Youth Council

The Espoo Youth Council is a nonpartisan representative body for young people in Espoo, which wields the voice of young people in the city’s organisation.

In Espoo, the Youth Council has the right to speak at and attend meetings of the City Board, the City Council and all city committees. The Youth Council contributes by making statements, taking initiatives, stating positions and organising events. Members of the Youth Council meet once a month at a general assembly, where the biggest decisions are taken.

Members are elected in Youth Council elections every two years. All young Espoo residents between 13 and 18 years of age can stand as candidates and vote in the elections.

The aim of the Youth Council’s activities is to raise young people’s awareness of social activities and opportunities for influence in order to inspire them to follow current matters and actively influence them.

The activities of the Youth Council are coordinated by youth work coordinators from Espoo’s Youth Services. The aim of the coordinators is to help the council members carry out the Youth Council’s activities in the best possible way throughout the city organisation.

Further information: nuorisovaltuusto@espoo.fi

The coordinator of the Youth Council is Minna Lehmuksenkukka.

Chairperson is Aaron Komulainen (aaronkomulainen10@gmail.com).

The Youth Council’s own space is located in Espoon keskus at Kamreerintie 3 C (3rd floor). The space is used for working group meetings and other meetings.

Before visiting the space, please make sure that the coordinators are there to open the door. The coordinators also work in other locations. If the front door is locked, call the coordinators or the person in charge of your working group.

We are happy to tell you more about the Youth Council’s activities. Welcome!

Minna Lehmuksenkukka, Youth Work Coordinator, tel. +358 40 6365299, firstname.lastname@espoo.fi

The highest decision-making body of the Youth Council is the general assembly, which takes place once a month at the City of Espoo’s Council Hall. Agendas and minutes are available at espoo.fi. The general assemblies are open to all interested parties and can be observed on site.

The general assembly is chaired by the chairperson, the agenda is published at least three days beforehand, and the minutes are drawn up formally afterwards. The agenda and invitation the general assembly are sent to all members of the Youth Council.

The general assembly makes the important decisions about the Youth Council. The general assembly approves initiatives and positions and elects the chairpersons, the board of directors, the regional chairs and the representatives for committees. The general assembly decides on the direction of the Youth Council’s activities and the use of its budgetary appropriations. At general assemblies, members also report on topical issues in their respective areas of responsibility.

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Meetings start at 5 p.m.

The Youth Council elects representatives from among its members to the city’s committees and various positions of trust. The elected representatives can attend meetings, present the initiatives approved by the Youth Council and express young people’s opinions on the issues discussed at the meetings. The representatives of the Youth Council do not have the right to vote at meetings. A position of trust is about concrete and practical advocacy work. Being a representative in a position of trust can be challenging and requires effort, but it is also an excellent way to make a difference and participate in the city’s development and decision-making.

Positions of trust in 2023

Committees:

Growth and Learning Committee

Pauli Rantatupa

alternate: Margarita Komashinskaya 

City Planning Committee

Iiro Nieminen

alternate: Neea Mäkitalo

Culture Committee

Sofia Lindfors

alternate: Edwin Kivijärvi

Sports and Exercise Committee

Vivianne Salmi

alternate: Otso Kneckt

Environment and Building Control Committee

Veikka Silvekoski

alternate: Sonja Alaruikka

Welfare and Health Committee

Kaisa Pohjanmaa

alternate: Maximilian Bergström

Committee for Swedish Education and Culture

Hans Weurlander

alternate: Edwin Kivijärvi

Technical Services Committee

Leevi Jantunen 

alternate: Neea Mäkitalo

Growth and Learning Committee, Youth Affairs Subcommittee

Topi Leijola

alternate: Margarita Komashinskaya

Advisory boards and committees:

Advisory Board for Substance Abuse Matters

Severi Lybeck

alternate: Noora Suikkari

Equality Committee

Edwin Kivijärvi

alternate: Miko Manninen

Cross-administrative steering groups:

Sustainable Espoo

Iiro Nieminen 

alternate: Sebastian Nilsson

Dynamic Espoo

Milla Suominen

alternate: Sofia Meng

Events Together in Espoo

Leevi Jantunen

alternate: Ruiyan Tang

Healthy Espoo

Jooa Lähteenmäki

alternate: Outi Ala-Kojola

Welfare working groups and other bodies:

