Youth exchanges give memorable experiences and courage to try out new things

Nina's name is familiar to many of those involved in international activities under EU programmes. Through Villa Elba in Kokkola, she has participated in numerous youth exchanges and seminars. She also serves as a EuroPeer, a young person who has participated in EU programmes and who, through her personal example, wishes to encourage other young people to be adventurous and open-minded and embrace internationality.

Myllylä, who is studying civic activity and Christian child and youth work, lists the countries she has visited through EU programmes while stroking Toivo, the cat sitting on her lap: she has been to EuroPeer training in England, EuroPeer meetings in Estonia and a youth exchange in Slovenia. Her latest youth exchange was quite recent, in fact: Myllylä only returned to Finland from Portugal a short while ago.

“The theme of this meeting was ‘different is good’”, Myllylä says.

On youth exchanges the participants reflect on a theme that interests young people, including youth culture, sustainable development or human rights. At the meetings, young people from different countries plan and come up with ideas for the activities based on their interests. For example, Myllylä has participated in a photography workshop where a group of young people examined how they could exert influence through photography. The activities resulted in exhibitions in Finland, Italy and Slovenia. Myllylä additionally has a passion for ballet dancing, and she has planned choreographies and organised flash mobs and dance workshops on youth exchanges. When I ask her about how long she has been dancing, the student from Kokkola gives a succinct answer.

“Always”, she laughs.

 

Open-mindedness pays off

Myllylä's best memory of youth exchanges dates back to 2019. That time, too, the destination country was Portugal, and the theme of the youth exchange was sustainable development and reducing your personal carbon footprint. Myllylä says it was fantastic.

“We learned about different ways of reducing our carbon footprint, for example growing our own food, and studied the soil to find out which plants would grow best where. We made everyday products like soap, deodorant and toothpaste ecologically and without harming the environment. We also did yoga and meditation”, Myllylä explains.

Aged 22, Myllylä learned about these activities in 2011 from her cousin, who was working at the Finnish National Agency for Education. It was love at first sight. Her first trip abroad was a youth exchange in Slovenia. Young Myllylä was nervous about travelling outside Finland for the first time.

“I had never been abroad before my first exchange. I was nervous about the airport terminal and what you could take with you through the security check.”

The trip was worth it, as Myllylä subsequently got hooked on international activities. She says that they have given her wonderful memories and that she has made many new international friends through them. You may even run into people you have not really kept in touch with at seminars and similar meetings, and you just carry on from where you left off the last time. It feels as if you last met yesterday. 

"All the highlights of my life and my best memories and moments have been associated with the international exchanges," she says.

Myllylä has a word of advice for young people going on youth exchanges.

“Do not dwell on being nervous. Just go out bravely!”

Myllylä lives as she teaches. Her favourite trip to Portugal in 2019 did not sound very attractive at first. According to the advance information she received about the trip, only outdoor showers and toilets would be available, and an ecological vegan diet would be followed at the meeting.

“I was really prejudiced and said to myself that yeah, this is probably not going to be a good exchange, it will be awful. But I faced my prejudices and applied for the exchange to challenge my preconceptions”, Myllylä says.

“I'm glad I did, because it was my best exchange ever.”

Updated on Onsdag, 13/04/2022