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.

How to apply? Three simple steps:

1) Read carefully the project descriptions below and choose from the list the project you wish to apply to.

2) Download and fill in Maailmanvaihto’s European Solidarity Corps Application form: docx or pdf. (You will be able to attach your photo to the pdf form if you fill it in with Adobe Acrobat Reader.)

• 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.
• In order to apply, you need to have a sending organization in the country you live in. The sending supporting organization will orientate and support you. In case you do not yet have a sending organization, you can look for one from this database. Please, contact them to find out if they could act as your sending organization if you got selected as a volunteer.
• Please contact us (esc@maailmanvaihto.fi) if the application form is not accessible for you.

3) Send your application form as an email attachment to: esc@maailmanvaihto.fi.

• Write the project name to the subject field of your message.
• Photos are optional.

Please note these things:

• If you do not understand the content of the application form, please ask for help from your sending supporting organization.
• Maailmanvaihto only accepts applications that 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 of the European Solidarity Corps Volunteering.
• ESC volunteering periods are targeted especially for those young adults who otherwise have fewer opportunities than their peers to participate in transnational projects. If you feel you have fewer opportunities than other young people, please tell about this in your application. There is a separate question on it in the application form.
• 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).

Available European Solidarity Corps volunteering positions

1. Lehtimäki Special Folk High School
2. Dagtek Workshop Activities
3. Tapola Camphill Village Community
4. Youth Exchange Organization Maailmanvaihto – ICYE Finland
5. Myllylähde Community
6. Vanhamäki Activity Centre

1) Lehtimäki Special Folk High School (Lehtimäen opisto)

LEHTIMÄKI SPECIAL FOLK HIGH SCHOOL (Lehtimäen opisto) is a boarding school for youth and adults with special needs. We offer 70 places for students, and there are more than 100 different short-term courses for youth, adults, and elderly with disabilities and their families. The school offers rehabilitation courses, such as riding therapy, occupational therapy, and physical therapy. Some training is aimed at increasing the occupational capacities of the students, through computer literacy training, for example. Our school builds its activities around values of respecting individuality and uniqueness of people, equality among people, participation, safety, community, and lifelong learning.

• Number of volunteers: 2
• Volunteering period: 20.8.2022–19.6.2023 (10 months)
• Deadline for applying: 24th April 2022
• Themes: education and training, disabilities, inclusion
• Location: Lehtimäki Special Folk High School is situated in Western Finland in the small village of Lehtimäki located about 60 km away from the city Seinäjoki.
• Volunteer’s role and tasks: Volunteers will interact with students with special needs during their lessons and leisure time and support them in their daily activities. Helping the kitchen staff also belongs to the tasks of the volunteer. The volunteers may work at the stables, too.
• Volunteer’s profile
  • It is important to be motivated to work with people with special needs and have good social skills and an open attitude.
  • We are especially looking for volunteers with knowledge of horseback riding and stable work, as well as volunteers with a musical background.
  • It is important to be prepared to carry out different kinds of tasks and to live in a small village in the countryside.
• Accommodation, food, and transportation
  • The volunteers will live either in an apartment in the campus area or in a separate house about two kilometers away from the school. In case the volunteers live in the latter, they can use the bicycles of Lehtimäki Special Folk High School for their daily way to work.
  • Meals are provided from the school restaurant. When the restaurant is closed during weekends and holidays, the volunteer will receive a food package.
  • Lehtimäki is situated in the countryside. The only public transportation nearby is one bus during the weekends to the nearest city Seinäjoki. The volunteers will get reimbursement for one weekly return trip between Seinäjoki and Lehtimäki, and the staff might also assist with moving around in the area.
• Accessibility: We, unfortunately, cannot host volunteers with physical or sensory disabilities.
• Lehtimäki Special Folk High School in the European Youth Portal
• Website of the organisation: lehtimaenopisto.fi
• Social media:
  • Instagram
  • Facebook

 

2) Dagtek Workshop Activities

DAGTEK is a part of Kårkulla joint municipal authority (Kårkulla samkommun in Swedish), which offers services for people with intellectual disabilities or autistic spectrum disorders. The activities Dagtek offers are divided into several sections in different areas. The volunteer will assist either in our arts&crafts workshop or life skills activities – or in both if the volunteer wishes so.

