Gutsy Go method that makes societal influencing accessible to young people. It is a research-proven approach that enhances young people's sense of participation and social competence.
Gutsy Go is an award winning peace education method developed in Finland. It is primarily aimed to be used in schools to empower youth to increase their active participation in society as peace builders and increase social trust. Gutsy Go provides training in 21st century skills including problem solving, endurance, creativity, team working, positive attitude and service.
The method combines pedagogy, media, and social action projects. Gutsy Go starts with an intervention week, where the entire age group (often age 14 or 15) is presented with a challenge to identify real social issues in their city and design unique solutions to promote solidarity and social peace. This is done in collaboration with teachers, legal officials, community leaders and ordinary citizens.
The intervention week includes plenary sessions and training workshops conducted by Gutsy Go coaches. The result is multiple social innovations and projects which are simultaneously executed in real locations around the city. Assisted by a Gutsy Go media team, short viral videos of the projects are produced and made public in community premiers, social media and traditional news outlets.
The project videos are shared in Gutsy Go social media channels. The most watched videos have gathered audience of over 1.5 million. The media component is a powerful tool to engage the community and prevent polarisation in a larger context.
With the long-term support of the Saastamoinen foundation, thousands of young Finns have had an impressive experience of active citizenship. They have been involved in building the kind of world they want to live in. The method has been developed to reach more and more young people and it has also been introduced in Estonia and Latvia.
Gutsy Go has been researched for its impact by Finnish Youth Research Society, The Finnish Medical Association Duodecim and The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare THL. The method has been found to increase feelings of self-worth and inclusivity in society. Gutsy Go decreases the risk of social isolation and civil unrest.
Gutsy Go Social Media:
https://www.facebook.com/GutsyCollective/
https://www.instagram.com/gutsycollective/
https://twitter.com/GutsyCollective
Photo: Gutsy Go