Information about Protu

A community for all protus: Prometheus Camp Association

The aim of the Prometheus Camp Association, or Protu (founded in 1990), is to organise religiously and politically unaffiliated coming-of-age-camps that aim to support young people in building their own world view. Another aim is to secure the possibilities to take part in coming-of-age education for non-religious and religiously unaffiliated youth.

  • The association is a community for all protus and protuminded and a backbone of camp organizing and other activities.
  • Around 2800 members. Everyone who wants to support the activities of the association can become a member.
  • Most of the activity is been done by volunteers in sections and working groups. Majority of the volunteers are little under or over 20 year olds.
  • Organizes yearly ca. 70 camps. Takes care of finding camp sites and recruiting and training over 400 volunteer counselors and junior counselors.
  • The office and the meeting room are at Aurorankatu in Helsinki.
  • One full-time employed and one part-time employed Office Secretary and one part-time employed Communications Coordinator/Organization Secretary at the office.
  • Budget ca. 700 000 €. Sources of finance: participation fees, membership fees, Ministry of Education and Culture state aid (150 000 €), Democratic Civic Association (35 000 €), The Swedish Cultural Foundation in Finland (2000 €) and Ministry of Education and Culture Subsidy for Cultural Periodicals (2000 €).

 

For many, the Protu Camp is only the first step into the protu way of life.

  • Every summer after the camps hundreds of young people take part in other Protu activities as members and junior counselors or go tell about Protu in schools. They also participate in continuation camps, events and local groups.
  • There are also many who join the sections of the association and get involved with recruiting and training of counselors, finding campsites, communications, event organizing and publishing the Protu magazine.
  • The basis for everything is that a person can learn new things by doing things together. Young age is no obstacle for taking up challenging posts.
  • People can become active in Protu even though they haven’t been to a Protu Camp. The most important thing is to be Protu minded and to be willing to do unique youth action.