In Dagtek’s arts&crafts workshop (Konst och hantverk in Swedish) there are four workshops with different textile crafts, visual arts, and ceramics. Each workshop has a coach who coordinates and leads the activities. At the moment Dagtek’s arts&crafts workshop community consists of 25 participants, who are mostly women with different types of intellectual disabilities or minor learning challenges, and four workshop coaches/mentors.

The participants of Dagtek’s life skills activities (Livsorienterad verksamhet in Swedish) need guidance and support in their daily activities. The life skills activities take place in small groups consisting of 2–4 people and are always planned according to the condition, interests, and needs of the participants. About twenty people take part in the life skills activities daily. The daily activities consist of music, arts and crafts, painting, games, and walks outside, for example. The goal is to encourage every participant to be active, get involved, make their own decisions, and affect the content of their daily lives, taking into consideration every participant’s individual starting point.

• Number of volunteers: 1
• Volunteering period: 20.8.2022–19.08.2023 (12 months)
• Deadline for applying: 24th April 2022
• Themes: Creativity and culture, disabilities – special needs, inclusion – equality, health, and wellbeing
• Location: Dagtek is located in Ekenäs (Tammisaari in Finnish), which is a small town with about 15 000 inhabitants situated by the sea in Southern Finland. Dagtek is located in the centre of the town. The majority language spoken in Ekenäs is Swedish (81%) and about 17% of the population speaks Finnish. Ekenäs is a part of the Raseborg commune (28 000 inhabitants).
• Volunteer’s role and tasks
  • Through European Solidarity Corps volunteer cooperation, we wish to offer our community members the 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 the clients and assist them in the daily workshop activities, as well as 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, and all kinds of daily activities. According to their skills and interests, the volunteer can also organize activities and teach the clients new skills especially related to arts&crafts. Despite their learning disabilities or other special needs, many of the clients of Dagtek workshop are quite independent in their daily activities. The role of the staff and volunteer is to coach and guide them in the arts&crafts activities and to support their independence in different everyday situations.
  • The volunteer’s role in the life skills activities is to support the clients and give guidance for them. The volunteer also helps in the clients’ daily activities related to mealtimes, going to the toilet and to walks outside, as well as walking the clients to and from their car transportation when they arrive and leave Dagtek. According to their skills and interests, the volunteer can also organize activities for small groups or individuals. Dagtek values creative activities such as music, arts&crafts, and physical and outdoor activities. The clients appreciate possibilities for individual encounters, for example, talks or reading for them. The volunteer can also contribute to the production of pedagogic and visual support materials and the documentation of Dagtek’s activities through photography, for example.
• Volunteer’s profile:
  • • We are looking for a volunteer interested in working with adults (18–60-year-olds) with different types of intellectual disabilities, autistic disorders, or minor learning challenges. It is important that the volunteer is socially active, flexible, and motivated to participate in community life, meaning being there for the clients and communicating actively with them. It is also important that the volunteer has open communication with the staff team and shares their ideas and observations with them. The working language of Dagtek is Swedish, so it is important to be motivated to learn Swedish.
      • Dagtek’s arts&crafts workshop can be a great match for you, if you have skills or interest in visual arts, handicrafts, or art in a wider perspective – ceramics, photography, or dancing, for example. Having a volunteer with an interest in arts would enrich the community and give you a genuine possibility to share your skills and experience.
      • If you feel like you have the ability to motivate and encourage people and awaken their interest in participating and being active, you can suite well into the life skills activities team! In the team, it is good to have good social skills and to be open to meeting new people. We appreciate flexibility and a positive outlook on life and other people. It is also important to be able to tolerate fast-changing situations. Experiences or skills in alternative communication methods are an advantage, but not a requirement.
      • If you are interested in volunteering in both the arts&crafts workshop and the life skills activities, you will be welcome to have tasks in both.
• Accommodation, food, and transportation:
  • The volunteer will be accommodated in a local host family if a host family is found. Otherwise, the volunteer will live in a shared flat together with another volunteer of Dagtek.
  • Lunch will be offered at Dagtek. Other meals will be provided by the host family or cooked by the volunteer (in which case the volunteer will get a food allowance).
  • The possible daily commuting costs will be covered for the volunteer.
• Accessibility: The physical environment of Dagtek is also suitable for people with physical or (minor) sensory disabilities, depending on the special needs of the person. Wheelchair access is possible and there is an accessible toilet in the building. Since Dagtek works with people with different disabilities, our staff has experience in providing extra support and can sometimes support the volunteer, if needed. However, there are no resources to provide continuous intensive support for the volunteer. If you have a disability, please, feel welcome to contact us for consultation via the coordinating organization Maailmanvaihto: esc@maailmanvaihto.fi.
• Website: karkulla.fi/enheter/vastra-nyland
• Facebook page of Dagtek Konst & Hantverk

