Co-creating sustainability in YMCA Turku
Viljanen, Katriina (2024)
2024
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-202404227178
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-202404227178
Tiivistelmä
ABSTRACT
Katriina Viljanen
CO-CREATING SUSTAINABILITY IN YMCA TURKU
53 Pages and 6 appendices
Published April, 2024
Diaconia University of Applied Sciences
Master of Social Services
Social sciences
Global change and community development
This thesis report describes a development project that happened during 2022-2024 in YMCA Turku. The aim of this project was to increase the knowledge around global citizenship education and the sustainable development goals as well as fomenting a change towards a more sustainable strategy in different operations within the organization. The process was launched during a transition period to a more active focus on global citizenship education in YMCA Turku and a global shift towards the SDGs in global YMCA operations through the 2030 YMCA vision.
The development project places staff at the center of developmental initiatives as agents of change in their organization through co-creation. A series of co-creative workshops and interventions were organized and are described step by step in this thesis report. A map of the development project is provided. The thesis report was written to allow the reader to understand the steps and possibly be used to replicate the process, understanding its strengths and weaknesses.
The outcomes describe how the strategy shifted towards a focus on global sustainability questions. Another significant outcome was the heightened recognition among the staff regarding the positive impact of their work on the SDGs. The development project outputs were written through the co-created materials in a blog series and published in YMCA Turku media outlets. Other media strategies were adopted to enhance responsibility reporting in YMCA Turku.
Additionally, the thesis process identified areas for further development, incorporating these insights as recommendations in the report. Challenges were also acknowledged and detailed within the thesis document.
The thesis on development sheds light on the intricate processes involved in organizational change, providing critical real-life examples that aid in facilitating similar initiatives in comparable settings. The thesis presents a literal interpretation of the master’s program in Global Change and Community Development, embodying the essence of developing a community within the context of global change.
Keywords: Co-creation, participatory action research, sustainable development goals, global citizenship education, NGO’s, development project, strategy, organizational change
Katriina Viljanen
CO-CREATING SUSTAINABILITY IN YMCA TURKU
53 Pages and 6 appendices
Published April, 2024
Diaconia University of Applied Sciences
Master of Social Services
Social sciences
Global change and community development
This thesis report describes a development project that happened during 2022-2024 in YMCA Turku. The aim of this project was to increase the knowledge around global citizenship education and the sustainable development goals as well as fomenting a change towards a more sustainable strategy in different operations within the organization. The process was launched during a transition period to a more active focus on global citizenship education in YMCA Turku and a global shift towards the SDGs in global YMCA operations through the 2030 YMCA vision.
The development project places staff at the center of developmental initiatives as agents of change in their organization through co-creation. A series of co-creative workshops and interventions were organized and are described step by step in this thesis report. A map of the development project is provided. The thesis report was written to allow the reader to understand the steps and possibly be used to replicate the process, understanding its strengths and weaknesses.
The outcomes describe how the strategy shifted towards a focus on global sustainability questions. Another significant outcome was the heightened recognition among the staff regarding the positive impact of their work on the SDGs. The development project outputs were written through the co-created materials in a blog series and published in YMCA Turku media outlets. Other media strategies were adopted to enhance responsibility reporting in YMCA Turku.
Additionally, the thesis process identified areas for further development, incorporating these insights as recommendations in the report. Challenges were also acknowledged and detailed within the thesis document.
The thesis on development sheds light on the intricate processes involved in organizational change, providing critical real-life examples that aid in facilitating similar initiatives in comparable settings. The thesis presents a literal interpretation of the master’s program in Global Change and Community Development, embodying the essence of developing a community within the context of global change.
Keywords: Co-creation, participatory action research, sustainable development goals, global citizenship education, NGO’s, development project, strategy, organizational change