Youth Council [City of Tampere]

Youth council meeting at Tampere City Hall.

Should Tampere have more summer jobs? Are you concerned about the climate crisis? What would you like to do on your free time? Do you think there are too few buses or not enough places to charge your phone?

Contact the Youth Council. We will help you!

Tampere Youth Council (NUVA) is a youth advocacy group that brings the voice of young people to the fore in the city's decision-making and improves their opportunities for participation and influence, as well as their general status. The Youth Council's activities are non-partisan and non-religious.

The Youth Council's activities are based on the Municipal Act, according to which, in order to ensure the participation and influence of young people, the municipal government must establish a youth council or a similar youth advocacy group and ensure its operating conditions. The Tampere Youth Council was established in 1998, when it was named the Youth Forum. The name was changed to the Youth Council in the spring of 2015.

The Youth Council makes statements, opinion pieces, statements and initiatives on important and topical issues for the city's young people. In addition, it meets regularly with city decision-makers and represents the voice of young people, for example in the city council and committees.

The Youth Council term is two years and the current term 2025-2026 consists of 30 members and 10 alternate members. From 2027 onwards there will be 40 members. The composition is elected in the city-wide Youth Council elections held every other autumn. The next Youth Council elections will be held in autumn 2026, where a new composition will be elected for the period 2027 to 2028. Read more about the elections (only in finnish): Youth Council elections 2026

Activities

Tampere Youth Council meets to discuss current issues and upcoming decisions, hear updates from representatives about decision-making in the city and the wellbeing area, and listen to possible guest speakers. The meetings are open to everyone if they are held at Youth Cultural Centre Monitoimitalo 13 (address Pellavatehtaankatu 4, Tampere). The meetings held at town hall are not open to visitors. Youth Council meetings will begin at 16.30.

Upcoming meetings 2026:

27.8. at Monitoimitalo 13
23.9. at Monitoimitalo 13
29.10. at town hall
26.11. at Monitoimitalo 13
17.12. at town hall

The Youth Council is divided into three teams to support its activities: the advocacy team, the event team, and the communications team. Each team is led by one of the Youth Council’s Vice Presidents. The teams meet approximately once a month, and their meetings are open to all young people in Tampere. Meetings are held at the Youth Cultural Centre Monitoimitalo 13 (Pellavatehtaankatu 4) and begin at 16:30.

Feel free to come and check out the team meetings!

Advocacy team

The advocacy team is responsible for written work, such as working on initiatives and opinion pieces, and makes statements and positions to the city on issues important to young people. It is also primarily responsible for monitoring and coordinating the work of representatives and organizing citywide elections.

Upcoming meetings 2026: 19.8., 10.9., 1.10., 12.11. and 3.12.

Event team

The event team's task is to come up with ideas and organize various events for young people. These include, for example, school council meetings for members of student unions in middle schools and secondary schools, as well as various themed events called nuva evenings. The events can take the form of educational seminars, casual fun evenings, or various parties.

Upcoming meetings 2026: 13.8., 3.9., 8.10., 5.11. and 9.12.

Communications Team

The communications team is responsible for increasing the visibility and awareness of the youth council and for communicating its activities, for example on social media, websites and in the media. It is also responsible for cooperating with other municipal youth councils, local and national organisations and educational institutions.

Upcoming meetings 2026: 26.8., 17.9., 21.10., 19.11. and 16.12.

The School Council is aimed at representatives of the student councils of Tampere from middle schools, upper secondary schools and vocational schools. The School Council meets with representatives of other educational institutions and the Youth Council in a larger meeting. The representatives can hear about the current activities being worked on by the Youth Council, express their opinions on them and suggest new openings and development areas.

The event often has a chosen theme, expert speeches and workshops around current topics. School councils are organised 1-2 times a year and an invitation is sent in advance to all student councils. The last time meeting was arranged 14th of April at the youth cultural centre Monitoimitalo 13 (address: Pellavatehtaankatu 4.)

The Youth Council appoints two representatives and their two deputy representatives to the City Council, as well as to six committees. It also appoints one representative and two deputy representatives to the City Council’s development conference. Youth Council representatives have the right to speak and be present at meetings, except when confidential matters are being discussed.

The Youth Council also has four representatives and four deputy representatives in the wellbeing area's Youth Council, as well as representatives and debity representatives in various other teams and projects across the city. The term of office for all representatives is one calendar year.

