The school of politics for young people is a comprehensive programme designed to enhance young people’s opportunities and skills in societal participation and influence.
It aims to inspire youth to engage in advocacy, equipping them with the essential knowledge and skills needed for meaningful involvement in society.
The school of politics for young people began as Sitra’s Democracy Experiments 2020 project in February 2020. Funded by Sitra and the City of Oulu, the project concluded in March 2021. Following the project’s completion, successful models from the school of politics for young people were integrated into the City of Oulu’s activities.
The objectives of the school of politics for young people ‘s operational models are to:
Materials have been published during the school of politics for young people project for both youth and those working with them. These materials are available electronically on this page, and printed versions of the educational materials can be requested via email.
The school of politics for young people’s educational material package includes all the project’s key operational models. Teachers, youth workers, instructors, and anyone working with young people are free to use these materials. The models can also be adapted to fit specific groups or municipalities.
Educational material in English (pdf)
How to Make a Difference – Flashcards are an excellent tool to support the discussion of the topic. Print the flashcards in a size that suits you. In A4 size, they are easy to attach to the wall. In a smaller size, you can use the words to play games like Alias or charades.
Download and print the How to Make a Difference – Flashcards here (pdf).
The school of politics for young people project focused on three main areas:
The activities were planned and implemented through a collaboration between youth, city employees, and elected officials.
The school of politics for young people was selected as one of the innovative joint projects of the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra’s Democracy Experiments 2020. The goal of the Democracy Experiments 2020 project is to promote democratic participation, engagement, and dialogue through innovative joint projects.
The City of Oulu has a youth council, with each youth councillor paired with a sponsor councillor from the city council. In addition to the youth council, there are 15 regional children and youth participation groups in Oulu, with youth council members serving as mentors for these groups.
Intergenerational learning deepens through dialogue and regular meetings between an adult city council member and a young youth councillor. The school of politics for young people extends this model to educational institutions, reaching a larger number of young people and enhancing their understanding of societal decision-making.
Through interactive sessions, students are informed about societal influence, opportunities for participation, the activities of the youth council, and municipal decision-making. Young people are challenged to express their opinions on current issues.
Youth councillors, regional children and youth participation groups, and youth instructors engage with different areas by organising meetings or events related to participation and influence in schools and participation groups. Young people are encouraged to highlight issues and find solutions together. The project also aims to enable and create opportunities for youth-led activities. Youth are actively encouraged to do so during the project.
Oulu’s primary schools, secondary schools, and vocational colleges were informed about the opportunity to participate in the project. Five pilot schools were selected to participate in the project’s workshop. An educational module was developed with teachers and students from the pilot schools, covering democracy education, methods of implementation, and current local issues.
One of the project’s goals was to create materials to support teachers’ competencies and readiness to foster active citizenship among students. The process is documented to show progress and the methods used. A toolkit based on the methods and experiences during the project will be compiled for other groups to use.
Research has been conducted on the school of politics for young people project. Researcher Anna Suorsa’s study is based on traditions of research examining participation, democratic citizenship, effective interaction, and the creation of new operational models. Participation and innovation are viewed from the perspective of the impact of democracy experiments on the implementation of democratic citizenship (Smith, 2009; Geissel, 2012).
The study examines the impact of the school of politics for young people and its connection to local decision-making structures through context, internal and external effects. The context is addressed by a) the project’s goals and activities, and b) the project’s inclusiveness and participation culture, such as participants’ attitudes towards democracy. Internal effects are examined by a) the deliberativeness of the activities, such as the balance of discussions, the production of opinions and information, and b) democratic citizenship, such as participants’ knowledge levels and democracy skills. External effects focus on a) the project’s connections to the decision-making system, and b) the experiences of decision-makers and teachers regarding the project (excerpt from the research report).
The collected data in this research is used for reporting the research project, compiling the toolkit and educational materials at the end of the project, and Sitra’s final report. Additionally, the data will be used for scientific research at the University of Oulu. The data is intended solely for research purposes and will not be presented outside the research meetings. Findings in the research publications will be reported in a way that individual participants or other interviewees mentioned cannot be directly identified.
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