Cooperation – Learning Stream
The Learning Stream for Sustainable Future is supported by a strong and multi-sectoral network. Central operators that support sustainability work in daycare centres and schools are listed on this page.
Core sustainable future operators
These core operators support and coordinate the Learning Stream in Oulu:
City of Oulu’s units that promote sustainable future operational culture through, for example, sustainable development teams, Green Flag institutions.
Sustainable future steering group is multi-sectoral, and its goal is to guide sustainability work in Oulu and direct us towards sustainable lifestyles and responsible communities.
Development teachers support sustainable future education pedagogically and systematically and organize further training. Development teachers promote the understanding of ecological sustainability and its implementation in structures, teaching, and working cultures. There are development teachers working on different themes as well. Read more about development teachers here.
Sustainable future representative (KEKE representative) is a specialist, inspirer, and guide in environmental matters. A representative is selected in each daycare centre and school in Oulu.
Reppu and Rinkka working groups operate as supporters, specialists, developers, and dialogue administrators regarding sustainable future education in daycare centres and schools. Development teachers are responsible for the activities. Reppu specialist groups are meant for early childhood education and Rinkka groups for schools.
Alakööki is a development unit for sustainable future and cultural education. Its activities combine sustainable future education, environmental education, art education, and cultural tradition education. Alakööki operates as a pedagogical specialist, developer, and trainer. Read more about Alakööki here.
Heikinharju Nature Shelter is a nature education and STEAM development unit. The operations combine nature education and STEAM by bringing together science, art, and technology. Read more about the Nature Shelter.
Timosenkoski Nature School supports the environmental education of teachers by offering curriculum-based activities for different grade levels. Read more about the Nature School here.
Eco-support person learns, instructs, encourages, and promotes environmental matters and the personnel’s environmental responsibility in their unit. Read more about eco-support operations in Oulu.
Sustainable future work is reinforced in cooperation with different operators, education platforms, projects, and programmes. Read more about our cooperation partners and networks below.
Other city operators
STEAM in Oulu
STEAM in Oulu is an innovative community in Oulu. Its vision is working together and experimental and communal learning. It is based on the city of Oulu’s Education Programme. Sustainability and responsibility are the cornerstones of STEAM.
Environment Office of the Oulu Region
The goal of the Environment Office is to secure a comfortable and healthy living environment for the residents of the Oulu region, as well as to preserve the nature’s capacity and biodiversity.
Environment Office of the Oulu Region
Entrepreneurship education
Entrepreneurship education is part of the curricula of all grade levels. It can include entrepreneurship, reinforcing business skills, and economic education. The teaching focuses on society and business skills, entrepreneurial attitudes, initiative, group work skills, responsibility, innovativeness, creativity, and self-knowledge.
Global Citizen’s Path
Oulu’s Global Citizen Path is a supporting material for the city of Oulu’s early childhood and school curricula for language and culturally aware education. It contains goals and measure suggestions to support global citizen education.
Global education webpage (in Finnish)
Youth Services
Youth Services serve as everyday sustainability partners for Oulu’s children and youth. They also support participation goals.
Property and Facilities Management Services of Oulu
The Property and Facilities Management Services of Oulu constructs and maintains the city’s service properties and organizes catering, property management, and sanitation services. The Services participate in the Educational and Cultural Services’ sustainable future steering group.
Property and Facilities Management Services of Oulu
Libraries
Libraries promote sustainability in Oulu. They have their own Sustainable Library Roadmap 2030.
Other learning environments and cooperation partners
Learning environments
Other cooperation partners
Northern Ostrobothnia Environment Operators Network (in Finnish/Swedish).
In the years 2023–2024, this network was maintained by the Learning Stream for Sustainable Future team with the theme in the Shared Learning Stream.
Explore these sustainable future education operators as well: Foundation for Environmental Education FEE Finland and WFF Finland (in Finnish).
Strategies and Programmes
The following strategies and programmes include goals and measures for sustainable future regarding the entire city of Oulu.
Oulu City Strategy
The City Strategy consists of visions and values, strategic focus areas, goals, measures, indicators, and target levels. The City Strategy includes outlines for climate goals, for example.
Read the Oulu City Strategy here.
Environmental Programme
The starting point of the Environmental Programme are the City Strategy’s focus areas and their policies, city contracts and commitments to promote environmental matters. The basis of the commitments are national and international agreements.
Read the Environmental Programme here (in Finnish).
Circular Economy Roadmap
A Circular Economy Roadmap has been compiled for the city of Oulu as part of the Environmental Programme’s implementation. It promotes the realization of circular economy in Oulu. Everyone is needed in circural economy work: businesses, education institutions, research organizations, other stakeholders, and citizens.
Read the Circular Economy Roadmap here (in Finnish).
City of Oulu’s Educational Programme
The Educational Programme defines the guidelines for the city of Oulu’s Educational and Cultural Services. The Programme’s four primary themes are: wellbeing and participation, digitality, internationality, and sustainable future. We are building sustainable lifestyles and responsible communities together.
Read the Educational Programme here.
Wellbeing Plan 2026–2029
The Wellbeing Plan is one of the City Strategy’s implementation programmes.
The document has been prepared by a working group appointed by the Mayor with representatives from all branches of administration. The Learning Stream for Sustainable Future is mentioned in the Plan multiple times. Sustainable lifestyles and wellbeing are tightly connected.
Read the Wellbeing Plan here (in Finnish).