City Council
Representatives: Kerttu Kajander ja Essi Manninen
Deputy representatives: Venla Vuorinen and Rasmus Riikonen

City Councils development conference
Representative: Vertti Mäenpää
Deputy representatives: Venla Vuorinen and Elias Kuoso

Housing and Real Estate Committee
Representatives: Jasper Urrila and Yasmeen Shaath
Deputy representatives: Miio Leino and Viola Kiss

Committee for Competence and Economic Development
Representatives: Miska Tauriainen and Saara Kosonen
Deputy representatives: Samu Rinne and Viola Kiss

Education and Upbringing Committee
Representatives: Moona Kaldenbach and Joona Ellilä
Deputy representatives: Maija Vanhala and Juhani Roponen

Cultural and Leisure time Committee
Representatives: Juhani Roponen and Maija Vanhala
Deputy representatives: Oona Tapaila and Jesse Heikkilä

Community Committee
Representatives: Rasmus Riikonen and Fiona Hussey
Deputy representatives: Miro Isotalo and Elias Kuoso

Regional Public Transportation Committee
Representatives: Milja-Maria Halme and Severi Lahtinen
Deputy representatives: Miio Leino and Aarre Lantelankallio

Youth Council of Wellbeing services Countie
Representatives and their personal deputy representatives:
Helmi Hukkanen and deputy representative Essi Manninen
Samu Rinne and deputy representative Venla Vuorinen
Mette Kämäräinen and deputy representative Voitto Vellamo
Kerttu Juslin and deputy representative Fiona Hussey

Artificial Intelligences Future Group
Representatives: Casper Heinola, Essi Manninen, Kerttu Kajander, Helmi Salmelin, Fiona Hussey and Viola Kiss

Study Care Steering Group
Representatives: Miska Tauriainen and Joona Ellilä

Tredu Equality Forum
Representatives: Samu Rinne and Jasper Urrila

Tampere city regional collaboration Group
Representatives: Kerttu Kajander and Miro Isotalo

Working Group and Steering Group for the Youth Employment Programme
Representatives and deputy representatives of Working Group:
Helmi Hukkanen and deputy representative Saara Kosonen
Fiona Hussey and deputy representative Samu Rinne
Oona Tapaila and deputy representative Elviira Kinnunen
Moona Kaldenbach and deputy representative Kerttu Kajander

Representatives and deputy representatives of Steering Group:
Helmi Hukkanen and deputy representative Saara Kosonen
Fiona Hussey and deputy representative Samu Rinne

Young Factors Network
Representatives: Samu Rinne ja Elviira Kinnunen
Deputy representative: Joona Ellilä

Mielen ry´s Our Story Project Steering Group
Representative: Samu Rinne
Deputy representative: Helmi Hukkanen

Steering Group for the Basic Education Curriculum
Representative: Fiona Hussey
Deputy representatives: Joona Ellilä ja Maija Vanhala

Climate Academy
Representatives: Fiona Hussey ja Miro Isotalo
Deputy representatives: Viola Kiss ja Saara Kosonen

School Food Working Group
Representatives: Kerttu Juslin ja Essi Manninen
Deputy representative: Joona Ellilä

Equality Plan working group
Representative: Fiona Hussey
Deputy representative: Venla Vuorinen

Finnish Federation for Child Welfare Youth Advisory Board
Representative: Fiona Hussey

The Youth Council has appointed city councilors as sponsor councilors for the city council and the boards. In addition, office-holder sponsor councilors have been appointed for each of the city's different service areas. The sponsor's task is to support the youth council representatives in their duties and help them advance issues that are important to young people.

Autumn 2026

- Statement on the initiative to renovate the changing rooms at Pyynikki beach by employing young people 8/2026

Spring 2026
- Initiative to amend the operating principles of the Youth Pass 1/2026
- Statement on the dismissal decision concerning TredU’s competence area directors 1/2026
- Opinion on proposed amendments to the Municipal Act regarding youth councils’ right of initiative 3/2026
- Opinion on a council initiative concerning the celebration of
Mother’s and Father’s Day in the City of Tampere’s services 3/2026
- Opinion on a council initiative on free menstrual products in schools 3/2026
- Initiative to increase the number of heated football fields in Tampere 3/2026
- Statement on the “Reading Tampere” project 4/2026
- Statement on the council initiative to strengthen the safety of children and young people in sports and exercise clubs through funding criteria 4/2026
- Statement on the council initiative to ban face-covering scarves in the city’s schools 4/2026
- Statement on the draft local curricula for basic education in Tampere 4/2026
- Opinion piece on the atmosphere and discussion culture of the Tampere City Council 4/2026
- Initiative on the effects of increasing school class sizes on indoor air 5/2026
- Hospitality application for the Independence Day reception 5/2026
- Statement on the council initiative to increase the physical activity of children and young people during school days 5/2026
- Statement on the council initiative to introduce a more affordable indoor swimming pool wristband for children in Tampere 5/2026

