Munkkiniemen yhteiskoulu

Helsinki, Finland

4th FUNDING CALL

Objectives

A group of natural science students at Munkkiniemi School is taking a leading role in environmental advocacy with their project, the Baltic Sea Youth Forum (BSYF). This initiative is a two-day international conference for upper secondary school students aimed at raising awareness about the Baltic Sea and empowering youth to contribute to its protection. The project’s duration is three months.

The main objectives of the BSYF project are focused on student engagement and influence. The students aim to:

• Increase young people’s awareness of the current condition of the Baltic Sea.
• Enhance their ability to influence decision-makers and stakeholders by cooperating with HELCOM and presenting a youth-led Baltic Sea Commitment to the Minister of the Environment.
• Promote the understanding that through collaboration, youth can influence their peers and spark interest via social media.
• Provide experience in international cooperation and organizing a conference.

Activities and Collaborations

The project’s activities are planned across three months.

• September: Natural sciences students will plan the conference content and prepare to act as guides and hosts.
• October: They will connect with partner schools via Teams. HELCOM will organize a two-hour kick-off lecture and activities.
• November: The Baltic Sea Youth Forum, a two-day conference, will take place on November 6-7. The conference will include lectures, workshops, a museum visit, citizen science activities, and a Baltic Sea Dinner.

The students will carry out citizen science on the shores of the Baltic Sea, collecting plankton and small debris samples and measuring turbidity.

The project involves 25 students from Munkkiniemi School directly in planning and hosting the event. An additional 50 students from the school will attend the kick-off lecture and the two-day conference. The project also aims to involve 40-50 students and their teachers from partner schools in Sweden, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. The closing ceremony will be attended by Finland’s Minister of the Environment, Mrs. Multala, and the entire Munkkiniemi school community.

Expected Outputs and Impact

The project will produce tangible outputs and resources.

• A photo exhibition from pictures of litter and other human impacts on the Baltic Sea shores.
• Real-time social media content about the conference on platforms like TikTok and Instagram.
• The Baltic Sea is a topic that offers an opportunity to combine various subjects, such as biology, geography, chemistry, visual arts, and English.

The project is designed to be accessible to all students, regardless of gender, cultural background, or other barriers. The program does not restrict anyone, and people with health limitations can choose suitable activities. The project also aims to facilitate access for students with fewer opportunities, addressing potential barriers related to disabilities, health problems, educational difficulties, cultural differences, social barriers, discrimination, and geographic location.

The project’s outcomes and materials will be shared to encourage their use by other schools and organizations. Social media platforms (Tiktok, Instagram, Facebook), email, and Teams will be used to promote the resources. The collaboration with HELCOM and the Ministry of the Environment shows that young people’s actions have an impact. The project also aims to reduce the carbon footprint by making students aware of how to reduce their impact, and by using a Baltic Sea dinner as an example of reducing the carbon footprint.