Participate and make your voice heard
Come along to participate and make your voice heard!
Growing towards participation already starts in daycare centre, continues at school in the student association and in local participation groups for children and young people operating in different parts of the city. In them, children and young people get to influence the affairs of their own area.
We involve children and young people in Oulu to generate ideas, plan, implement and evaluate. We strive to ensure that children and young people are heard, and we support their opportunities for influence.
Link to the Finnish website:https://www.nuortenoulu.fi/osallistu-ja-vaikuta/
Youth Elections
The youth elections are held every other year. A young person who is 15-19 years old, lives or studies in Oulu and is interested in advancing youth issues, can apply to participate in the activities of the youth council by standing as a candidate in the youth elections.
The City Meeting for Children and Young People
The City Meeting for Children and Young People is a festive occasion organised annually, where children and young people decide on various acquisitions and opinion proposals. The City Meeting has been granted a budget of 10,000 euros, which children and young people decide on how to distribute.
Youth Forum Event
The youth forum is a place where you can make your voice heard!
The Youth Forum, an event aimed at young people, which focuses on influencing, is organised every autumn in October. The target group of the event is secondary school pupils and students older than that. In the Youth Forum, e.g. different organisations, associations, different actors of the City and political parties meet, network and exchange ideas with young people.
School of Politics for Young People
The objective of the School of Politics for Young People is to spark young people’s interest in empowerment and achieving relevant knowledge and skills required for empowerment and acting in society.
Teaching material for the School of Politics for Young People (in Finnish and English)
Link to Finnish-language pages: https://www.nuortenoulu.fi/nuorten-politiikkakoulu/
Idea Box
With the help of the Idea Box, you can realise your ideas!
If you have an idea that you need help implementing or taking forward, submit it to the Idea Box. The Youth Council or participation group will receive and process your ideas.
Your idea can be, for example, something that you would like the Youth Council to take forward or a wish to organise an event. Your idea can also be a theme for a holiday camp and excursion activities or events organised by the Youth Services.
Taking an idea forward is a good idea, because implementation is often easier together with other assisting hands. This is also an easy way to make a difference.
Leave your contact information together with your idea if you wish to be contacted. All ideas are welcome!
Youth council ONE
Oulu has its own decision-making body for 15-19-year-olds, the City Youth Council ONE, whose task is, among other things, to promote and develop the status of young people in the municipality without political or religious affiliations. If you think something needs development in Oulu or is amiss, don’t hesitate to contact the Youth Council! You can apply through the youth elections.
OSBU – Participatory budgeting
In participatory budgeting, the residents of Oulu get to generate ideas, plan and finally decide how the city of Oulu uses 70,000 euros in the ideas of the residents of Oulu.
Anyone can propose an idea, including young people! For example, ideas that could improve the attractiveness or sense of community in Oulu would be really welcome.
It is worth taking full advantage of this opportunity, because now young people themselves have the opportunity to accomplish something that is important especially for young people. Or something appealing to young people or whatever it might be!
NERO for young people – Activity grant for young people’s own events, occasions and projects
NERO activity grant is intended for you, young resident of Oulu, who, in a group with others, wants to plan and carry out events, occasions or even projects that are open to everyone. If you and your friends have a group in which at least 2/3 of the members are under the age of 25, you have the opportunity to apply for NERO.
You can get NERO for a maximum of 1500 euros! The activity must be substance-free, aimed at young people and carried out by young people. The group applying for the grant must have a contact person over the age of 18.
You can apply for NERO activity grant for young people by going to the Internet page easiointi.ouka.fi and selecting youth grants, under which you can find NERO for young people.
Contact information:
Anu Puolanne
anu.puolanne(at)ouka.fi
p. 044 703 8290