 

3) Tapola Camphill Village Community

TAPOLA CAMPHILL VILLAGE COMMUNITY is a vibrant living and working community for adults with special needs. In Tapola live nearly 50 residents, but all together with co-workers and volunteers, we are around 90 people. Tapola community consists of five houses, a bio-dynamical farm, different workshops, and a shop selling Tapola’s handicrafts, herbal products, and farm foods. In our weavery we make various crafts, e.g., rugs and different types of woven fabrics. The creamery produces dairy products from cheese to ice cream. We have a big garden and an herb workshop. Tapola’s farm offers animal care and other farm work while the outside maintenance group maintains the surroundings of the village community.

We have a rich cultural life with different festivals and activities. Our aims and values are the well-being of all residents, developing a balanced community life, enabling everyone an individual life, and supporting self-determination – everyone is special and deserves acceptance, respect, and love. We are also very aware of the surrounding environment and nature.

• Number of volunteers: 3
• Volunteering period: 15.8.2022–14.8.2023 (12 months)
• Deadline for applying: 24th April 2022
• Themes: Disabilities – well-being – inclusion – agriculture
• Volunteer’s role and tasks: Having international volunteers is a great opportunity for the community members to learn about different cultures, it brings the world to our village. Volunteers bring fresh ideas and new perspectives, making the community life livelier. Through the cooperation, our residents with special needs have international experiences in their everyday life, and working with people with special needs also widens young volunteers’ perspectives on the world of disabilities. The volunteer assists in care work and guiding adults with special needs in their daily life. That can be providing residential services and, for example, arranging some evening activities and assisting and guiding the residents in the different workshops. Also preparing the festivals and other special occasions, running a Sunday cafeteria, or arranging free time activities for the residents, is also a part of the volunteer year. The volunteer’s role is to help, support, and guide the residents while being involved in the whole community in different ways. By living and working alongside the residents, the volunteer gets to experience how it is to share life with other people. Finnish lessons are provided regularly, to help to fit into the community.
• Volunteer’s profile: The volunteer is expected to have an interest in community life and in joining the common gatherings. The motivation to live in a countryside community and meet everyone as an individual is important. It is also useful to have good social skills, as well as an open and curious attitude. Basic knowledge of household work, such as cleaning and cooking, and taking care of other people are recommended. The volunteer is free to create something new and bring in their skills and abilities (music, sports, hobby groups, events), so their own initiative is appreciated.
• Location: Tapola is situated in a countryside community in Niinikoski village, Southern Finland. We are 10 km away from the nearest town Orimattila (around 16 000 inhabitants), 30 km from a bigger town Lahti and 100 km from Helsinki.
• Accommodation, food, and transportation:
  • The volunteer lives in the village community. Everyone has their own room; other facilities are shared. The necessities for living are provided. The houses are like small families, the daily meals (mixed diet or lacto-ovo vegetarian) are prepared and enjoyed together, or cooking can be a task of a workshop. All the houses and workshops are within walking distance from each other.
  • The public transportation from Tapola to Orimattila is limited, but from Orimattila the connections are good (bus, train). In addition, volunteers with a driver’s license have an opportunity to use Tapola’s cars for fuel costs.
• Accessibility: Unfortunately, the physical environment of the workplace is not suitable for volunteers with physical or sensory disabilities, and the staff does not have the resources to support them.
• Tapola in the social media:
  Facebook
  Instagram: Tapolan Kyläyhteisö
  Instagram: Tapolan Kyläyhteisön Maatila
  A video on Tapola in YouTube

 

4) Youth Exchange Organization Maailmanvaihto – ICYE Finland

MAAILMANVAIHTO – ICYE FINLAND is a non-profit NGO working in the field of international volunteering, organizing long-term volunteer work programs for young adults (18–30+ years). Maailmanvaihto is a member of the International Cultural Youth Exchange (ICYE) Federation, which consists of 40 organizations worldwide.  Maailmanvaihto coordinates ICYE and European Solidarity Corps (ESC) volunteering activities. On a yearly basis, Maailmanvaihto sends about 20–30 Finnish young people abroad for volunteer work and receives about 30–40 volunteers to Finland.  Our principles are intercultural learning, equality, and global responsibility. There are three full-time staff members working at the office: Secretary General, Program Coordinator, and Communications Officer. Besides this, there are several voluntary coworkers organizing Maailmanvaihto’s activities.

