ESC Volunteering: Available Projects

Apply for the European Solidarity Corps Volunteering periods in Finland! On this page you can find those projects coordinated by Maailmanvaihto that are currently seeking volunteers and instructions for applying.

A notion for the applicants: The available European Solidarity Corps Volunteering periods can be postponed to a later date or cancelled in case needed due to the Corona virus situation (see the news from the Finnish National Agency for Education).

To apply, please download Maailmanvaihto’s application form:
application form (pdf) or application form (docx).

You can find instructions for filling in the form from the bottom of this page. Please read also read carefully the project descriptions below as well as the program information. Please note that Maailmanvaihto only accepts applications which have been filled into Maailmanvaihto’s application form. Send your filled-in application to evs(a)maailmanvaihto.fi.

Available ESC Projects

1) Myllylähde-yhteisö – Myllylähde Community

MYLLYLÄHDE is a village community with adults with special needs. It is a part of the international Camphill movement which was established to work and live with people who have special needs like learning disabilities. In the community all work is shared: teaching, caring, household tasks, gardening and ecological farming. In Camphill Communities the idea is that in the community life each person contributes according to his/her abilities what they can towards the well-being of their fellows. The community is based on the general Christian values and principles. The main work activities of Myllylähde are biodynamic agriculture, animal care, gardening, packing of the agriculture products and weavery and handicrafts workshops. All work is done together with adults with special needs.

• Number of volunteers: 2
• Volunteering period: 26.8.2020–25.8.2020 (12 months)
• Location: Myllylähde community is situated in the Southern Finland in the village of Hämeenkoski, with the distance of about 30 km from the city of Lahti. Myllylähde is located in a quite remote countryside surroundings surrounded by beautiful nature, forests and fields. The distance to the Hämeenkoski village center, where also the local buses run to Lahti, is about 7 km.
• Volunteer’s role and tasks: The volunteer is expected to be willing to help with all the activities of the community according to their personal skills and abilities. The tasks of the volunteer will be socializing and co-working with the people with special needs and supporting them in the community’s daily functions in practical tasks like cooking and cleaning. Volunteers can also introduce their own culture and language to the members of the community. Life in the community changes according to the seasons, and so do the tasks of the volunteer as well. From spring to autumn there is a lot of agricultural work tasks and in the winter time more work in the workshops.
• Volunteer profile: It is important that the volunteer is motivated to live in the countryside and interested to work with people with special needs. Interest in a communal way of life and nature is also helpful.
• Accommodation, food and transportation: The meals and accommodation are provided by the Myllylähde community in one of the community houses. The volunteers have their own room in one of the Myllylähde’s three houses and share the kitchen and hygienic facilities with the other community members. Volunteers live and work at Myllylähde, so they don’t need to commute daily. Myllylähde is situated in the countryside, and there is no public local transport nearby – the nearest bus stop is at 8 km’s distance. But the volunteers will get reimbursement for one weekly return trip to the nearest city of Lahti. Also, the staff will give the volunteers a lift whenever possible.
• Accessibility: The voluntary workplace unfortunately cannot host volunteers physical or sensory disabilities within this project.
• Myllylähde in the European Youth Portal
• Volunteers’ experiences
• Deadline for applying: the 23rd of March, 2020

2) Seurakuntaopisto – The Church Training College

SEURAKUNTAOPISTO (The Church Training College) is a private educational learning institution run by Kirkkopalvelut. Seurakuntaopisto has campus areas in Järvenpää, Pieksämäki, Lapua, Nykarleby and Ruokolahti. We have app. 2000 annual students and app. 180 employees. Seurakuntaopisto is specialized in social and health care education, the humanities and various church professions. We also offer preparatory training and guidance as well as short courses. Although being a mainstream vocational college Seurakuntaopisto offers and develops educational services also for immigrants and people with special needs (caused by learning problems, mental disability etc.). We also organize leisure time activities for the students, because many of them stay in our dormitory during their study weeks. Aim of our background organization Kirkkopalvelut is to build bridges between people, communities and church.

