Saastamoinen Foundation will support Gutsy Go, an awarded method that strengthens the inclusion of young people, with 100,000 euros during the school year of 2021-22. Thanks to the significant support, more and more young people will be able to make their strengths and impact visible in their own communities and on media nationwide. Annually, Gutsy Go reaches hundreds of youth in their schools, and hundreds of thousands of Finns through media.
Gutsy Go, the winner of Finland’s largest idea competition, is a method that trains entire age groups of 14-year-olds to develop solutions that promote peace and trust in their own cities as part of regular primary school. All the solutions are filmed and the resulting videos are distributed at local premieres and in the media to inspire the whole of Finland. Gutsy Go online video bank enables young people to donate their ideas for use by thousands of other young people and schools.
Saastamoinen Foundation has been supporting Gutsy Go since 2017, first as part of the Builders of the Century competition and then with further funding, now for the second year in a row. In four years, 3,000 young people in 15 different city locations have taken part in the training. More than 300 peace enhancing solutions have emerged. In the media they have reached more than one and a half million Finns.
“Corona has further increased the need for preventive measures to strengthen the well-being of young people. With the support of courageous partners like the Saastamoinen Foundation, we can offer a new kind of community-based solution model to more and more schools in this age. By acting for the benefit of others, young people gain tangible experience of their own strengths and a visible positive role in their communities”, says Veera Ikonen, Managing Director of Gutsy Go.
Gutsy Go’s objective is to make the method available nationwide in near future for the entire age group of 14-year-olds. During the school year of 2021-22, the method will be made an effective part of school structure and day-to-day life at Gutsy Go Hub, the results of which can be utilized nationwide. In addition, Gutsy Go will launch a model that enables first schools to organize Gutsy Go weeks independently. The solutions developed by the young people during the year will be published in Gutsy Go’s video bank and the campaign materials will be offered to support teaching in all Finnish schools.
Further information:
Veera Ikonen, Managing Director, Gutsy Go ry, +358407080701, veera.ikonen@gutsygo.fi
Johanna Vanttaja, Event Producer, Gutsy Go ry, +358400390551, johanna.vanttaja@gutsygo.fi
Website: www.gutsygo.fi/en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GutsyCollective/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gutsycollective/
YouTube: bit.ly/gutsygotube
Twitter: https://twitter.com/gutsycollective
Photo: Lino Gilberto.
