The Finnish model for leisure activities
The purpose of the Finnish model for leisure activities is to increase the wellbeing of children and young people by allowing them to engage in fun and free hobbies during the school day. The choice of activities is based on the children and young people’s own preferences. The model will be planned, created and tested in collaboration with leisure activity providers.
Activities based on the Finnish model for leisure activities will be held in 262 municipalities in the 2023–2024 school year. Based on applications, the Ministry of Education and Culture has granted municipalities a total of EUR 17 million in special funding for the school year 2023–2024. The funding will make it possible to organize a total of more than 11,000 groups for various leisure activities over 2,000 schools. Nearly 400,000 children and young people are participating in the organized activities. The aim is to make the Finnish model for leisure activities a permanent practice in these municipalities. The municipalities will provide detailed information about the leisure activity groups and registration on their websites.
Contact point for the Finnish model for leisure activities to assist all parties
The contact point for the Finnish model for leisure activities is located at the Finnish National Agency for Education. The contact point is coordinated by Tarja Vartiainen. The purpose of the contact point and the role of the coordinator is to promote collaboration between municipalities and activity providers, to collect and share best practices and to help municipalities find providers for activities that children and young people are interested in.