I am Emma Karjalainen, and in this blog, I would like to share my experience as a university trainee in the CAP-SHARE project in which I worked for three months at the beginning of 2025. I study in the Master’s Degree Programme in Sustainability Education at the University of Lapland. The focus of my studies is on critical reflection on biodiversity loss and climate change, for example from the perspectives of systems and futures thinking. In addition, my studies address the significance of ethical means in the sustainability transition.

Photo: Emma Karjalainen

​My internship supervisors were professor Pigga Keskitalo and postdoctoral researcher Rauni Äärelä-Vihriälä. In addition, project expert Teppo Kuusela from the LUMA Centre Finland, and junior researcher Heikki Tiilikka work in the University of Lapland’s CAP-SHARE team. My internship provided me with the opportunity to familiarize myself with a range of diverse tasks, including assistant duties, communication, workshop design and documentation, and travel arrangements. I was also delighted about the opportunity to participate in the Arctic Frontiers conference in Tromsø, where I represented the CAP-SHARE project at a poster session.

Photos: Jessica Aquino

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The internship helped me to develop my ability to work independently, which required time management, organisation and planning skills in particular. Working in an international project team required good communication and cooperation skills both at remote and in-person meetings. Moreover, cultural sensitivity played a key role in the CAP-SHARE project. When designing workshops, I was able to utilize my understanding of learning processes, theories and models I have acquired during my studies in sustainability education. The background knowledge gained through my studies also supported me in planning and instructing workshops.

Photos: Emma Karjalainen & Heta Makkonen

Overall, my university internship in the CAP-SHARE project offered me the opportunity to gain diverse experience of working in an academic project in an international context. The internship enhanced my competence in sustainability education and strengthened my work-life skills in versatile ways. After completing my internship, I got the opportunity to work as professor Pigga Keskitalo’s research assistant for the rest of the spring, funded by compensation funding received by the Faculty of Education through Keskitalo’s membership in the Strategic Research Council (SRC). Towards the end of the summer, I will continue to work at the LUMA Centre of the University of Lapland, where I will take up the role of a coordinator. My internship in the CAP-SHARE project is an excellent example of developing and enhancing participation of young people and supporting them with their professional development and future careers.


Best regards,
Emma Karjalainen
[email protected]

The CAP-SHARE team will be meeting in Rovaniemi and Sodankylä, Finland, from the 5th to the 9th of May. This week of conference, events and workshops is hosted by the Finnish CAP-SHARE team led by Professor Pigga Keskitalo, the CAP-SHARE project leader at the University of Lapland, Faculty of Education, and PhD Rauni Äärelä-Vihriälä, the CAP-SHARE project manager at the University of Lapland, Faculty of Education.

The first part of the week will be in Rovaniemi for the Arctic Spirit conference, starting with a CAP-SHARE session around the theme of “Building Future Security Together: Transdisciplinary and Intergenerational Capacity Sharing for Community Development in the Arctic”. This session will be a place to open dialogue and engage youth, policymakers, and researchers to explore how transdisciplinary and intergenerational collaboration can address critical challenges in Arctic communities. With a special focus on youth voices, the session provides a platform for intergenerational dialogue and actionable solutions to secure the future of Arctic regions.
The session will consist of two keynote presentations followed by a youth-led panel discussion.

Keynotes:

• Niila-Juhán Valkeapää, The Sámi Youth Council, Sámi Parliament, Finland: Perspectives of Sámi youth on cultural survival, identity continuity, and future building in a changing Arctic reality
• Pauli Taulavuori and Aaron Yliniemi, Muonio high school/general upper secondary school: The Boys of Frost from Lapland

Panellists:

• Aaron Yliniemi, Muonio high school/general upper secondary school, Finland
• Freyja Friðriksdóttir, Youth representative, Húnaklúbburrinn youth organization, Iceland
• Jenny Turton, Arctic Frontiers, Norway
• Lauri Kultima, Sodankylä High school/ general upper secondary school, Finland
• Niila-Juhán Valkeapää, The Sámi Youth Council, Sámi Parliament, Finland
• Pauli Taulavuori, Muonio high school/general upper secondary school, Finland
• Rauni Äärelä-Vihriälä, University of Lapland, Finland
• Viljajohanna Salonen, Sodankylä High school/ general upper secondary school, Finland

For more information about the Arctic Spirit session, contact the session conveners:
Rauni Äärelä-Vihriälä, [email protected]
Cécile Chauvat, [email protected]

After the conference, the team will travel north to Sodankylä municipality, one of CAP-SHARE’s associated partners. There, a workshop will be held in collaboration with Tähtikunnan School, where the team will organize activities with the students around the themes of arctic biodiversity and mapping for local climate scenarios. This is the first step in the project’s second phase: now that the online international workshops are concluded, CAP-SHARE is moving to face-to-face pilot activities in a more local setting, bringing all the work done so far to life. Finally, on the last day, CAP-SHARE will visit Tähtelä Observatorium in Sodankylä. The visit will tie to the theme of the importance of mapping for biodiversity and capacity sharing. Learn more about the Tähtelä Observatorium here.