Kindness, communality and the environment – Kilopuisto School takes beneficial action and challenges Inari secondary school

“The student union considered how a large multicultural school of 800 students, with a preschool, primary school, secondary school and small special-needs groups for children on the spectrum, could respond to this challenge of beneficial action that takes all students into account.” 

The Vapaa!-Fri! project, which is an initiative of the Ministry of Justice to promote the status of volunteer activities, has shown that the ageing of the population has changed the face of civic action substantially. This manifests itself in the average active volunteers being older than before. Many associations have had difficulties finding new committed people to replace ageing volunteers. As such, one of the key questions highlighted by the project is how young people can be encouraged towards and engaged in beneficial action and making a social difference. In order to find an answer, the project set out to cooperate with the Finnish Fundraising Association to challenge Finnish primary and secondary schools to do good. The purpose of the challenge was to provide young people with the opportunity to plan a school challenge that would reflect their views. At the same time, the project had the opportunity to determine what motivates young people to take action to influence things in their immediate environment. In order to initiate the school challenge, a pilot school was found, and a proposal to begin cooperation was presented to Espoo’s Kilonpuisto School in the spring of 2021. 

The challenge excited the teachers managing Kilonpuisto School’s student union, Eeva Immo, Hannu Laaksonen, Susanna Ahvalo and Kaisa Auvinen, as well as the chairpersons of the student unions, Stella Mikkonen for primary school and Neea Mäkitalo for secondary school. The project was discussed by the student union, and everyone was immediately inspired. The idea of shifting the discourse from bullying to beneficial action had a big influence. “We need to look at other people with appreciation and acceptance.” Kilonpuisto School has a long history with peer mediation and a teachers’ mediation group.

The project was discussed throughout the autumn of 2021 between the Ministry of Justice and the school. The students brainstormed a video, scripted it and took part in producing it at school. “For a change, we decided to approach problems such as bullying from the perspective of prevention, which is great, since accusations and labelling rarely lead to the desired results. I think I may already have too much experience of the earlier approach.” one of the students said.. The students also suggested that the video should be translated into Sámi, since it is one of our domestic languages. This led to a discussion about the importance of hearing one’s native language in day-to-day life. The Sámi Parliament of Finland provided assistance with the translation.

In cooperation with the students, we set out to figure out what we could do here at school to ensure everyone’s well-being. The students came up with three things that are important to and benefit everyone at school. 

The themes that the students arrived at were kindness, communality and the environment. By being kind to each other, we build trust, which helps create communality among the students. Communality, in turn, makes students appreciate the school as an environment more than before, which can help keep it in better shape.

The secondary school students created a video in which we challenge the Inari secondary school, and especially its Sámi-speaking students, to get involved, alongside students from our nearby schools. The students found it important to provide the challenge video in Sámi, Swedish and English, in addition to Finnish. This helps get everyone involved. Through the video, we seek to challenge students to do good things at their own schools, in their own way, and tell us about the actions they have taken.

A bingo of beneficial action was organised in the primary school. The students collected ideas for doing good things into a list. Then the good deeds done within a specific period were recorded in a 3 x 3 bingo card. All good deeds were confirmed with those affected by them or by asking students who had witnessed them. The aim is to make beneficial actions a part of day-to-day school life. We are currently developing the activities further and incorporating the bingo as part of schoolwork: we intend to organise the bingo regularly with changing themes each month, and to prepare an annual calendar for varying themes. This requires clear instructions and the opportunity to engage in this kind of activity as part of the education.

“We have project hoodies for members of the secondary school student union and the instructing teachers.”

The project has been and is being talked about in class to reach all students. The feel-good project continues strong at Kilonpuisto...

We are also working on initiating cooperation with other schools in Espoo. In the future, we will also present the experiences of the Inari secondary school.

Information related to the project will be collected on the tekojentiistai.org website.(external link, opens in a new window)

“Oahppiidsearvi smiehtai, mo máŋggakultuvrralaš ja stuorra 800 oahppi skuvla, mas gávdnojit sihke ovda-, vuolle-, ja badjeskuvla ja sierraoahpahusa autismaspektra smávvajoavkkut, sáhtašii searvat buori dahkama fidnui, mas buot oahppit váldojuvvojit vuhtii.”

Vuoigatvuođaministeriija Vapaa!- Fri! -fitnus, mii ovddida eaktodáhtolašdoaimma sajádaga, lea boahtán ovdan, ahte álbmoga agáiduvvan lea buktán nuppástusaid siviiladoaimmalašvuhtii. Agáiduvvan oidno aktiivvalaš eaktodáhtolaččaid agáiduvvamis. Máŋggaide servviide lea váttis gávdnat ođđa, čatnasan aktiivvaid vuorasmuvvan lahtuid sadjái. Fitnus bohciidiige gažaldat, mo movttiidahttit nuoraid dahkat buorre áššiid ja čatnasit servvodatlaš váikkuheapmái. Dán geahččanguovllu čielggadeapmin fidnu hásttii ovttas Vastuullinen Lahjoittaminen rs:in suopmelaš badje- ja vuolleskuvllaid dahkat buorre áššiid. Hástima ulbmilin lei fállat nuoraide vejolašvuođa plánet ollesolbmo vehkiin sin iežasetlágan skuvlahástima. Seammás fidnu beasai váldit čielgasa, makkár áššit motiverejit nuoraid váikkuhit iežaset lagašbirrasii. Skuvlahástimiid johtui bidjama várás ohccojuvvui pilohttaskuvla, ja evttohus ovttasbarggu álggaheamis ovdanbuktojuvvui Espoo Kilonpuisto skuvlii giđđat 2021.