Welfare working group for Espoonlahti

Sebastian Nilsson

alternate: Otso Kneckt

Welfare working group for central and northern Espoo

Neea Mäkitalo

alternate: Thomas Karppinen  

Welfare working group for the Leppävaara area

Vivianne Salmi                                                                         

alternate: Ruiyan Tang

Welfare working group for the Matinkylä-Olari-Tapiola area

Margarita Komanshinskaya  

 alternate: Tapio Leijola

Youth welfare working group  

Vivianne Salmi

alternate: Otso Kneckt

Growth and Learning Sector Management Group  

Milla Suominen

alternate: Iiro Nieminen

Disability Council

Thomas Karppinen

alternate: Ruiyan Tang

Initiatives by the Youth Council are most often inspired by shortcomings in the city’s services and bring forward new proposals for action. Ideas for initiatives come from Youth Council members and other young people. Anyone can contact the Youth Council and suggest important issues the Youth Council should address. A member of the Youth Council prepares an initiative, which is discussed in the General Assembly. Approved initiatives are taken to the committees through the City Registry.

The aim of positions is to influence the current decisions of the city. The preparation of a position requires careful examination of the matter and related reports. Often positions are prepared jointly or a responsible person is chosen for their preparation. Positions are approved by the general assembly.

The chairperson of the Youth Council acts as the chairperson of the council’s general assemblies and board meetings and is responsible for the development of the Youth Council’s activities as a whole.

The chairperson is the primary representative of the Youth Council externally and, together with the youth work coordinators, invites the media to the council’s events. Furthermore, the chairperson is responsible for cooperation with other youth councils, especially in the capital region. The chairperson is also responsible for starting the preparation of the annual action plan, together with the board.

The first vice-chairperson is responsible for all duties of the chairperson during his/her absence. The second vice-chairperson is responsible for all duties of the first vice-chairperson during his/her absence.

The Youth Council’s chairperson is Aaron Komulainen (aaronkomulainen10@gmail.com), the first vice-chairperson is Hans Weurlander and the second vice-chairperson is Topi Leijola.

The secretary is Pauli Rantatupa.

The Youth Council elects six persons from among its members to form the Youth Council Board. The board also includes the chairpersons.

The board prepares the agendas for the general assemblies and makes proposals for decisions on the matters to be discussed. The board meets at least once between general assemblies, and its meetings are open to all members of the Youth Council.

The board members are Severi Lybeck, Veikka Silvekoski, Kaisa Pohjanmaa, Sofia Lindfors, Iiro Nieminen and Miko Manninen.

The round table of the student council boards (OPKH) includes the chairperson and one vice-chairperson of the student council from each general upper secondary school in Espoo. The members have the right to bring initiatives and statements to the round table.

The round table has a chairperson elected by the Youth Council, and the body also has a vice-chairperson. The chairperson and vice-chairperson are obliged to attend the meetings of the Youth Council Board. The chairperson must convene the round table once every two months. Representatives are elected to positions of trust annually. The round table meetings follow the same rules as the Youth Council meetings. The round table members also elect a secretary for the body.

The round table has the right to bring statements and initiatives to the general assembly of the Youth Council through the board. The round table also has the right to two representatives entitled to attend and speak at the general assemblies. The round table is responsible for preparing its action plan and annual report.

Miko Manninen is the representative and chairperson of the Youth Council and Pauli Rantatupa is the vice-chairperson.

The Espoo Youth Council has five seats in the Western Uusimaa Wellbeing Services County’s Youth Council. The Western Uusimaa County Council granted the representatives of the Youth Council the right to attend and speak at the meetings of the County Board, the County Council and the county’s committees. Western Uusimaa and Espoo will continue to lead the way in promoting young people’s opportunities to make a difference.

The Wellbeing Services County has been responsible for providing health, social and rescue services as well as the services of school psychologists and school social workers for the residents of Espoo, Hanko, Ingå, Karkkila, Kauniainen, Kirkkonummi, Lohja, Raseborg, Siuntio and Vihti as of 1 January 2023.

The chairperson of the Western Uusimaa Wellbeing Services County’s Youth Council is Milla Suominen, a member of Espoo’s Youth Council.

Members:

• Juho Virolainen
• Leevi Jantunen
• Milla Suominen
• Aaron Komulainen
• Pauli Rantatupa

Deputy members (based on their number of votes; no personal deputies):

1. Hans Weurlander, 2. Vivianne Salmi, 3. Alfred Hoxha, 4. Tapio Heikkola, 5. Iiro Nieminen

After each member’s name, you can find the number of votes they received when elected for the term 2022–2023.