• Number of volunteers: 2
• Volunteering period: 26.8.2020–25.6.2020 (10 months)
• Location: The volunteer will mainly work at the campus in Pieksämäki. Pieksämäki is a small town in the Eastern Finland, and Seurakuntaopisto is located 1,5 km away from the Pieksämäki town centre. Nearby there is a very beautiful park, lake and a small beach (beach volley possibilities in the summer). Depending on the volunteer’s skills and interests, some working weeks can be done in Järvenpää unit. Järvenpää is situated in the Southern Finland, 35 km north from Helsinki.
• Volunteer’s role and tasks: The role of the volunteer is to bring intercultural aspects to the everyday life of the college and students, providing them a possibility for language practice and intercultural learning. Volunteers will have tasks as assistants with our instructors with the groups of special need learners. The need for assistance is either daytime during the lessons, or in the evening related to the leisure time activities. Volunteers will learn a lot about working with people with disabilities and what kind of support and possibilities they have in the Finnish society. By assisting students the volunteers also have a possibilities to learn about music, cooking, arts and handicrafts. Another important learning aspect is the communication, social capacity and team working skills, not to forget improvement in English and Finnish language skills.
• Volunteer profile: We are looking for a person with own-initiative and good interaction skills. Some knowledge or experience about disabilities is an advantage, but even more important is an open and positive attitude towards volunteering with people with special needs. The voluntary workplace unfortunately cannot host volunteers physical or sensory disabilities.
• Accommodation, food and transportation: Accommodation is provided at the student dormitory building situated in the Seurakuntaopisto campus area. The volunteers have private rooms, but kitchen, bathroom, sauna and laundry are shared with other volunteers and students. All meals are provided in the student restaurant. When the restaurant is closed during weekends or holidays, the volunteer will receive a food allowance.
• Accessibility: The voluntary workplace unfortunately cannot host volunteers physical or sensory disabilities within this project.
• Website of the organisation: www.seurakuntaopisto.fi
• Social media:
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
• Organisation in the European Youth Portal
• Volunteers’ experiences
• Deadline for applying: the 23rd of March, 2020

3) Dagtek’s Arts&crafts Workshop

DAGTEK is a part of Kårkulla samkommun, which offers services for people with learning disabilities or autistic spectrum disorders. The activities Dagtek offers are divided into several sections that all focus on different areas. In Dagtek’s arts&crafts workshop there are four different workshops with different textile crafts, visual arts and ceramics. Each workshop has a coach who coordinates and leads the activities. Dagtek’s arts&crafts workshop community consists for the moment of 22 persons, mostly women, with minor challenges with learning and four workshop coaches/mentors.

• Number of volunteers: 1
• Volunteering period: 26.8.2020–25.8.2021 (12 months)
• Location: Dagtek is located in Ekenäs (Tammisaari in Finnish). Ekenäs is a small town of about 15 000 inhabitants and it is situated by the sea in the Southern Finland. The majority language is Swedish (81%) and only about 17% of the population speak Finnish.  Ekenäs is a part of the Raseborg commune (28 000 inhabitants). Dagtek is located in the centre of the town.
• Volunteer’s role and tasks: Through ESC volunteer cooperation, Dagtek wishes to offer its community members a possibility to build networks and get a wider perspective on the world around us. At the same time, we hope to have one more person to be present for our clients and assist in the daily workshop activities and in social and practical situations during the day. In the arts&crafts workshop the role of the volunteer is to support the clients with special needs in their textile crafts work, art activities, exhibition visits and all kinds of daily activities. According to their skills and interests, the volunteer can also organise activities and teach the clients new skills especially related to arts&crafts. Despite of their learning disabilities and other special needs, most of the clients of Dagtek workshop are quite independent in their daily activities. Thus, the role of the workers and the volunteer is not to take care of them, but to teach and guide them in the arts&crafts activities and to support their independence in different situations.
• Volunteer profile: It is important that the volunteer is socially active, flexible and motivated to participate in the community life as being there for the participants, being social, talking with the people, and bringing up their ideas to the colleagues and mentors. The working language of Dagtek is Swedish, so is important that the volunteer is motivated to learn Swedish. We hope to find a volunteer with specific skills or interest and motivation in visual arts or art in a wider perspective; ceramics, photography, dancing etc. Having a volunteer with interest in arts would enrich our community and give the volunteer a genuine possibility to share their skills and experience.
• Accessibility: The physical environment of the workplace is suitable for young people with physical, sensory or other disabilities. Wheelchair access is possible through the backdoor, and there is an accessible toilet in the building. Since Dagtek works with people with physical, cognitive or social challenges, we have good skills in offering occasionally extra support for the volunteer if needed. However, we do not have the possibility to offer continuously intensive extra support for the volunteer.
• Accommodation, food and transportation: The volunteer will most probably be accommodated in a local host family. Lunch is offered at Dagtek and other meals are provided by the host family. The possible daily commuting costs are covered for the volunteer.
• Website of the organization: www.karkulla.fi/enheter/vastra-nyland
• Social media: Facebook
• Deadline for applying: The 23rd of March, 2020

4) Lehtimäki Folk High School

LEHTIMÄKI FOLK HIGH SCHOOL is a boarding school for youth and adults with special needs. The school offers 70 places for students and there are more than 100 different short term courses for disabled youth, adults and elderly as well as their families. The school also offers rehabilitation courses such as riding therapy, occupational therapy and physical therapy. Some training is aimed at increasing the occupational capacities of the people through, for example, computer literacy training.