• Number of volunteers: 1
• Volunteering period: 16.8.2022–15.8.2023 (12 months)
• Deadline for applying: 24th April 2022
• Themes: international cooperation – youth – youth work
• Location: Maailmanvaihto’s office is situated in the centre of the capital city Helsinki, about a 10 minutes walk away from the central railway station.
• Volunteers’ role and tasks: The aim of hosting an ESC volunteer at the Maailmanvaihto office is to offer the volunteer the opportunity to learn about the activities of a youth exchange organization, and about media and communication work, as well as to get involved in intercultural learning. An international volunteer will enrich our organizational culture by bringing in their cultural background, new ideas, and the view of a young person. The volunteer will support Maailmanvaihto office staff by informing young people about the volunteering possibilities and by supporting the staff in organizing international volunteer programs. The tasks of the volunteer include:
  • Making and editing videos, taking photos, graphic design, and creating social media content. There are Office programs available for the volunteer, as well as programs of the Adobe Creative Cloud.
  • Writing a newsletter for the international volunteers
  • Updating guidebooks and other material for the international volunteers
  • Reviewing and updating the English website
  • Participating in making the Maailmanvaihtoa magazine
  • Developing a project based on one’s own skills and ideas, emphasizing communication work. Such as hosting Maailmanvaihto’s Language Café, recording a podcast or making video content about international volunteering.
  • Office work related to organising volunteer programs (e-mailing with volunteers and partner organisations, promoting available placements and assisting in the selection processes, and arranging travels)
  • Practical arrangements during the training of volunteers, as well as other events (e.g. kitchen work and taking photos & making videos)
• Volunteers’ profile: This volunteering project is suited for someone who is interested in communication and information work (especially social media and video communication) and would like to know more about international volunteer work and working in an international NGO. Fluent English skills are useful in this volunteer work position. In case the volunteer already knows some Finnish, these language skills are useful, too. We expect that the participant takes own initiative, is eager to learn and use their skills, and brings forward new ideas. We also expect responsibility organizational skills, as well as good teamwork, communication, and cooperation skills.
• Accommodation, food, and transportation:
  • The volunteer will stay in a host family in the Helsinki area. It is essential to be flexible and motivated to interact with the family members.
  • The lunch will be provided in the form of a lunch allowance and other meals will be provided by the host family.
  • If it is needed to use public transportation to get to work, the costs will be covered.
• Accessibility information: In case you have a disability or a long-term illness, please contact us prior to applying in order to find out if we could offer you the needed support. In Maailmanvaihto’s office it is possible to move around with a wheelchair, but the office space is unfortunately not completely wheelchair accessible: there is a doorstep at the entrance which is approximately 7 cm high, and the toilet is not big enough for a wheelchair.
• Website of Maailmanvaihto: maailmanvaihto.fi/en
• Maailmanvaihto in the European Youth Portal
• Maailmanvaihto’s social media:
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

 

5) Myllylähde Community (Myllylähde-yhteisö)

MYLLYLÄHDE is a village community providing accommodation and work activities for adults with special needs. We are part of the international Camphill movement which was established to create participatory and inclusive communities for people with special needs, like learning disabilities.

The community members cooperate and work together to share the different tasks, such as household tasks, arts&crafts workshop activities, gardening, and ecological farming. In Camphill Communities, each person contributes according to their abilities toward the well-being of their fellows. The community is based on general Christian values and principles.

The work of Myllylähde consists of biodynamic agriculture, animal care, gardening, packing of agricultural products, and weavery and handicrafts workshops. All work is done together with adults with special needs.

