Youth advocacy group combined participation and hobbies

The Espoo Hobby Path and Plan International have recognised that many young people are interested in advocacy, but the currently available means of advocacy are not necessarily for them. Some of them may feel like their voice does not matter. However, advocacy and the resulting opportunity to do good has been identified as a factor creates meaning in a young person’s hobby. These ideas gave rise to the idea the experimental Change Makers group under the Espoo Hobby Path. Its purpose was to explore and try out how young people could also find a way to advocate for their own future through their hobbies, to give them inspiring tools to realise the future and a positive experience of their own possibilities for advocacy.

During spring 2025, the participants practised ways to express their opinions and learned more about different advocacy methods. Among other things, the group learned more about the opportunities for advocacy in a democracy and how decisions are made. Finally, the group of young people was able to plan and implement their own advocacy. The goal had been to inspire and encourage young people into advocacy. Another crucial element was to work together and boost the sense of participation.

Based on feedback, the members of the group liked the tangible nature of the activities and the practical exercises. For example, the group implemented a petition and social media video to promote the girls’ rights. The group was interested to continue advocacy after the project. The experience also the group to reflect on future professions that would let them make use of the skills they learned.

Ronja Karkinen, Planning Officer for School Cooperation and Volunteer Work at Plan International, welcomes the cooperation and its results: “At Plan International, we already had earlier experience of advocacy groups for young people, but through the trial in Espoo, we reached a new target audience. In the past, we have run national groups, but now, we gathered a group of young people from the same place. What was most important to us was to make young people feel like they had a genuine opportunity to make a difference. The kids gained new knowledge and skills through the group.”

Espoo Hobby Path has recognised that young people’s hobbies are often perceived as goal-oriented, regular and guided activities, while many adult hobbies are independent activities. The image of young people’s hobbies is often related to, for example, physical or artistic hobbies, even though all young people’s interests, value-based activities and willingness to advocate for them could be considered in that group just as well.

By expanding the concept of children and young people’s hobbies, it is possible to give them new kinds of places to include them and their future power. Studies show that young people talking to one another strengthens their understanding of society – they can also generate interest in social advocacy. Young people who have not felt that advocacy is for them may also begin to find it interesting with support, safe opportunities for discussion with their peers and facilities to do so.

One goal of the Espoo strategy, or the Espoo story, is that every child and young person in Espoo finds at least one meaningful hobby. Since 2021, the Espoo Hobby Path has offered a varied range of free, after-school hobbies to children and young people, either at or near schools, or remotely, as part of the Finnish model for leisure activities. The goal of the activities is to support the participation, agency, safety and sense of belonging in society for children and young people. To achieve these goals, the Espoo Hobby Path boldly experiments and develops new ways to take part and do things.

Further information: harrastuspolku@espoo.fi.

Learn more about the Espoo Hobby Path.