Espoon yhteislyseo general upper secondary school selected as the UN School of 2024

Espoon yhteislyseo general upper secondary school has been a UN School for ten years since the establishment of the network in 2014. The UN Association of Finland states that the upper secondary school's activities successfully interweave sustainable development goals, thematic United Nations Days and global responsibility into the school’s operating culture. Espoon yhteislyseo general upper secondary school is raising its pupils to be active and responsible actors through diverse methods that engage them.

As a special accomplishment, the UN Association mentioned the possibility to take Global Citizen's maturity test and take part in the annual international United Nations Model UN Summit in New York. The Global Citizenship and the UN course is a unique module that enables learning about the world, making a difference and multichannel decision-making across a variety of school subjects.

The award was accepted by Espoon yhteislyseo’s English teacher Anna Puhakka and history and social studies teacher  Henri Wik. Students Aku-Kalle Juhola, Nelly Nzeyimana, Sira Sotamaa, Emilia Heiniö and Aleksandr Koziakov talked about their thoughts around safety at the United Nations Day celebration.

Since becoming a UN School, Espoon yhteislyseo general upper secondary school has organised theme days, charity campaigns, and provided its pupils with the English and social studies course YH06 Global Citizenship and the UN. The course provides an introduction to the activities of the United Nations, UN practice simulations and the opportunity to take the UN Association’s global citizenship test through extensive research. Our upper secondary also takes part in the International Model United Nations Summit in New York (NHSMUN), in which we have won awards for the best research and best foreign delegation, for example. In March 2024, Espoon yhteislyseo general upper secondary school will participate in the summit for the ninth time with a representation of two teachers and eight pupils.

“This was a wonderful acknowledgement of the persistent work that our pupils and teachers have engaged in for ten years to draw attention to UN matters. It has been particularly amazing to see the effort that the pupils put into their New York Model UN presentations, the exemplary way in which they represent the school and the ways in which they gain new valuable international experiences,” says Espoon yhteisluseo general upper secondary school’s substitute Acting Deputy Principal Salla Kauppi-Pastor.

“It is genuinely wonderful that our upper secondary school gained this acknowledgement, because we have invested in teaching our pupils to become global citizens for a decade now. Cooperation with a variety of associations and organisations has been a key part of our school’s operating culture and, by learning about the operations of the United Nations, our pupils gain ideas for further studies and careers as well as the opportunity to collaborate with other young people to make the world a better place,” says teacher Anna Puhakka.

“Many of our alumni and former delegates have ended up working in the third sector as the UN Youth of Finland organisation's coordinator of international affairs, for example, or studying international relations abroad and even working in New York. As an organisation that promotes peace, the United Nations has inspired our pupils in a very special way to believe in their own strengths and build a new, more sustainable future,” Anna Puhakka adds.

The UN School Network is a support and cooperation network that is open to all schools and educational institutions. It focuses on highlighting UN themes, human rights, peace and safety, and sustainable development in the education and operating cultures of schools. Established in 2024, the UN School Network already includes 150 schools and educational institutions throughout Finland.