The apolitical NGO Youth Exchange Development Society EstYES was founded in 1991. and is one of the first organisations in Estonia to engage in cultural and youth exchanges.

Our main focus is on coordinating various international projects to offer everyone aged 14-99 the opportunity to broaden their horizons and discover themselves and the world around them through volunteering.

Our wider objectives:
– To develop international understanding, tolerance, solidarity, respect and friendship between nations and peoples.
– Promote tolerance, mutual respect, mutual understanding, mutual respect, mutual respect, mutual esteem and solidarity.
– Encourage tolerance, mutual understanding, mutual respect, mutual respect, mutual respect, mutual respect and mutual friendship.
– Volunteering for young people: personal development, challenge, team building, status, recognition, being needed, various training courses, new friends, wider social network, travel opportunities, language skills.
– Promoting global education for young people in a globalised world.

Areas of activity:
– Organising international volunteer work placements in Estonia.
– Placement of Estonian young people abroad in volunteer placements and projects of varying length (training, youth exchanges, MTV, work placements in hotels).
– Organisation of various meetings, seminars, conferences, training courses for volunteers and cooperation networks.
– Organising volunteer events in Estonia.
– Accompanying, hosting and coordinating activities in the framework of the European Voluntary Service (EVS).

International activities:
Since the establishment of EstYES, efforts were made to organise camps in Estonia, but the first two international camps were held in 1994. Six years later, 24 camps were organised, with the participation of nearly 180 young people from abroad. In 2003, there were 35 camps and 290 volunteers came to Estonia. Nearly 260 young Estonians went to volunteer camps abroad in 2003. The main destinations were Germany, France and Italy.

In 1999, EstYES had the first experience of hosting 4 European Voluntary Service volunteers for 6 months. In 2000, EstYES hosted 4 volunteers for 3 months for long term projects, 1 volunteer for 6 months for European Voluntary Service and 4 volunteers for 12 months for long term projects under the Robert Bosch programme. In 2001, EstYES co-ordinated 7 long-term European Voluntary Service projects. Each year, around 12-15 Estonian volunteers are hosted by the European Voluntary Service.
The cooperation is not only with European countries, in 2012-2013 the European Commission funded project “Youth in EU and China: working together to common challenges” aimed to identify young volunteers and promote their active participation in society; to tackle the increasingly worrying issue of youth unemployment at global level; to highlight the importance of volunteering in tackling youth unemployment in both geographical areas. Plans were also made for future cooperation between youth organisations from China and the European Union.

The history of EstYES:
EstYES was founded in 1991. In 2007, the aim was to promote youth and cultural exchanges to better understand people from a foreign environment and to promote a just society. 1995. In 2007, EstYES became a non-profit organisation. EstYES is a pioneering organisation for voluntary service organisations in Estonia.
In addition to camps and long-term projects, we organise seminars, training courses and youth exchanges. We also take part in similar events abroad.

Partners:
EstYES is a member of the Alliance of European Voluntary Service Organisations network.