Study Visit: Youth Participation in Finnish Municipalities

Study visit aims to introduce the structures and decision making processes in Finland from a broad perspective. Participants will be given an overview of the structures of participation and inclusion in Finnish youth work, especially in Finnish municipalities.

Aims & objectives

• Visiting organizations related to the participation of youth
• Familiarizing to the situation in Finland regarding the participation of young people at local and national level
• Hearing success stories in youth participation in Finland and in Finnish municipalities as well as from the other participants
• Getting to know municipal youth participation work
• Meeting relevant stakeholders
   

Participants

The Study visit seeks to involve and invite various actors and stakeholders of youth work, youth participation and the inclusion sector from practice and policy from all over Europe. It is recommended for youth workers, youth project managers, youth policy makers, representatives of youth organizations that work at the local level, municipal staff and municipal decision makers. In order for the participant to get the most out of the visit, we hope that the participants have experience working with youth inclusion and participation or work in a position with resources and power to act to promote youth inclusion and participation. Balance of participants (backgrounds, experiences, countries, ...) will be ensured in the selection process.

We request that all participants arrive during the 27th of November. The program starts in the morning of 28th of November. The Programme of the study visit ends after the dinner on 30th of November. The departure will be on 1st December. Accommodation will be covered 27th of November - 1st of December. We expect participants to be available for the whole duration of the training course.

Further details:

More information about the sessions can be found in the short programme attached.

Host & co-hosts

The Study visit is co-hosted by the Finnish National Agency for Education (EDUFI) and The Union of Local Youth Councils in Finland (Nuva ry). The activity is a part of the Europe Goes Local project.

EDUFI will coordinate the participation process and Nuva ry will coordinate the study visit program and all the arrangements.

Safety

In our activities we support the principle of a safer space, where no one is discriminated against or bullied because of their background or person. We want you to respect the same principle. 
About travelling to Finland: https://um.fi/entering-finland-and-travelling-abroad

Accessibility and sustainability

The venue where we organize the event is accessible for wheelchairs. We will also consider your special needs so that you can fully participate in the training. If you need a support person, accessible room and transport or supporting tools, we will try to arrange them for you. If you are selected to attend this study visit, please tell us your needs already beforehand so that we can be ready. We will also send a questionnaire about special needs and dietary restrictions to all those selected.

We take sustainability in consideration where we can. Since most participants have to fly over the sea to Finland, we encourage you to travel on land within Finland. We also encourage you to contact your own National Agency to find out how they support low-emission traveling to activities abroad. We also strive to make the world a little bit greener. This is why we are primarily choosing vegetarian diets whenever possible. Let us know if meat is a requirement - otherwise green meals will be the primary option.

Application process:

This Study visit is for maximum of 26 participants from The Erasmus+ programme countries and neighboring partner countries from Eastern Europe and the Caucasus and South East Europe regions. During selection, priority is given to the applicants from the participating countries of the Europe Goes Local project (please, contact your National Agency or check the website www.europegoeslocal.eu to find out more about the project). Recommended for Youth workers, Youth project managers, Youth policy makers, representatives of youth organizations that work at the local level, municipal staff and municipal decision makers.

Contact info: 

About applying and the participation process:
Laura Lehto
Finnish National Agency for Education (EDUFI) 
+358(0)50 468 2568
laura.lehto@oph.fi   
or
Kati Inkinen 
Finnish National Agency for Education (EDUFI) 
+358(0)295 338 508
kati.inkinen@oph.fi

About the program, accommodation and accessibility:
Susanna Ranta
The Union of Local Youth Councils in Finland (Nuva ry)
+358 50 501 8134
susanna ranta@nuva.fi

Before applying please contact the NA of your residence country to check if it is involved in this concrete project and committed to cover travel costs. NB! Learn about possible participation fees and other relevant rules.