ESC volunteering at IZUM Youth Center in Tallinn, Estonia

International Youth Association EstYES is non-profit non-political NGO located in Tallinn, Estonia. Established in 1991 with the purpose to promote youth and cultural exchanges for better understanding and fair world, EstYES became a pioneer organization in the field of international voluntary service in Estonia.

Mission
EstYES mission is to promote global education as one of the important resources for young people in the globalised world. Promoting continuous dialogue between people all over the world, we wish to increase international understanding and solidarity between countries and people. Through our work we apply international voluntary service as a powerful method of non-formal education of the population and an effective tool for local development. By enabling young people to live and work together we encourage learning and discovering the variety of cultures helping to broaden horizons and building bridges over any differences.

Our main activities:
• organizing voluntary camps in Estonia and sending Estonian volunteers abroad;
• sending Estonian volunteers to mid- and long-term voluntary services abroad and hosting volunteers from abroad on mid- and long-term projects in Estonia;
• participating in ESC program as sending, hosting and coordinating organization;
• organizing and running youth cultural exchanges of different kinds, study visits/ group stays with various themes for youth foreign groups in Estonia and abroad;
• taking part in conferences, seminars, trainings abroad and organizing those in Estonia.

Every summer EstYES runs over 50 voluntary camps in Estonia hosting around 600 volunteers from abroad. Annually we receive over 40 volunteers from different countries to the long-term volunteering projects (up to 12 months) in the field of social services, youth work and education. Every year EstYES gives chance to about 200 young Estonians to take part in various project abroad (voluntary camps, youth exchanges, ESC, training activities, seminars, youth meetings, etc.) both in Estonia and abroad.

Target group:
EstYES voluntary projects are open to people of all ages without limits. Young people with fewer opportunities are the group of special consideration of EstYES.