JOPO Days 23–24 April 2026
The JOPO Days 2026 will bring together professionals in basic education in Keuruu on 23–24 April 2026.
The national JOPO School Engagement Days will be held at Keurusselkä Resort in Keuruu on 23–24 April 2026. The theme of the JOPO School Engagement Days can be summed up as: “Let’s take lea ing to where it’s needed”.
Flexible basic education places an emphasis on practical working methods and lea ing in the workplace, in authentic work and lea ing environments, in so-called ‘real-world situations’.
Programme
During the JOPO Days, we will hear a wide range of presentations on the themes of flexible basic education (JOPO), as well as a varied programme including panel discussions, expert lectures and talks by practitioners. As usual, the event will be opened by the National Agency for Education, with JOPO pioneer and Head of Competence Juha Lahtinen from TAMK leading the proceedings.
The JOPO Days programme includes plenty of opportunities for group discussion, for example through group work. In particular, the discussions at this spring’s JOPO Days will focus on the theme of linking school attendance with work placements, with the aim of strengthening pupils’ readiness for further education through JOPO activities. The programme is also suitable for VESO training.
The programme includes the following presentations and topics, among others:
Senior Education Advisor Tiia Hintsa will open the spring 2026 JOPO School Engagement Days, themed ‘Visions of the Future and Faith in Education’.
Hintsa’s opening remarks are based on the ‘Comprehensive School of the Future 2045’ vision report and the way in which the implementation of comprehensive schooling and JOPO are presented therein.
At the National Agency for Education, Hintsa’s work focuses on the development of craft education, the implementation of curricula and the production of support materials for basic education, upper secondary education (the upper secondary school diploma in crafts) and basic education in the arts. In addition, Hintsa currently leads a working group on the development of pupil lea ing and assessment in basic education, as well as an assessment team, and is extensively involved in stakeholder collaboration. Hintsa says she is coming to the JOPO Days with joy and enthusiasm: Lea ing by doing, seeing and experiencing in lea ing environments outside school has been proven to strengthen pupils’ engagement with school and their well-being. Schooling for a good life.
Head of Competence Juha Lahtinen is already a familiar face to JOPO participants. In the feedback from last year’s JOPO Days, there were calls to hear from Juha again. His keynote speech will focus not only on JOPO’s core philosophy but also on future skills. Juha has been involved in developing flexible basic education right from the very beginning.
Specialist Officer Tommi Wihinen has served in the Finnish Defence Forces as a military chaplain and researcher for over 13 years. Tommi is an experienced speaker and, at the JOPO Days, he will offer the Defence Forces’ perspective on young adults’ engagement with society.
“My name is Tommi Wihinen and I would like to discuss with your profession my observations, based on 15 years’ experience as a specialist officer and researcher in the Army, Air Force and crisis management operations, regarding the skills and qualities that young adults appear to need, and how the Defence Forces seek to instil them. Do orders and coercion work? How can we get passive individuals to take responsibility? How can we increase resilience, and how can we get the quiet ones to shine?”
In Finland, ‘school refusal’ is the term used to describe a type of school absence where a child or young person would like to attend school but, despite support from home, is unable to do so, for example due to symptoms of anxiety or depression.
Petra Vesuri is a doctoral researcher specialising in special education who is investigating the impact of school refusal on parenting.
In her talk, she will share the parents’ perspective on school absenteeism. She will discuss how years of school refusal change parenthood, and how parenting practices adapt in these challenging family situations. Petra will be joining the event via Teams.
Read the profile of Petra: Petra Vesuri, PhD student at the University of Jyväskylä.
Timetable
Thursday 23 April 2026
9.00 am Registration
9.40 am Welcome from the organisers & Opening of the JOPO Days
10:00 am Visions for the future and faith in education, Tiia Hintsa, Senior Advisor for Education, National Agency for Education
10.30 am Where are we heading, JOPO?, JOPO teacher and developer Jouni Åkerman, Laukaa
11:00 am Discussion: Pop-up reflections on what has happened so far
11.15 am Break
11.25 am JOPO and emergency response: JOPO as a pioneer of cultural change within the local community, JOPO teacher and coordinator Arttu Rousi, Keuruu
11.45 am Youth Barometer – JOPO as a tool for strengthening young people’s future orientation, Wellbeing Coordinator Tino Kohonen, Keuruu
12:10 p.m. Lunch
13:10 School refusal among children and young people as reported by parents (via Teams), PhD candidate Petra Vesuri, University of Jyväskylä
13:45 Keynote: Future skills require imagination, Juha Lahtinen, Head of Skills, TAMK
14:25 Guidance on group work: ‘Bringing lea ing to where it’s needed’, Head of Competence Juha Lahtinen, TAMK
Background to group work: Lea ing and growth take place throughout a young person’s life – not just at school. Flexible basic education emphasises practical and out-of-classroom lea ing environments that support pupils’ holistic growth and development.
