Young people took part in the Spring Idea Competition with 159 ideas for a better world

The Spring Idea Competition inspired young people all over Finland to come up with ideas for a more hopeful future. This spring, a particularly large number of young people’s ideas focused on strengthening health and well-being, and addressing issues related to the environment and sustainable consumption.

The Spring Idea Competition encouraged young people aged 15-19 to develop ideas at school and in their free time that would make the world a more hopeful place. To enter the competition, young people had to gather a team of 3-5 people and register their ideas by the end of February. Thousands of young people took part in the Spring-workshops organized by the Children and Youth Foundation over the winter and hundreds of ideas were developed. Out of the hundreds of ideas developed in various workshops and meetings with young people, 159 teams entered their ideas into the competition. The participants came from all over Finland, from a total of 39 different locations.

Young people participated with ideas on a wide range of societal themes, from care for the elderly to leisure opportunities and technological development. This spring, young people were particularly enthusiastic about tackling issues related to health and well-being, the environment, and sustainable consumption. 

Spring moves towards the final on 7 May

Next, the Spring jury will go through the applications and select the 12 most potential ideas and their teams. The selection process will take into account the team’s ability to identify the problem, the relevance and insightfulness of the idea, the wider applicability of the idea, and the team’s composition and motivation.

The 12 shortlisted teams will be able to work on their ideas in April at Supercell’s office with the support of Finland’s best sparring partners. The shortlisted teams will be announced on 26 March and the Children and Youth Foundation will contact the shortlisted teams personally.

The winners of Spring will be selected in the final, where a total of six ideas will advance. In the final, young people will be able to choose their favorites themselves. The Spring final will be broadcast live on 7 May at 13:00 on Yle Areena. The three winning teams will all be rewarded with a summer job and a study trip to Copenhagen, during which they will have the opportunity to turn their ideas into reality.