Ahmed Jenit (85)

Ala-Kojola Outi (232)

Alaruikka Sonja (66)

Bergström Maximilian (101)

Heikkola Tapio (504)

Helin Iida (157)

Hoxha Alfred (205)

Ibidokun David (389)

Jantunen Leevi (120)

Karppinen Thomas (63)

Kivijärvi Edwin (108)

Kneckt Otso (74)

Komashinskaya Margarita (61)

Komulainen Aaron (121)

Leijola Topi (592)

Lindfors Sofia (83)

Lybeck Severi (93)

Lähteenmäki Jooa (85)

Manninen Miko (209)

Meng Sofia (62)

Monykuany Nyemuoc (133)

Muller Tara (79)

Mäkitalo Neea (62)

Männikkö Fiia (70)

Nieminen Iiro (96)

Nilsson Sebastian (73)

Nissinen Vilma (150)

Pohjanmaa Kaisa (160)

Rantatupa Pauli (72)

Salmi Vivianne (70)

Savander Markus (67)

Seoudi Josef (76)

Silvekoski Veikka (64)

Solala Totti (64)

Suikkari Noora (298)

Suominen Milla (198)

Tang Ruiyan (101)

Weurlander Hans (236)

Virolainen Juho (128)

Voutilainen Ida (158)

The members of the Youth Council are elected through an election every two years. All young people who turn 13–18 during the election year and whose official municipality of residence is Espoo can vote and stand for election.

The term of the Youth Council is two years. For example, the current term started on 1 January 2022 and ends on 31 December 2023. A total of 40 council members are elected based on the number of votes they receive.

Espoo’s first Youth Council was established in March 1997. The members were elected through postal voting. Young people aged 13–20 were allowed to vote and stand for election. Since then, the age limits and voting method have changed. The election takes place in the autumn of odd-numbered years at all Espoo schools that have pupils and students who are eligible to vote and stand for election. The election is organised online.

Espoo’s youth council election is coordinated by the city’s youth work coordinators, but the election is organised in close cooperation with the city’s other sectors and the cities of Helsinki and Vantaa.

The next youth council election takes place in the autumn of 2023. More information will be provided later.

• Position on sexual harassment experienced by young people
• Position: The number of votes cast in the youth council election must be published!
• Espoo Youth Council’s position on including contact information in initiatives, statements and positions
• Initiative: Registration of general upper secondary schools as return locations for beverage containers
• Initiative to allocate the Espoo Youth Council’s budget surplus to responsible investments
• Initiative: Enabling of admin rights on upper secondary students’ computers

• Youth Council’s statement on the council initiative on increasing competence in body-emotion education in day care centres and schools
• Espoo Youth Council’s statement on the establishment of the wellbeing services county’s youth council
• Espoo Youth Council’s statement on the completion of compulsory education in a local school
• Espoo Youth Council’s statement on the launching of school police activities
• Espoo Youth Council’s statement on school terms and holidays in Espoo in 2023–2024

• Improving the digital learning environment

• Statement relating to breakfast service 

• Recycling capacity at schools must be improved
• Combination birth control pills should be dispensed until 25 years of age
• Sustainable development at schools in Espoo 
• COVID-19 pandemic prevention measures at Espoo schools
• City finances must be put in order
• ‘Economically sustainable Espoo’ productivity and adjustment programme for economic stabilisation measures
• The future of Espoo’s sustainable development policy
• Increasing voter turnout among young people

• Statement on the call for preparations for organisational reform (PDF, 16 KB)

• Statement on the story of Ohjaamotalo
• Statement on Arja Juvonen’s summer voucher initiative
• Statement on Espoo’s municipality-specific upper secondary school curriculum reform for 2021
• Statement on making the Leppävaara school sports class experiment permanent practice (PDF, 12 KB)
• Open letter from the youth councils of the Helsinki Metropolitan Area to the Board of the Helsinki Region Transport joint local authority regarding the increase in ticket prices (PDF, 12 KB)
• Observations of the Espoo Youth Council on the City of Espoo’s statement on the Government’s draft proposal on the organisation of social welfare, healthcare and rescue services (PDF, 64 KB)
• Text of the Youth Council on Espoo’s VLR report (PDF, 47 KB)