Are you looking for meaningful international experiences? Are you curious about local life in Finland? Join the the International Cultural Youth Exchange (ICYE) program!
As an ICYE volunteer, you can contribute to a local organisation while learning new, meeting people, making new friends, learning the local language, and discovering what life in Finland is really like.
You can volunteer for 6 or 12 months. The voluntary work periods aim to create grass-root level contacts and understanding between people. Time spent volunteering is especially about sharing daily life.
Most of the placements are in education and social work. The latter includes supporting elderly people and individuals with disabilities.
1) Education:
Kindergartens
In Finland, kindergarten care for children aged 1–6. As a volunteer, you help the staff with daily tasks like playing with kids, assisting them with meals and dressing, and tidying up. This is a great way to learn the language! Some kindergartens use English or Spanish or pedagogical methods of Montessori or Steiner.
Primary and secondary schools
Primary and secondary schools have together nine grades (ages 7–16), with a possible extra 10th year. Most are government-run. As a volunteer, you’ll help teachers and assist in organising events taking care of daily tasks of the school. The goal is to encourage intercultural learning and language practice for students. Some volunteers work in schools for students with disabilities or vocational schools.
Folk high schools
Folk high schools are boarding schools for mostly young adults (16–30+), offering a variety of study programs and courses that vary from arts to languages and university prep. Many also teach Finnish to immigrants and refugees. Often, young people spend a gap year studying in a folk high school. Located in the countryside, the folk high schools provide a unique cultural experience. The volunteers’ tasks vary according to their skills and interests. They may help with teaching, give language courses, organise free-time activities, and help in practical tasks like kitchen, library, office or garden work. It may be possible to combine volunteering with studying some subjects.
2) Health:
Working with People with disabilities
Some placements support people with developmental, mental, or physical disabilities, or learning challenges. Volunteers assist in schools, day activity centers, arts & crafts workshops, farms, and living communities. Tasks range from helping with meals to supporting therapy, art, or agriculture, animale care, and gardening activities. The work can be challenging but rewarding. Learning Finnish is important, as many participants don’t speak English.
Elderly homes
Elderly homes care for seniors, providing housing, meals, activities, and care. Usually the elderly live in the rooms of one or two people, and the houses include common rooms for all the inhabitants. Volunteers assist with daily tasks like dining support and engaging residents in activities. These homes focus on creating a warm, homely atmosphere. Since many elderly residents don’t speak English, volunteers should be eager to learn Finnish.
Many workplaces are located in the countryside, where public transport to nearby towns and cities may be limited. A key part of the experience is immersing yourself in the local community and culture at the location of your host project. There are also some placements in Helsinki, as well as in smaller cities and towns.
Many volunteers are accommodated at their workplace, such as in folk high schools. Placements with host family accommodation (schools and kindergartens, for example) are limited, and we can only confirm them once host families have been found.
“The profit you take for yourself and the things you can give to others are amazing. So, people: go abroad and make yourself and others a wonderful time!” – Vera, ICYE volunteer from Germany
The most important qualities are a positive attitude, motivation to volunteer in the education or social work field, and a willingness to learn. No prior experience of is required .
You can get started with just basic English skills, but prior experience and basic English or Finnish skills can help you find a placement more easily.
The ICYE voluntary work program is mostly for persons aged between 18 to 30 years, but the upper age limit is flexible.
If you need additional support because of a disability or a long-term illness, for example, consult us about possibilities. We will gladly see if there are suitable options available for you. Each description of the voluntary workplaces in the Volunteering Profile above includes brief accessibility information, and we’ll gladly tell you more.
The ICYE volunteers themselves pay a program fee for their National ICYE Committee. The amount of the program fee differs from country to country.
The program fee comprises health insurance, Finnish language, and cultural training, full board, and support from Maailmanvaihto during the voluntary work period.
The daily travel costs between the place of accommodation and work are covered, and the volunteer workplace provides the volunteer with monthly pocket money (in the season 2026–2027, the pocket money is 125 € per month).
We welcome ICYE volunteers to Finland through our ICYE partner organisations around the world. ICYE has National Committees in about 40 countries – so there’s a good chance there’s one near you!
If you live outside Finland, contact the ICYE organisation in your country of residence. Your national ICYE organisation will guide you through the application process.
In case you have questions, please contact us.
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