Shankill
• Léargas
• Dept of Foreign Affairs and Trade
• Dublin City Community Volunteers
• Waterford Volunteer Centre
• National Youth Council of Ireland
• The Wheel
• Irish Refugee Council
• Corporate Nominee

Role of Higher Education

We are delighted to support this year ahead with campaigns, special projects and initiatives to amplify the value of student volunteering.

• IVY highlights the diverse forms of volunteering—formal, informal, local, global—that resonate directly with how students engage in community work.
• IVY emphasizes that every volunteer contribution matters, which fits squarely with the ethos of student volunteering—empowering even small-scale efforts to make a real difference.
• IVY spotlights volunteering as an essential “means of implementation” for the SDGs, reinforcing the educational and societal impact of student volunteer work.
• IVY enables student groups to see their efforts as part of a global collective movement.

Academic institutions are explicitly invited to participate, planning events, partnerships, and knowledge sharing at national and local levels.

# IVY2026 # VolunteerYear

Exciting plans will be shared for International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development on our platform here at StudentVolunteer.ie

Best wishes to all our partners and collaborators for 2026 IYV!

Higher Education Authority
National Forum T&L
Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht
Rethink Ireland
UL Student Volunteering Office - PVA
ALIVE University of Galway
DCU Student Life
TU Dublin Students' Union
Technological University Dublin
University College Cork
UCC Career Services
University College Dublin
UCD Volunteers Overseas
Mark Kelly
Atlantic Technological University
hashtag # ATUESDAcademy
Volunteer Ireland
Gaisce - The President's Award