• Number of open positions: 2
• Volunteering period: 15.8.2022–14.8.2023 (12 months)
• Themes: Disabilities, wellbeing, inclusion, agriculture
• Location: Myllylähde community is situated in Southern Finland in the village Hämeenkoski, about 30 km away from the city Lahti. Myllylähde is located in a rather remote place in the countryside. It is surrounded by beautiful nature, forests, and fields. The distance to the village center of Hämeenkoski is about 7 km.
• Volunteer’s role and tasks: The volunteers will help with all the activities of the community according to their skills and abilities. The volunteers will socialize and co-work with the people with special needs and support them in the community’s daily functions and in practical tasks like cooking and cleaning. The volunteers can also introduce their own cultural background and language to the members of the community. Life in the community changes according to the seasons, and so do the tasks of the volunteers as well. From spring to autumn, there is a lot of agricultural work and in the winter, there is more work in the workshops.
• Volunteer’s profile: It is important to be motivated to live in the countryside and is interested in working with people with special needs. Interest in a communal way of living and nature is also helpful.
• Accommodation, food, and transportation:
  • The meals and accommodation are provided by the Myllylähde community. The volunteers have their own room in one of Myllylähde’s three houses. The volunteers share the kitchen and hygienic facilities with the other community members.
  • The 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 about 7 km distance. The volunteers will get reimbursement for one weekly return trip to the nearest city, Lahti. Also, the staff will give the volunteers a lift whenever possible.
• Accessibility: The environment at Myllylähde unfortunately is not suitable for moving around with a wheelchair. In case you have another kind of disability, please contact Maailmanvaihto (esc@maailmanvaihto.fi) before applying to see if a volunteering period with proper support could be possible.
• Myllylähde in the European Youth Portal
• Volunteers’ experiences

 

6) Vanhamäki Activity Centre

VANHAMÄKI is an activity centre and an organic farm situated in Suonenjoki in central Finland. The centre produces organic berries and vegetables and the products are also sold in the little shop. Vanhamäki provides different kinds of activities for visitors and runs an organic farm, and a foster home. Vanhamäki also has a lunch restaurant, which is famous for its delicious food, using organic and local ingredients as much as possible. In addition, Vanhamäki provides various activities and work for people who have fallen out of the job market.

• Number of volunteers: 2
• Volunteering period: 1.4.2022–31.10.2022 (7 months) (or staring flexibly in April or May)
• Themes: Agriculture, green skills, rural development
• Deadline for applying: Apply as soon as possible! The position will be filled as soon as a suitable candidate is found.
• Location: Vanhamäki centre is situated in Suonenjoki, which is a small rural town with some 6 900 inhabitants. Vanhamäki has countryside surroundings with lakes, fields, and forests around.
• Volunteer’s role and tasks: The tasks of the volunteers vary according to the season: from spring to autumn time the volunteers’ work is focused mostly on organic farming, working outdoors planting, and harvesting the crops. The volunteers assist in different kinds of tasks, both outdoors and indoors, such as making organic products, social media tasks, and maintenance work of the park area. Volunteers can also assist, according to their skills, in planning and carrying out events at Vanhamäki. The volunteers can also carry out tasks in the office and kitchen of Vanhamäki as well as help or assist in the making and arranging of the activities and work for people who have fallen out of the job market.
• Volunteer’s profile
  • The position is meant for an 18–30-year-old person who lives is in one of the program countries or partner countries of the European Solidarity Corps. You can see the countries on the program information page. NB! Due to the tight schedule, the position is meant for a person who doesn’t need a residence permit to Finland.
  • It is important that the volunteers enjoy both practical and social work tasks and are ready to work outdoors in different seasons. It is good to have an interest in organic farming and nature.
• Accommodation, food, and travels
  • The volunteers will be accommodated at the Vanhamäki centre in single rooms with shared kitchen and bathroom facilities.
  • What comes to daily meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner), the volunteers partly eat at the restaurant of Vanhamäki and partly cook meals themselves out of ingredients provided by Vanhamäki.
  • The volunteers live at Vanhamäki, so they don’t need to commute daily to work. Suonenjoki town centre is about 3km’s distance from Vanhamäki. The volunteers will have the possibility to use bicycles to move easily to the centre of the town.
• Accessibility: If you are an applicant with a physical or sensory disability, please contact Vanhamäki prior to applying for consultation if the volunteering environment and tasks would be suitable for you and if the support needed could be arranged. The volunteering tasks related to organic farming are mostly physical, and the buildings of Vanhamäki are not completely accessible, for example. You can reach Vanhamäki via the coordinating organization Maailmanvaihto: esc@maailmanvaihto.fi.
• Website and social media
  • Website: vanhamaki.fi
  • Facebook page of Vanhamäki
  • Instagram account of volunteers of Vanhamäki
• Vanhamäki in the European Youth Portal
• Volunteers’ experiences from Vanhamäki

Photos from Vanhamäki