Autumn 2025
- Initiative to expand payment methods in swimming halls 9/2025
- Initiative to reduce swimming ticket prices 9/2025
- Statement on improving night-time and weekend public transport services 11/2025
- Statement on cuts to school study trips in basic education 11/2025
- Statement on the dismissal of principals in Tampere upper secondary schools 11/2025
- Opinion piece on the use of reflectors 12/2025

Spring 2025
- Opinion on the introduction of a registration service for self-service libraries 3/2025
- Opinion on an initiative concerning city-recommended curfew guidelines 4/2025
- Opinion on an initiative to update the criteria for selecting ingredients in food provided by the city 4/2025
- Opinion on an initiative to remove ultra-processed food 4/2025
- Statement on the pricing of swimming hall services and the possibility of paying with a travel card 4/2025
- Guidance for preparing the education policy strategy 4/2025
- Comments on the update of local curriculum guidelines 5/2025
- Opinion piece on Pride flag-raising by the City of Tampere 5/2025
- Comments on the youth employment programme’s work‑life education pathways in Tampere 5/2025
- Comments on rules of conduct in basic education 5/2025

Autumn 2024
- Initiative to discontinue the KiVa School and Verso programmes 8/2024
- Opinion piece on normalising attending therapy 8/2024
- Opinion piece on bolder climate action in Tampere 8/2024
- Statement on the closure of the Kämmenniemi health centre 8/2024
- Youth council’s objectives for influencing the municipal elections 8/2024
- Opinion on the implementation plan for the Pirkkala–Linnainmaa tramline 9/2024
- Opinion on a council initiative on developing school meals 9/2024
- Initiative to dismantle Pirkanmaan Voimia’s in‑house company status and open school catering for competitive tendering 9/2024
- Statement on planned cuts to basic education in Tampere 9/2024
- Opinion piece on promoting equality in Tampere 10/2024
- Opinion on a council initiative to halve the consumption of animal-based products by 2030 10/2024
- Opinion on the Finns Party council group’s initiative on preventing smart device harms – Towards a phone‑free school 10/2024
- Initiative to include child impact assessment in all decision‑making in Tampere 11/2024
- Opinion on a council initiative to eradicate youth e‑cigarette use in all schools throughout the entire school path 11/2024

Spring 2024
- Comments on the Taidekaari value survey results – Top 5 values of young people 2/2024
- Opinion on Tampere’s parking policy plan 3/2024
- Opinion on the Turku Youth Council’s permanent seat in the city board 4/2024
- Initiative to better consider neurodiversity in the City of Tampere 4/2024
- Comments on the effects of the Tampere tram on children’s and young people’s mobility 4/2024
- Opinion on the use of an additional lesson in basic education 5/2024
- Opinion on council group initiatives aimed at maintaining free upper secondary education in Tampere 5/2024
- Opinion on local-level proposals to change and update B1 language provisions in Tampere 5/2024

Autumn 2023
- Initiative to consider digitalisation developments in the basic education curriculum 10/2023
- Opinion piece on the downplaying of vocational schools’ importance and the underestimation of students 10/2023
- Opinion piece on the rights of sexual and gender minorities and the harms of heteronormativity 10/2023
- Joint statement with the youth councils of the six largest cities on youth crime and its prevention in Finland 11/2023
- Initiative on regular joint activities between schools 11/2023

Spring 2023
- Initiative to extend the Youth Pass to upper secondary education 5/2023
- Initiative to grant the right to attend and speak in the city board 5/2023

Assembly

Members:

Joona Ellilä
Haiyue Geng
Milja-Maria Halme
Casper Heinola
Helmi Hukkanen
Miro Isotalo
Kerttu Juslin
Kerttu Kajander
Moona Kaldenbach
Saara Kosonen
Elias Kuoso
Mette Kämäräinen
Severi Lahtinen
Aarre Lantelankallio
Nooa Leino
Essi Manninen
Vertti Mäenpää
Emilia Mäntyharju
Rasmus Riikonen
Samu Rinne
Juhani Roponen
Helmi Salmelin
Samu Salstela
Yasmeen Shaath
Oona Tapaila
Miska Tauriainen
Oskari Tuomainen
Maija Vanhala
Voitto Vellamo
Venla Vuorinen

Vice members:

Julia Kekki
Miio Leino
Jasper Urrila
Viola Kiss
Jesse Heikkilä
Fiona Hussey
Touko Merikoski
Jadessa Mäkynen
Elviira Kinnunen
Vertti Torvikoski