Project information:
Official name of the project: VamKIT2 - Koko opiskelu-uran aikainen opintojen ja elämänhallintataitojen tukeminen ja kehittäminen (VamKIT2 - Supporting and developing studies and life management skills during the entire study career)
Duration of the project: 1.1.2022 - 31.12.2023
Project coordinator: VAMK
Funding: Ministry of Education and Culture
Budget: 399 000 €
Contact person in VAMK:
Teija Pitkäkangas, School social worker (Teaching and Learning Services)
tel. +358 207 663 635, teija.pitkakangas@vamk.fi
Project description
The project complements the previous VamKIT project, with the funding of which VAMK has acquired study psychologist services. The project will continue, expand, and increase operations for the years 2022-2023. In order to strengthen the well-being and guidance of the students and thus the progress of their studies in a more versatile way, the services of a special education teacher, tutoring activities, well-being activities for the student body, and a game that supports students’ graduation in a variety of ways have been planned alongside the services of a study psychologist.
Goals
The goal is to strengthen students’ well-being and study guidance with versatile activities and to offer multi-professional guidance: study psychologist services will be expanded to preventive work and special education teacher services will be expanded. Guidance of studies and smoothing the learning gap will also be continued with thesis workshops and math tutor activities. The goal is to build a positive and encouraging study path for students so that their studies progress until graduation. The piloted game helps to graduate on time by reducing stress and motivating to stay up-to-date both in terms of studying and socially, as well as lowering the threshold for using various support services that are offered at VAMK. The goal is also to increase students’ social well-being and inclusion through community activities. The project’s funds will be used to furnish a common living room for students, which will also serve as a group work space.
Results
The result is a versatile support package that offers multiprofessional guidance and support for psychological well-being, progress in studies and self-management, as well as events and activities to reduce loneliness and refocus on studies. The project produces an operating model to strengthen the cooperation of study guidance, study psychologist and special education teacher. New tutoring methods are used, and thesis workshops support those in the most difficult situations. The result of VAMOK’s actions to better students’ well-being are operating models, which are used to implement measures aimed at social well-being together with VAMOK’s cooperation network. The game helps students to graduate on time by combining two views: one keeps the keeps school assignments up to date and the other informs students of social events. The game combines the support functions and thus guides with a low threshold towards help and support by, for example, offering an option to book an appointment with a study psychologist. The results can be seen especially in the reduction of interruptions and the acceleration of completion.
