Article categories: News
Three countries, three youth councils: united for youth exchange
Published: 18.2.2026
The Vaasa Youth Council has been collaborating with the youth councils of Kherson and Kiel for over a year. The collaboration between the youth councils of the sister cities will culminate in a youth exchange in Vaasa this April.
For about a year now, young people from Vaasa, Kherson and Kiel have been holding joint Teams meetings, and their collaboration has steadily deepened. Both Kherson in Ukraine and Kiel in Germany are Vaasa’s sister cities.
The idea for the collaboration originated in summer 2024, when representatives from the City of Vaasa visited Kiel.
– During the visit, we realised that Vaasa, Kiel, and Kherson all have active youth councils, and that there were opportunities to develop collaboration between the young people, says Ari Kupari, Youth Affairs Coordinator.
Discussions on youth participation
Over the year, the Teams meetings between the three youth councils have covered a wide range of topics.
– For example, the participants have compared the influence each youth council has in their city and how youth participation and engagement work in each country. They have also discussed everyday topics, such as school and hobbies, says Kupari.
Vaasa will welcome around 60 exchange participants in April
In April, Vaasa will host an Erasmus+ youth exchange, bringing together the youth councils of Vaasa, Kherson, and Kiel for a week. Around 60 participants will arrive in Vaasa from 24 to 30 April.
– The young participants will plan the week’s programme themselves. The themes chosen for the week are participation, democracy and diversity, says Kupari.
The exchange will take place at the Alskathemmet camp centre, with visits to various locations around Vaasa. The week’s programme will include workshops, time in nature and other activities.
– Each of the three youth councils will be responsible for a workshop linked to one of the main themes. In addition, each youth council will host their own evening programme, showcasing elements of their culture. The Ukrainians have promised to cook for everyone, and the programme organised by the hosts from Vaasa will include a sauna visit, says Kupari.
The youth exchange is made possible with support from the Erasmus+ programme. Erasmus+ is the European Union’s programme for education, training, youth, and sport for 2021–2027.
