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Location
  • Finland
Length
4 - 12 weeks
Program Categories
Adventure Travel Cultural Immersion Language Immersion Study Abroad
Need-based funding, Merit-based funding, General grants/scholarships, LGBTQIA+ funding, BIPOC funding
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Program Details

Timeframe
Summer
Housing
Host Family

Pricing

Starting Price
5000
What's Included
Accommodation Some Activities Some Meals
What's Not Included
Some Activities Domestic Airfare Some Meals Visa
Jan 18, 2022
Jun 25, 2018
Wish List
8 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Spend your summer enjoying the season of the midnight sun when the days are long and the weather is welcoming. During this five-week program in Finland, you’ll have lots of time to engage with your host family and become a part of the community. Most Finns love the outdoors, so you’ll get to explore the country’s unspoiled natural landscape. Many families even have summer lake cottages where you can relax on the weekends. And if you’re worried about the language barrier, don’t be: many Finns are actually fluent in English!

Since you’ll be around during the summer, you’ll get to experience the famous midnight sun (when it’s light out nearly all day and night). It’s an incredible season to come to Finland, and you’ll find lots of people outdoors celebrating the end of the long winter. Summer is also a good time for relaxing in the sauna, and you’ll be happy to discover that nearly every modern home or apartment in Finland has one. Become a cultural insider this summer in

This program is currently not being promoted on Go Overseas by its provider. Check with AFS-USA for the most up-to-date information regarding the status of this program.

Video and Photos

group in all blue with Finland flag
Homestay in Finland
Finland
northern lights in Finland

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Diversity & Inclusion 💙

AFS-USA is committed to providing international and intercultural learning experiences to individuals from diverse backgrounds and communities, including mixed heritage, foreign nationalities, and all socio-economic levels.
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AFS-USA welcomes members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and actively encourages and supports their participation in all types of AFS opportunities, including studying abroad, volunteering, and hosting exchange students.
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AFS-USA is committed to practicing and promoting accessibility and inclusion.
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Program Highlights

  • Experience Finland in the summer—a time for celebration! This includes lounging on the beach, attending music festivals, and enjoying nature.
  • Take part in Finland’s active culture by going cycling, sailing, or fishing.
  • Indulge in Finland’s delicious cuisine like makkara (sausage), roasted over a fire and eaten with sinappi (mustard).
  • Make connections and memories you'll never forget with other AFS exchange students from all over the world.
  • Become a global citizen. Gain intercultural communication skills. Build your college and career resume. Help create a more peaceful, understanding world.

Program Reviews

5.00 Rating
based on 2 reviews
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  • Fun 5
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Showing 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
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Jennifer
26
Female
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Finland Summer Home-stay Review

Jun 25, 2018

I absolutely loved my time abroad in Finland! It was the most amazing and educational experience of my entire life and I grew so much even though it was a relatively short 5 week trip. I made lasting friendships with my entire host family and the other students who traveled with me to Finland.
While I was located primarily in Helsinki, students may end up living in cities all over Finland depending on where their host family lives. Students will likely have the opportunity to visit a summer cottage, if their family owns one, as well! Either way everyone will end up with a unique and life changing experience.
I would absolutely encourage anyone considering this trip to just go for it, and to try as many new things as possible while abroad!

What would you improve about this program?
The trip itself was absolutely amazing, including the day-long seminars in New York and Helsinki. Some of the preparatory seminars that are mandatory before one even gets to New York are a little bit tedious as they do not provide new information that is not also covered in the New York seminar. However I understand why this choice was made, as it is important to be sure that the students are well educated about cultural differences and safety procedures.
138 people found this review helpful.
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A photo of me with the family in Helsinki, the mom took the photo.
A mirror-calm lake.
Shore of the Baltic sea in the Gulf of Finland.
A nice view.
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Rachel
27
Female
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

The Best Summer of My Life

Jun 1, 2015

I went on this program last summer (summer of 2014), and I was 16. It was absolutely fantastic. However, I'd like to caution you that it could have been a terrible experience if I hadn't gotten so lucky as to get the best host family in the world.

Many of my friends who also went on the program were not well matched with their host families, which resulted in a bad experience for them overall. I don't think that this was the fault of the program; I think it was just because there didn't happen to be host families available that were a good fit for them. If you are considering going on this program (or any study abroad program, really) make sure that you are ready to explore the country and enjoy yourself even if your host family is not the most fun or interesting.

Okay, back to the good stuff. Finland is, in my (very biased) opinion, one of the best places for a teenager to study abroad. This is because Finns spend a lot of time alone and deep in thought. I really changed as a person while in Finland because of all of that thought, and many of my friends did too. We learned more about ourselves and became more mature.

