United Planet: Volunteer Abroad in Finland - 6 or 12 months

Come volunteer in Finland, one of the largest countries in Europe. Finland has held a unique global position because of its borders with Russia to the east, Norway in the north, and the Gulf of Finland and the Gulf of Bothnia to the south. Nearly one-third of the country lies above the Arctic Circle, with the coastal lowlands and central lake system making up the rest. Winter temperatures average 0 to -35 degrees Celsius! Finland is lauded for one of the best public healthcare and education systems in the world while many other public services (think swimming halls, gyms, state-of-the-art libraries) are available to all at no or low-cost. Volunteers here find meaning through learning from Finland’s complex culture and sharing ideas. United Planet is the US and Canadian member of the International Cultural Youth Exchange, or ICYE. As a volunteer in Finland, you will be hosted by ICYE Maailmanvaihto, ICYE’s partner organization there. Maailmanvaihto is the Finnish word for “the world exchange,” and was created in 1958 with exactly that goal: for youth from all over the world to exchange places in an effort to learn from each other.