In JOPO activities, lea ing is often built on experiences gained in real-life situations, allowing practice and theory to come together naturally. At the heart of the lea ing process lies a strong focus on personalisation and empowering the lea er.
Welcome to a discussion on activity-based lea ing environments in flexible basic education, their development and new initiatives.
2.30 pm Coffee break (to be taken seamlessly between group work sessions)
4.00 pm Summary of group work, Head of Competence Juha Lahtinen, TAMK
4.30 pm Day 1 ends
5.00 pm Optional activity: A guided group walk through the Keurusselkä countryside. Duration: 45 minutes.
Friday 24 April 2026
9.00 am Opening remarks, Head of Competence Juha Lahtinen, TAMK
9.15 am Supportive teaching practices in Kouvola’s JOPO programme since 2006, JOPO Coordinator Tarja Rantala, Kouvola
9.45 am Practices for addressing school absenteeism in Jyväskylä’s comprehensive schools, Tia Thil, Project Coordinator for the ‘Yhteisessä koulussa’ initiative, City of Jyväskylä
10.20 am Flexible, but not lax – A Seinäjoki perspective on flexible basic education, Special needs teacher Tuomo Hippi & school attendance supervisor Rami Pajula, Seinäjoki
10.35 am Break
10.45 am Keynote: A perspective on young adults’ social integration, Specialist Officer Tommi Wihinen, Muurame
11.25 am Discussion: Pop-up thoughts
11.40 am JOPO and readiness for further studies?, JOPO teacher and developer Jouni Åkerman, Laukaa & JOPO teacher and coordinator Arttu Rousi, Keuruu
12:00 Lunch (check-out)
13:00 Panel discussion: JOPO and the transition to upper secondary education – Challenges and opportunities, JOPO teacher Jari Piipponen, Kotka
Panel participants: a secondary school teacher, a sixth-form student (a former JOPO student), and teachers from universities of applied sciences and JOPO.
Background: Currently, around 20% of young people in Finland do not hold a secondary school qualification by the age of 20. It is therefore important to ensure that they are well prepared for further education.
Raising the school-leaving age has so far reduced school drop-out rates among minors, but this has not had a positive impact on the number of young people completing upper secondary education.
13:45 Discussion: Thoughts on pop-ups
2.00 pm Coffee break
2.15 pm Field post:
How has the JOPO scheme got off the ground in Karstula?, Special needs teacher, Johanna Valkeinen, Karstula
A message from MP Anne Kalmari, Kivijärvi, for the JOPO Days
14:45 Taking lea ing to where it is needed, Juha Lahtinen, Head of Competence, TAMK
15:15 Closing discussion
3.30 pm Have a safe jou ey home!
*The programme is subject to change
The JOPO Days are aimed at all education professionals and entrepreneurs who are interested in active and entrepreneurial community-based lea ing.
Ticket sales
Ticket sales for the JOPO Days have opened. Tickets cost €92 per person. The price includes the two-day programme, buffet lunches and coffee breaks on both days. Registration is binding. We look forward to seeing you there!
Arriving by public transport
You can reach us by train (vr.fi) and by coach (matkahuolto.fi).
Local transport operator Matka Mäkelä Oy – timetables (JKL – Petäjävesi – Keuruu).
Shuttle services will be provided for the JOPO Days between Keuruu town centre and Keurusselkä Resort, and between Keurusselkä Resort and Keuruu town centre (operated by Matka Mäkelä, using the Jyväskylä route coach).
Keurusselkä Resort has plenty of free parking spaces.
Accommodation
You can already book your accommodation at Keurusselkä Resort: https://www.hotelkeurusselka.fi/
- Single Standard Room €115 per person per night
- Standard double room €145 per person per night
Book online at https://book.hotelkeurusselka.fi/ or by calling the hotel on 014 3611 000 vastaanotto@hotelkeurusselka.fi
No separate code is required.
Evening programme, 23 April 2026
On Thursday evenings, Keurusselkä Resort offers an evening programme with a focus on music. You can also unwind at the end of the day at Keurusselkä Spa or enjoy the rugged scenery of Keurusselkä Sports Park.
The restaurant at Keurusselkä Resort offers an à la carte menu and a dinner buffet.
- Smoked vendace from Lake Pielinen
- Beetroot-cured salmon, horseradish mousse and rainbow trout roe
- Hot-smoked salmon from Keurusselkä with spruce shoot and lemon crème fraîche
- Skagen prawns on Torppari archipelago bread with a dash of lime and fennel
- Mushroom salad with truffle oil
- Persimmons, blue cheese and walnuts on a bed of rocket salad, served with our house herb oil
- The gardener’s herb salad, apple, Kuusamo mountain cheese and the house vinaigrette
- Chicken Caesar salad and croutons
- Boiled potatoes
- Whole roast beef fillet with Calvados sauce
- Duchesse potatoes
- Honey-glazed beetroot and carrots
- Assorted breads and spreads
- Coffee, tea
- Baked goods
*Menu (subject to minor changes)
See more and get the latest updates on the Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1042773017778676
Further information:
This content has been translated using AI