Vinssi – Peer and Community-Based Methods for Supporting Substance-Free Lifestyles Among Lower Secondary School Students
Duration of the project
Source of funding
The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL)
Total funding
277 777 €
Vinssi – A boost toward a substance-free life!
| The Vinssi project aims to create, implement, and evaluate innovative, low-threshold participatory models to guide lower secondary school students in adopting healthy lifestyles and preventing or quitting the use of substances, particularly nicotine products, in the Akseli municipalities: Masku, Mynämäki, and Nousiainen. The project focuses on developing health promotion activities and services for youth in school environments while strengthening health education. It also provides parents with information about substance and nicotine use among young people and its effects, along with tools to initiate discussions. Vinssi employs community-based learning, development, and peer development methods to enhance health promotion in schools. Collaborative efforts engage students, teachers, and healthcare professionals in designing, implementing, and evaluating activities, fostering commitment and a sense of inclusion. Youth participate in peer activities such as youth council work, planning themed days, and health kiosk initiatives, which strengthen social cohesion. The health kiosk initiative, one of the key interventions, focuses on young people’s lifestyles, particularly on nicotine and substance use, offering accessible, low-threshold services to the target groups. As an outcome, the project will establish a health promotion model for preventing and reducing substance and nicotine use, integrating it as a permanent part of the daily operations in Akseli municipalities’ schools. |
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Partners
- Nousiainen
- Mynämäki
- Masku
- Cancer Society of Southwest Finland
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Research teams
Development of Child and Family Services and Management
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