Article categories: Archive News
The happiest students in the world
Published: 26.4.2021
Finland is the happiest country in the world. We, Students in Vaasa, want to be the happiest students in the world. The initiator of the campaign, The Student Union of the University of Vaasa (VYY) and The Student Union of Åbo Akademi University´s (ÅAS) campaign The World's Happiest Students promotes student well-being. The campaign starts with the Running around the world event.
Underlying this campaign, are concerns about the students deteriorating well-being. In particular, student resilience and community have suffered during the pandemic. Promoting the well-being of university students is paramount.
The campaign aims at student well-being through three different themes: health, exercise and happiness. During the rest of the year, various themed events and challenges will be organized for all university students in Vaasa.
The campaign kicks off with the event Together Around the World, which encourages students to move and exercise. This will take place on 3.5.-30.5.
The goal is to reach 40,000 km, which is equivalent to the circumference of the earth. The thought about going around the world came from the latest study that states that Finland is the happiest country in the world. Each student writes down the kilometers they have walked, and when they are counted together the students will “go around the world”, tells Niklas Grönholm from ÅAS
Our goal is to achieve 1 € donation for every kilometer moved by students. The donations will go to Nyyti ry which promotes students’ mental health and ability to study in Finland. At the same time we challenge all businesses in Vaasa area to donate for a good cause, says Henri Miettinen from VYY.
The work for students’ well-being and mental health is even more current at the moment. Nyyti ry provides for example information and means to take care of their own well-being. Nyyti also gives peer support in chat and groups and also voluntary activities. With the donations we get, we can accomplish for example easily accessible support for students. This way we can reach a significant amount of students and support coping in everyday life, tells the delighted Head of Operations of Nyyti ry, Minna Savolainen.
Our goals are high and we search for different businesses to become partners in supporting student well being and in making the students in Vaasa the happiest students in the world. We hope to get many businesses on board with the project because every act matters, inspires Roosa Kesonen from VYY.
Happiness as a common goal
-We are excited to be making the students in Vaasa the happiest students in the world. The students have taken influence of the happiness-theme and they have made it into their own campaign. A part of the support to the students we put directly to Nyyti ry, tells Vaasa Citys Head of Communications Leena Forsén.
The campaign is implemented by VYY and ÅAS in cooperation with other student unions in Vaasa. The campaign involves the Student Union of Vaasa University of Applied Sciences (VAMOK), Studentföreningen vid Svenska Handelshögskolan i Vasa r.f. (SSHV), Studerandekåren Novium, Opiskelijan Vaasa – Vasa Studerande (OVVS), Justus ry / r.f. The city of Vaasa is also involved in the campaign.