Finnish Youth Association

Suomen Nuorisoseurat – Finnish Youth Societies

Finland's leading organisation for cultural children's and youth work

54,000 members
1,500 leisure activity groups
4,800 events with 420,000 participants
750 youth societies
600 youth society club houses
Skills centres for dance, theatre, events and children's culture
Regional offices and district organisations across Finland

Finnish Youth Societies is a religiously and politically neutral organisation dedicated to cultural work for children and young people, with over 50,000 members nationwide. The aim of the organisation is to promote the overall personal growth and development as well as active and responsible citizenship of children, youth and adults through educational and recreational activities in the area of culture. Among its member organisations are more than 700 local youth societies whose activities focus on the areas of dance, theatre, music and physical activity. The different leisure activity groups are led by volunteers – adults and youths – who enjoy working with children and young people and who have some level of expertise in the subject. Local youth societies also contribute to the development of their communities, run afternoon clubs for children and organise international activities. In addition to providing opportunities for leisure activities, youth societies organise different types of cultural events, camps and training courses.
Finnish Youth Societies supports the efforts of local youth societies by organising training and events and producing support materials, and it is also actively engaged in the promotion of children's and youth work in the area of culture. The organisation's work is based on the values of social inclusion, communality and equality.
International activities
Finnish Youth Societies seeks to promote its members' involvement in international and multicultural activities by coordinating and organising activities that have an international and/or multicultural dimension. Members can, among other things, benefit from international seminars, training courses and study visits. It also offers young people the opportunity to participate in voluntary activities in a foreign country, or youth organisations the chance to act as a host to a volunteer from another country, through the European Voluntary Service (EVS).