The Finnish National Agency for Education organised two study visits for youth workers at the municipal level in May 2022. These study visits in Finland were “Youth Work in Schools” and “Municipal Youth Work”. These activities are helping the quality development of the municipal youth work practices across Europe. Both visits were part of the partnership with Europe Goes Local.
The first study visit ‘Youth Work in Schools’ took place from the 15th to the 19th of May in Lahti, Finland. It showed how youth workers play an important role in the school system and how this cooperation works. The participants also saw how youth workers fit into the everyday life of schools, and how youth work can support the other professionals in schools: teachers, curators, and nurses.
Additionally, the participants also learned how organizations dealing with the prevention of substance abuse and mental health are contributing to schoolwork by training teachers, providing materials, and running services. They also also got a glimpse of how to use gaming in a school setting. Finally, they visited schools in the city of Lahti and in the nearby town of Hollola.
You can find more info on this study visit here.
The second study visit was about ‘Municipal Youth Work in Helsinki’. You can read more about it here.