Background
Oivanki Youth Centre, also known as Oivanki Outdoor Education Centre is one of the 9 national Finnish Youth Centres (www.snk.fi). The youth centres are supervised and financially supported by the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture. We are a non-profit organization owned by the town of Kuusamo.
The aims of the youth centres’ work are based in the Finnish youth law (youth work act). One or our key values is to serve and support the youth work and education sector to support childrens´ and young people´s growth.
Oivanki all year round
The centre’s all – year round- work is based especially on youth activities that include especially camps, camp schools, hosting daily visitor groups, coordinating social and international youth work and supported camps for families. We also offer services for visitor´s and travellers, for all-aged customers.
Oivanki offers board, lodging and program services and works also as a a regional resource centre for developing youth work.
The target group consists of a large variety of youth groups from Finland and other countries. Yearly there is approx. 10000 12000 contacts/overnight stays/contacts of young people in the centre and we meet thousands of children and young people yearly. Currently 90% of customers are young people. Oivanki has 134 bedplaces and we have our own catering services available.
Programs
The Outdoor Education is present in daily programs that we offer for children and young people. We offer program packages and do also tailor-made programs. The key members of youth centre staff have youth work-qualifications and are trained by the national network´s trainings, organised by the Finnish Youth Centre Association (www.snk.fi). Since it includes contents of various pedagogical approaches, it is called the “Youth Centre Pedagogical approach”.
A base for International projects
The centre offers services and support activities also for International projects, which the centre also often coordinates. The centre has gained work experience on national and international levels by partnerships and coordination of EU-Youth program projects, actively from year 2003 onwards. On international level we organise youth exchanges seminars, training courses and study visits for professionals working on this field of youth, education and social work, youth camps and educational cooperation between countries in terms of camp schools.
Sustainable development
Fostering sustainability is at the moment an important target of our development work. In autumn 2023 we received the Green Key Certificate and we move on our steps on Sustainable Travel Finland Programme. At the moment the Oivanki centre aims to develop especially the variety and quality of programs that are offered to camps, camp schools and families. This meets well the current need, since our variety of visitors is wide! =)
If you became interested in receiving an offer or to hear more from us, please contact to
Oivanki International Activities: kuusamo.international(at)kuusamo.fi
Oivanki common email address: oivanki(at)kuusamo.fi (individual traveller´s bookings)
Panu Päivärinta,
Manager of Youth work
Tel.+358 (0)400 296 410