Possibilities outside school can also be important and inspiring lessons for life and the workplace

Inkeri became enthusiastic about 4-H activities in grade 7. When she went on a youth exchange, she found her preferred way of learning, through practical work and with the support of friends. Inkeri calls for different learning opportunities for all young people.

4-H activities and youth exchanges motivate different learning than sitting at school

When Inkeri from Uurainen starts telling you about all the 4-H activities in which she has been involved, the list takes your breath away: she has led children's clubs, participated in short training sessions and courses, and managed two 4-H companies. She has even found summer jobs and an internship through 4-H.

4-H youth exchanges, on the other hand, have offered her international learning experiences and chances to travel. Starting at the age of 14, Inkeri has participated in three exchanges – annoyingly, her fourth youth exchange was cancelled because of the pandemic.

While Inkeri has had a broad interest in all opportunities of doing and experiencing things, she notes that not all participants in the youth exchanges were particularly outgoing.

“This experience is just so perfect for everyone. The people really were not all the same. Even if you were a bit shy or couldn’t speak English very well, the others encouraged and helped you, made sure that everyone who wanted to could join in. I learned to hang out with different people and get along with them, too. Making good friends that I still keep in touch with today was great, and my English improved so much. I found the courage to speak, and I am still fluently today", Inkeri recalls.

The theme of the first youth exchanges was entrepreneurship, which resonated with Inkeri’s experiences of keeping 4-H cafés with her friends. 

“You learned a lot about entrepreneurship culture in the other country, and the differences between it and Finland. For example, here in Finland we got the facilities for the summer café for free in Uurainen, but in Austria they usually have to pay a high rent for all premises.” 

The theme of the most recent youth exchange was robotics and technology skills. The programme included company visits, and the young people organised for each other workshops related to such topics as programming, coding and game design.

“I had done little else before except played computer games. I knew nothing about coding and programming. I got interested in it especially because you could work with your friends. There was no pressure, you did not get the feeling that oh my god, I should know how to do this right away. My friends and other people were around to show me what to do and helped me understand it. I learned an insane amount of things – about computers, phones and applications, or how to programme LEDs to get green and blue lights to flash in turn”, Inkeri explains.

Inkeri feels that participating in youth exchange projects has given her a certain self-confidence in everything that she does. At times, she has found that this way of learning is more of her thing than sitting at school.

“Oh, we really did do absolutely everything there! Learning like that was so different from what you do at school! At times we did just sit there and listen, too, but it was not all about working in a classroom. We got to see places and do different activities, and my motivation to learn was just so much higher. I have never been particularly interested in learning that is based on doing maths or mother tongue assignments at school. The way I learn is first seeing and then doing”, Inkeri stresses.

Opportunities to participate: against exclusion and for learning

On the list of European Youth Goals set by young people themselves, Quality employment for all came seventh and Quality learning eighth.

Inkeri believes that in addition to formal education, quality learning should also contain opportunities for projects outside the school. Inkeri finds that active participation and working with different people also benefit young people from the perspective of learning skills needed in the workplace and improve their motivation.

In fact, different learning experiences and internationalisation have also helped Inkeri to set her personal goals in life.

“I really liked those exchanges and internationalisation so much, and maybe this is why I realised that the tourism industry could be my thing. It’s a field where you get to do lots of different hands-on work", explains Inkeri, who is currently completing her Vocational Qualification in the Tourism Industry.

Inkeri wishes that young people would know about and have access to such opportunities as youth exchanges early on. She believes that young people are increasingly interested in exerting influence and participating, while she also understands that not everyone is interested in participating.

“So many people currently have lost their motivation as you can do nothing. I hope that in five years' time, not too many people will realise that they have no qualification and that they will not be able to find jobs anywhere. This creates a risk of exclusion.”

At best, making diverse possibilities available to young people could give them hope and help them find their own thing. This is something that Inkeri would also like to promote for her part.

“I’ve been thinking that if the 4-H club in Uurainen ever organises more of these youth exchanges and projects, it would be fun to go and help them as a volunteer. To go and encourage them from a young person’s perspective.”

Updated on Friday, 20/02/2026