Icehearts Europe is spreading its wings, with a growing network of so-called “next adopters”—organisations willing to introduce the successful Finnish model in their own countries.

Thanks to the Icehearts Europe project, launched in 2023, the model is already being implemented in five pilot countries: Denmark, Estonia, Italy, Slovenia, and Spain. Over the past two years, various tools and analyses have been developed to support the implementation process, including the Implementation Guide and Online Training Courses for mentors and managers. It is now time to expand the project's reach and discuss its further development. From January 13–15, the next adopters representing 14 organisations from 12 European countries met in Helsinki for a study visit hosted by Icehearts Finland, marking a significant step towards the future. The event was as heartwarming as it was informative, but most importantly - offered the opportunity to see Icehearts in action.

 

Origins and Future Growth

A great introduction to the visit was hearing from Mikko Salauso, Senior Advisor at Icehearts, who shared the history of the programme’s origins and its growth. Today, Icehearts runs almost 70 teams in 13 cities in Finland. “Many things have changed at Icehearts over the years, but the very strong child-oriented work ethos has remained the same,” Mikko explained. “We exist so that no child has to be alone.” This principle is at the heart of Icehearts, where mentors commit to guiding a child for 12 years, offering support that goes far beyond sports and leisure time into every aspect of children’s lives. 

Kaija Appelqvist-Schmidlechner from the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) provided an insightful overview of the research surrounding Icehearts and its positive outcomes. The research highlighted the benefits for children and youth, such as stronger self-esteem, prevention of school dropouts, increased physical competence, prosocial behaviour, and better mental wellbeing. Icehearts has also proven to bring positive outcomes for parents and teachers, who all benefit from mentors’ support. “When speaking with school representatives, they couldn’t name one downside to the project, so other researchers could have thought we were being biased,” Kaija explained. The research also explored the cost-effectiveness of the programme, estimating savings of 3 million euros over 12 years.

Dr Fiona Chamber from University College Cork, one of the expert organisations in the Icehearts Europe consortium, offered a comprehensive overview of the project. She acknowledged the challenges that pilot organisations face when adapting Icehearts in new countries but reassured participants that, although the journey may seem challenging at first, there are tools to guide them through each step of the process. Dr Chamber expressed how important it is to start with a good analysis of the local context, building partnerships, and considering the sustainability of the project from the very beginning, as “One can’t go into a project for vulnerable children and then just drop it.”

The importance of conducting an initial analysis was emphasised by Marjatta Kekkonen from THL. Situation Analysis and Needs Assessment (SANA), developed in the framework of Icehearts Europe, is there to help understand the local environment—its challenges and opportunities, its needs, risks, and resources available to adapt the Icehearts model to the new context.

 

At the Heart of Icehearts

Day two began with a presentation by Johanna Laisaari, Deputy Mayor of Education in Helsinki, who shared insights into the city's approach to supporting children and the vital role of partnerships with initiatives like Icehearts. “Helsinki wouldn’t be Helsinki without its partners,” she remarked, emphasising the role of collaborative efforts. 

Further presentations brought the participants into the heart of the Icehearts programme—its mentors and the children they work with. Nelli Niemelä and Miika Niemelä, two of Icehearts’ dedicated mentors, shared moving stories of their work with "their boys" and "their girls," as they call them. They explained the importance of building trust and taking time to develop trustworthy, lasting relationships, but also the difficulties they face in their work. “Mentors are also just people,” Nelli said, “so remember—you don’t have to succeed every time.”

The highlight of the day was the opportunity to visit two schools in Helsinki and see mentors at work, meet children and teachers, and hear what Icehearts means to them. It was great to see relationships built on trust and support and how schools work together with mentors to create a supportive environment for their pupils.

 

Putting Knowledge into Practice

On the final day, partners from SPIN—Estonia, one of the pilot countries, shared their experience of implementing Icehearts in their local context. They discussed both the challenges and the opportunities they had encountered and generously offered their support to those who may only just be starting with the process. 

To close the event, a hands-on workshop led by the team of the University College Cork invited participants to put theory into practice. Using the LSP (Lego Serious Play) method, next-adopters representatives worked together to design their own Icehearts models. This exercise allowed the group to think creatively and strategically about how to adapt the programme to the needs of their communities.

As the Icehearts Europe project moves forward, the journey is far from over. The study visit in Helsinki was just one part of the ongoing effort to adapt and implement this proven model across Europe. Adapting initiatives like Icehearts to new contexts requires careful planning and a clear understanding of local needs, but above all, a commitment to ensuring that no child ever has to be alone.

Learn more about Icehearts Europe at https://www.icehearts.eu/

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.