I know that there are a few things that lots of people worry about before they go to Finland, so really quickly, I'm going to tell you the absolute truth (at least, from my experience):
1. Saunas. Don't worry, it's totally acceptable to wear a bathing suit. I always did. You'll probably wind up in the sauna with people who don't wear bathing suits, but it's not a big deal. Seriously, don't overthink it. Girls will be with girls and boys with boys, so there's nothing to be afraid of. Saunas are one of my favorite parts of being in Finland!
2. Weather. For the summer program, you really shouldn't worry. Of the 6 weeks, I was in shorts + T-shirts for about 4-5 of them. Finland does have slightly chillier summers than I'm used to (I'm from Michigan), but you don't need to bundle up or abandon your dreams of going to the beach. I swam every day for the majority of the program, and I was rarely cold. Just bring a couple hoodies and jeans in case.
3. Language. Finnish is hard; there's no other way to put it. But you don't need to worry! Frankly, you don't even need to know any Finnish in Finland because most people know English. Not everyone is fluent, but you will always be able to find someone who speaks enough English to be your friend or to help you if you need it. I didn't know any Finnish when I arrived and had no troubles with that. Sure, it would've been nice to know some Finnish, but it wasn't a big deal.
4. Homesickness. This is a bit of a problem, to be honest. I only got a tad homesick, but I've never gotten homesick before. It's bound to happen when you're so far from home for so long, and the time alone makes it worse. Even still, you'll be fine. AFS is great at giving you advice that will keep you from getting homesick. Trust me, it really works! If you've been away from home for at least 2 weeks without trouble, then you're fine for the program.

If you can't tell, I really like this program, and I definitely recommend it to most anyone. I would not recommend it to anyone who doesn't like the outdoors (Finns LOVE the outdoors), isn't open minded when learning about foreign countries, has had serious problems with being homesick in the past, or isn't ready to step outside of their comfort zones and enjoy themselves even if it's tempting to withdraw from everyone else. If you go on the program, my biggest advice is: be determined to have fun, no matter where you are or what you're doing.

What would you improve about this program?
Better host family placement. Some of my friends were poorly matched with their host families or had host families that knew very little English.
132 people found this review helpful.
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Questions & Answers

What did a typical day during your exchange consist of ?

Hi, thanks for stopping by! To get a feel for what your time abroad will be like, we recommend reading program reviews. You can read reviews at the bottom of this link, under "Reviews": https://www.gooverseas.com/high-school-abroad/finland/progr….

By Go Overseas on July 31, 2018

Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

Jennifer Duncan

Program
AFS Study Abroad Summer Program in Finland
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Why did you choose this program?

I chose the Finland Summer Home-stay program because it was the perfect choice for the amount of time I had to go abroad, as well as the kind of cultural experience I was looking for.

I had graduated from high school that spring and was already enrolled in university for the fall, so I needed a summer trip. Knowing the trip would be short, I wanted to make sure there wasn't going to be a language barrier to stop me from really getting to know my host family, but still somewhere with a very different culture.

The Scandinavian and Nordic countries were perfect; of them, I chose Finland due to the offer of a summer home-stay that would really let me immerse myself in the culture.

What did your program provider assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?

The program provider was AFS, and they assisted with some of the financial aspects by offering a scholarship and multiple fundraising options. They also organized all required seminars before and during the trip, as well as all international travels to Finland until we were placed with our host families.

The trip began in New York where one of the mandatory seminars took place before we left for Finland. Domestic flights or other travel costs and arrangements were not made by AFS and had to be taken care of by yourself. However, they do make arrangements to pick you up at the airport in New York at specific times and contact you to make sure you arrived safely. Passports, visas, and all medical requirements also have to be organized on your own.

What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

Honestly, I wish I'd been able to stay longer. I love my host family, and loved my time abroad, so my only advice would be that if you want to go abroad, or even just thinking about it, start planning and researching as soon as possible.

I was already in my senior year of high school and enrolled in college when on a whim, I decided I wanted to go to Finland. I only wish I'd given myself more time to be there. Aside from that, another piece of advice is to experience as many new things as possible! This trip is about learning, exploring, and having fun; don't let fear or insecurity get in the way of that.

What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

An average day or week will definitely depend on what you're interested in and what your host family is interested in. Hiking, fishing, swimming, and other activities in nature are very popular in Finland due to their abundance of beautiful forests and lakes. Many families also have a summer cottage where you can really enjoy nature out of the city.

There's also roasting sausages over the fire, shopping in the city, and maybe even a trip to an amusement park (such as Linnanmäki or Särkänniemi) if you're lucky. Oh, and of course, you can expect to see lots of ice cream stands!

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?

I didn't really have any fears before the trip, aside from the nervous week or so while I waited for the results of my scholarship application. Luckily, things worked themselves out, and after that, I wasn't afraid until I was sitting alone on an 11 PM flight to New York.

What if this was a huge mistake? What if I missed my layover flight? I had worked so hard to get here; what if this was a waste of time and money?

I overcame it by keeping myself busy; I went over my itinerary and airport maps, organized my papers and plane tickets.

Airports can be stressful, especially if it's your first time travelling alone, but by the end of my trip, I had been on 8 airplanes through 7 different airports through three countries, and everything worked itself out fine. In fact, better than fine, it was really cool and fun! I got to fly over the Pentagon and watch the sunrise over Iceland!

What was your favorite part of the trip?

I loved everything about my trip, and I am especially grateful for the amazing family I was paired with. I was also very lucky that my family loves to travel, and took me to lots of different cities all over Finland.

My favorite trip was probably to the city Tampere. The city was built between two lakes, and it was built right over the river connecting the lakes. I loved all the bridges, trains, and the old industrial brick factories, and the cool malls and art galleries many of those old factories now contain. One of the days we were there, we left the city to go hiking. After making our way down a small ravine, we got to roast sausages and marshmallows by a lake, before walking on wooden planks through a bog.

About AFS-USA

AFS-USA (formerly the American Field Service), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is a leader in intercultural learning and offers international exchange programs in more than 40 countries around the world through independent, nonprofit AFS Organizations, each with a network of volunteers, a professionally staffed office, and headed up by a...

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