• Number of volunteers: 2
• Volunteering period: 26.8.2020–25.6.2020 (10 months)
• Location: Lehtimäki Special Folk High School is situated in Lehtimäki, a small village situated some 60 km away from the city of Seinäjoki.
• Volunteer’s role and tasks: The main task of the volunteers is to interact students with special needs during their lessons and leisure time, as well as to help them in their daily routines. The volunteers can also organize free-time activities for the mentally disabled students. Helping the kitchen staff also belongs to the tasks of the volunteers.
• Volunteer profile: It is important that the volunteers has motivation to work with people with special needs as well as good social skills and an open attitude. The voluntary workplace is especially looking for volunteers who have knowledge on horseback riding and stable work as well as volunteers with a musical background. The volunteers should also be willing to work in different kinds of tasks and to live in a small village in the country side.
• Accommodation, food and transportation: The volunteers will live in an apartment at the campus area. Meals are provided from the school restaurant. When the restaurant is closed during weekends or holidays, the volunteer will receive a food package. Lehtimäki is situated in the countryside, and there is no public local transport nearby except one daily bus to the nearest city of Seinäjoki. The volunteers will get reimbursement for one weekly return trip between Seinäjoki and Lehtimäki and the staff might also assist.
• Accessibility: The voluntary workplace unfortunately cannot host volunteers physical or sensory disabilities within this project.
• Organisation in the European Youth Portal
• Website of the organisation: www.lehtimaenopisto.fi
• Social media:
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
• Deadline of applying: The 23rd of March, 2020

5) Kisälli-Harjulanäki

KISÄLLI-HARJULANMÄKI has two main activities: it has a nursing home called “Harjulanmäki” for mentally disabled people and a workshop called “Kisälli” which provides art and work therapy for disabled people.

• Number of volunteers: 2
• Volunteering period: 26.8.2020–25.8.2021 (12 months)
• Location: Kisälli-Harjulanmäki is situated in Vihti, a small town located some 50 kilometers away from the city of Helsinki.
• Volunteer’s role and tasks: The volunteer helps disabled people in their daily activities at the Kisälli arts&crafts workshop and at the Harjulanmäki home. The work includes both artistic work and practical personal assisting (for example with eating and daily hygiene).
• Volunteer profile: The volunteer needs to have interest in creative arts&crafts work as well as motivation to work with people with special needs.
• Accommodation, food and transportation: The volunteer will be accommodated in an apartment together with another volunteer in Vihti. The lunch on workdays is provided by Kisälli. Other meals are prepared by the volunteer, but the costs are covered by the hosting organisation. There is no local transportation in Vihti so the volunteer will either walk or ride a bicycle between the apartment, Kisälli workshop and Harjulanmäki (distance 2–3 km). The bus connections to Helsinki are rather frequent and the volunteer will get one weekly return trip reimbursed between Vihti and Helsinki.
• Accessibility: The voluntary workplace unfortunately cannot host volunteers physical or sensory disabilities within this project.
• Website of the organisation: www.kisallipaja.fi
• Organisation in the European Youth Portal
• Volunteers’ experiences
• Social media:
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
• Deadline for applying: The 23rd of March, 2020

How to apply? Three simple steps:

1. Choose from the list above the project you wish to apply to.
2. After selecting the project, download and fill in Maailmanvaihto’s application form: application form (pdf) or application form (docx). If you wish to apply to more than one project, please fill in a separate form for each project. Write your answers on the green blank fields. There is no length limit for your answers.
3. Send your application form as an email attachment to: evs(a)maailmanvaihto.fi Write the project name to the subject field. Attach your application to the message and send. Photos are optional.

Please note these things:

• In order to apply, you need to have a sending organization in the country you live in. In case you do not yet have a sending organization, you can look for one from this database.
• If you do not understand the content of the application form, please ask help from your sending organisation.
• Maailmanvaihto only accepts applications which have been filled into Maailmanvaihto’s application form.
• Prior to sending us an application, please read through the program information in order to get a picture on the European Solidarity Corps Volunteering.
• ESC volunteering periods are targeted especially for those young adults who otherwise have less opportunities than their peers to participate in transnational projects. If you feel you have less opportunities than other young people, please tell about this in your application. There is a separate question on it in the application form.