Location: Tallin, Estonia
Main field of work: Non-formal education for all; International volunteering
Description: ESTYES is non-profit NGO established in 1991 with the purpose of developing youth and cultural exchanges and promote non-formal educational activities for better understanding between countries and people and just world. It is a pioneer organization in Estonia in the field of international voluntary service.
ESTYES activities nowadays are diverse international voluntary projects with special focus on ESC program, trainings activities, youth and culture exchanges through Erasmus+ program and beyond.
Our objectives
• to increase international understanding and solidarity between countries and people;
• to promote continuous dialogue between people all over the world;
• to enable young people by living and working together to learn from each other, discover the variety of cultures, broaden horizons - thus building bridges over differences;
• to promote international voluntary service in Estonia as a tool for local development;
• to apply international voluntary service as a powerful method of non-formal education of the population;
• to promote global education as one of the resources for young people in the globalised world.
ESTYES is a member of the Alliance of the European Voluntary Service Organisations www.alliance-network.eu and Coordinating Committee of International Voluntary Service (CCIVS) by UNESCO https://ccivs.org . Most of our partner organizations belong to these networks. Over past years (before pandemic) EstYES has been intensively developing cooperation with youth and voluntary service organizations in South East Asia and China as well as in Mexico through EU Capacity Building projects.
Main activities: Our activities
• organize voluntary camps in Estonia and send Estonian volunteers abroad;
• send Estonian volunteers to mid- and long-term voluntary services abroad and host volunteers from abroad on mid- and long-term projects in Estonia;
• participate in EVS/ ESC program as sending, hosting and coordinating organization;
• organize and run youth cultural exchanges of different kinds, study visits/ group stays with various themes for youth foreign groups in Estonia and for Estonians abroad;
• take part in conferences, seminars, trainings abroad and organize those in Estonia.
Type/Age group: 14-17, 18-30 are the main target groups, but actually there is no upper age limit
Interests: Arts, Diversity, Drama & Dance, Education, Environment, Health, Heritage, Inclusion, Leadership, Media, Music, Peace, Skills, Society, Sport, Training, Volunteering, Youth Work
Examples of recent projects:
1. Hosting a group of youth and social workers from France and Germany on study visit about youth mental health and youth work in Estonia
2. Running international voluntary camp in the Open Air Museum in Tallinn
3. Running an activity (public sport and volunteering for community) camp for 50 young people aged 14-17 at Estonian seaside
