The Finnish Association for Environmental Education is the only organisation in Finland that concentrates solely on furthering, developing and supporting environmental education. As an expert organisation, we represent other organisations in matters related to environmental education. Our aim is, that there would be an increasing number of educators in Finland with the will and skills to help children and youngsters to get the knowledge, skills and values that promote sustainable development. One of our central tasks is to raise the quality and affectivity of environmental education. This includes making use of the latest research results, supporting development work and the continuum of environmental education.

Our association, founded in 1990, is politically and religiously unconnected. Our members consist of individuals and organisations working with environmental education. The members of our Board represent the Finnish top expertise in the field. We always strive for working in an open, professional and ethical way.

Our work covers the ecological, cultural, social and economical aspects of sustainable development. In addition to children and youngsters, also adults need too to understand and solve the challenges posed by sustainable development on both the personal and collective level. Our association is aware of what is going on in the field of environmental education and we have the networks for spreading information to educators and decision-makers.

Our work is divided into

• Lobbying for improved conditions for environmental education
• Improving the quality of environmental education
• Supporting the work of the educators

Our most important products are

• The international Eco-Schools / Green Flag environmental education programme for kindergartens and schools as well as learning institutions and leisure operators

• The yearly national Environmental Education Days
• The magazine Environmental Education, that is the most important medium in this field in Finland

• Co-ordinating the work of researchers, organisations and other actors in the field of environmental education

We also annually hand out the Rose of Environmental Education to a person or action that has developed environmental education.

Organisation structure:

There are three permanent employees and variable number of temporary employees. Temporary employees are trainees, project employees and hourly paid specialists.

• Executive director, Kati Vähä-Jaakkola (kati.vaha-jaakkola(a)ymparistokasvatus.fi)
• Eco-Schools coordinator, Aino Alasentie (aino.alasentie(a)ymparistokasvatus.fi)
• Association secretary, Tarja Vähäkuopus (tarja.vahakuopus(a)ymparistokasvatus.fi)

Additional information:

Suomen Ympäristökasvatuksen Seura ry

Pohjoinen Hesperiankatu 15 A, 5th floor, 00260 Helsinki

tel. +358 9 4541 8150, e-mail: toimisto(a)ymparistokasvatus.fi