Kilonpuisto skuvlla oahppiidsearvvi bagadalli oahpaheaddjit Eeva Immo, Hannu Laaksonen, Susanna Ahvalo, Kaisa Auvinen ja oahppiidservviid ságajođiheaddjit: vuolleskuvllas Stella Mikkonen ja badjeskuvllas Neea Mäkitalo movttáskeigga. Go fidnu gieđahallojuvvui oahppiidsearvvis, buohkat movttáskedje dalán. Jurdda das, ahte ii hállojuvvo givssideami birra, muhto buorre áššiid dahkamis oassin árgabeaivvi geasuhii. “Oaidnit nuppi olbmo árvvolažžan ja dohkálažžan.” Kilonpuisto skuvllas lea nana soabadeami ja oahpaheaddjiid soabadanjoavkodoaimma árbevierru.

Fidnu guorahallojuvvui miehtá čavčča 2021 ovttasbarggus vuoigatvuođaministeriijain ja skuvlla siste. Oahppit plánejedje video, čálle giehtačállosa ja oassálaste dan ollašuhttimii skuvllas “ Mearrideimmet lahkonit váttisvuođaid, dego givssideami, eastadeaddji geahččanguovllus, mii lea fiinnis, daningo sivahallamiin ja olbmuid steampalastimiin ii dábálaččat beasa doivojuvvon bohtosii. Mus leat dán birra juo menddo ollu vásáhusat.” muitalii soames oahppi. Oahppit evttohedje maiddái, ahte video jorgaluvvošii sámegillii, go dat lea okta min vieris gielain. Dán bokte beasaimet ságastallat árgabeaivvi mearkkašumis ja das, man mávssolaš lea beassat gullat iežas eatnigiela. Oaččuimet jorgalanveahki Sámedikkis.

Ovttas oahppiiguin smiehtaimet, maid mii sáhtášeimmet bargat dáppe skuvllas, vai buohkain livččii buorre orrut dáppe? Oahppit hutke golbma ášši, mat leat dehálaččat skuvllas ja leat buorrin buohkaide.

Golbma guovddáš ášši bohte ovdan: Ustitlašvuohta, Searvvušlašvuohta ja Biras. Jus mii láhttet ustitlaččat nuppi nuppi vuostá, hukse dat luohttámuša ja luohttámuš veahkeha hukset searvvušlašvuođa oahppiid gaskkas. Searvvušlašvuođa bokte skuvla šaddá dehálaš báikin oahppiide ja dalle skuvlabiras vejolaččat vásihuvvo báikin, mii bissu buorebut ortnegis.

Badjeskuvllalaččat ráhkadedje video, man bokte mii hástit mielde eará lagašskuvllaid oahppiid lassin maiddái Anára badjeskuvlla ja erenomážit dan sámegielat oahppiid. Oahppiid mielas lei dehálaš, ahte video lea suomagiela lassin maiddái sámegillii, ruoŧagillii ja eaŋgalasgillii. Váldot buohkaid mielde. Video bokte mii hástit oahppiid bargat buorre daguid iežas skuvllas, iežas vuogi mielde ja muitalit daid birra maiddái midjiide.

Vuolleskuvllas ollašuhttojuvvui buorre áššiid dahkama bingo. Oahppit čohkkejedje listtu jurdagiin, mo dahkat buorre áššiid. Dalle 3 x 3 ruvttohasa bingobáhpárii čoggojuvvojedje buorre dagut dihto áigge. Buorre dagut sihkkarastojuvvojedje sus, geasa dagut čuhce dahje skuvlaskibir lei oaidnán dagu. Ulbmilin lea, ahte buorre dagut šattašedje oassin árgabeaivvis. Mii leat ovdánahttimin ášši ja buktimin bingo oassin skuvlabarggu: jeavddalaš bingo speallan, iešguđet mánotbajiin iešguđet temát ja oažžut jahkediimmu sierra temáide.  Dát gáibida čielga rávvagiid ja vejolašvuođa bargat oahpahusa oassin.

“Mis lea Kilonpuisto kipinöi -busirat badjeskuvlla oahppiidsearvvi lahtuide ja bagadalli oahpaheaddjiide”

Kipinä-fitnu birra lea muitaluvvon ja muitaluvvo luohkkálanjain ja dán láhkái olahit buot oahppiid. Kipinä-fidnu joatkašuvvá Kilonpuistos..

Mii leat álggahišgoahtimin ovttasbarggu maiddái eará skuvllaiguin Espoos. Muitalit boahttevuođas maiddái Anára badjeskuvlla vásáhusaid birra.

Tekojentiistai.org -siidui čohkkejuvvojit ollašuvvan buorre dagut.(external link, opens in a new window)