Year in Finland
Year program means that you will spend 11 months in Finland, living in a Finnish family, attending a Finnish school - in Finnish or Swedish. The year program offers you the possibility to get to know the culture in depth and also to learn the local language! You will get to experience all the seasons with their great differences.
Year program 2012-2013 dates:
Arrival: August 1, 2012
Departure: by June 30, 2013
What does the program in Finland include?
- An arrival orientation (compulsory, no additional
fees)
Students travel to the arrival orientation straight after their
arrival to the Helsinki-Vantaa airport. The orientation lasts
for four days. In 2012 the arrival orientation will be held in
Anjalankoski, in the Camp site of Anjala, surrounded by nature.
The orientation includes sessions about the basic principles of
YFU and about the culture, family life, school and
customs in Finland and you will also get a basic
introduction to the Finnish language. You will have a chance to
try the Finnish sauna and Finnish YFU students tell you how
young Finns live their life. In addition to getting to know all
the interesting people from around the world, you will be
prepared to your stay in Finland and of course to meet your new
Finnish family - at the end of the orientation you will meet
your Finnish family for the first time! This orientation is
compulsory.
- A mid-year orientation (compulsory, no additional
fees)
The mid-year orientation will be organised in January-February
locally by Finnish volunteers. The orientation lasts 2-3 days.
The focus of the orientation is to give you a chance to talk
about your experiences so far, perhaps remind you of a few
points mentioned in the arrival orientation, and to help you
get prepared for the rest of the time. Naturally, you will also
get to meet other YFU students, which is always a big fun! This
orientation is compulsory.
- A re-entry orientation (compulsory, no additional
fees)
The re-entry orientation is held in May-June and it is
organised locally by volunteers. The orientation lasts 1-2
days. The orientation will help you to analyse your experience,
to share your thoughts, joys and worries with other students
and of course help you get prepared for you departure. It
is an excellent chance to talk with others who understand
exactly what you are going through! This orientation is
compulsory.
- Regional events (optional, possible additional
fees)
Volunteers, i.e. Finnish young people who have been on exchange
themselves, host families and others, will be happy to meet you
near your hometown and they will organise some activities year
round. In most of the corners of Finland there are regional
directors, who coordinate activities and events and invite you
to different kinds of get-togethers. These events are optional
and you might have to pay a small sum for certain
activities, if you want to join.
- YFU trip to Tallinn in December, Estonia
(optional, about 100-130 euros)
Every year YFU Finland organises a trip to Tallinn, Estonia in
mid-December. You will get the chance to see the beautiful
southern neighbour of Finland in its lovely Christmas
decoration. You will get to see different attractions in the
Old Town, explore a different Northern capital and spend some
time together with your new YFU friends from all around the
world. The trip is optional and will be organised if there are
enough participants. Students are responsible for costs of the
travel to Helsinki.
- YFU trip to Lapland in March/April (optional,
about 370-450 euros)
In March-April YFU Finland organises its traditional trip to
Lapland, to the skiing resort of Pyhä. It is a six-day long
trip and you will get to explore Lapland - trying a reindeer
sleigh ride, a husky ride, meeting the Santa Claus, learning
about Aurora Borealis and of course you will have the chance to
try skiing. The trip is always a whole lot of fun, starting
from the very first meters of the long bus ride! The trip is
optional and will be organised if there are enough
participants. Students are responsible for ski rents and travel
costs from their host family to Helsinki, Jyväskylä, Oulu or
Rovaniemi
In addition, in your home country you will have lots of more to do and try. Look up your local YFU office on www.yfu.org and contact them to ask more about the application procedure and schedules!