Futures Literacy in international youth work

IJAB: I understand that you also approach the subject of futures thinking from the perspective of mental health and well-being.

Antti Rantaniva: It is part of it, definitely. In Finnish, we have a concept called “tulevaisuususko”, which translates as “faith in the future”. It asks: Do you believe that there are future scenarios that can lead to positive outcomes for yourself or for the environment? It’s very telling that it is not taken for granted that young people can even imagine there could be positive developments.

As we see it, futures thinking is a set of skills, an awareness that there are different possibilities. We are all very aware of the threats and negative scenarios we hear about in the media and news every day – and yes, they are real threats. There are definitely a lot of reasons to be concerned. These are clearly problems not just for young people, but for all of us. It is very evident that we need change. We need action. And at the same time, there is also a positive side. We don't tell young people they shouldn’t have concerns or they shouldn’t talk about negative events. But it is important to recognise that this is not the whole truth. There are also positive events. There are positive things that people are trying to do every day. In the end, much of it comes down to choice. This can be very empowering. When you find something you are passionate about, you see a future that feels meaningful to you and people in general, and you find a way to take action, that helps you move towards this future.  

IJAB: What needs to be taken into consideration when working with young people on futures thinking?

Antti Rantaniva: One of the educators observed that whenever the future comes up, young people very quickly start talking about the end of the world. Her question was: “How can I avoid talking about the end of the world?” My response is: you shouldn’t. Let the conversation unfold. Let them address the concerns they have. The role of the youth worker is to add another point of view, to present different options.

Let’s take the climate change, for example. There are a lot of things that are very challenging. But there are also great examples of initiatives that are happening, very concrete actions, to fight the environmental crisis. Bringing these into the conversation allows us to ask the question: What could we do? In a very practical sense. We may not solve the climate crisis on our own, but we can contribute to the solution.

Young people love to talk about the future. They may not be used to people being interested in their views about how the future should look or which values are important in shaping it. But young people love to talk about it. We have so many examples of quiet young people – those who are socially disadvantaged or unemployed, or going through tough times. People who work with them warn us they are reluctant to talk. But they always get very enthusiastic when the topic is “future”. They always have things to say. They’ve always heard of some podcast or documentary or YouTube video. And they have opinions. This is a very good starting point for conversations. 

Sometimes, I experience that young people  are afraid to talk because they feel they need to know a lot to have a conversation about the future. Youth workers need to move beyond the role of the wise adult who has all the answers, and instead embark on the journey alongside young people. It’s refreshing for everyone when you say “I don’t know”. 

IJAB: Which competencies do youth workers need in order to be able to work with young people on futures thinking?

Antti Rantaniva: The future concerns everybody, so everybody can engage with it. The competencies you already have are good enough. That said, our manual provides background information on future research – the basic knowledge we are talking about. It helps youth workers understand the concept of imagining different kinds of futures and identifying the big phenomena that could impact the future. It’s good to be familiar with the concepts of futures thinking and methods for envisioning different future scenarios, because our brain needs a warm-up to avoid defaulting to what we already know.

Actually, this part is funny, because it’s easier for young people than it is for youth workers and experts to let go of the idea that what exists now and what we know defines the future. Of course, this isn’t true at all. For example, we know what the budget is for the next four years and we have ready-made answers on how we are going to use this budget. As organisations we tend to keep doing things as we always have. That can sometimes stop us from really opening ourselves to very different possibilities. 

In the methodology of the Futures Coach Manual, we use exercises for both youth workers and young people that  stimulate the imagination about different scenarios, even wild ones like: “Would you consider it a good future if most people were in a relationship with robots and AI instead of with other human beings?” Exercises like these spark the imagination and help people realise that the future can be shaped very differently, and that something like the annual budget doesn’t necessarily determine what will happen.

IJAB: You tested the methodology of futures thinking with young people on a local level. What were the outcomes?

Antti Rantaniva: Our development work took place within a regional project funded by the European Social Funds. The target group was NEETs, young people who are not in education or employment. Usually, the approach with NEETs is to talk about their personal life situation and their expectations for the future. But we had a different approach. We talked about their views on what they consider a good future in a very general sense. And the big takeaway for me was that this made the conversations much more equal, because there was no right or wrong. The core element in our coaching programme is finding faith in the future – finding meaning. It’s about finding something that feels achievable and represents something that relies upon our core values. This approach helps deal with feelings of being overwhelmed, lost or hopeless. 

IJAB: Let’s take it a step further: What could be the contribution of international youth work to futures thinking, and vice versa? 

Antti Rantaniva: I see the international aspect as the next step we need to take. These problems don’t just exist in Finland – they’re present in pretty much every country. And although youth work in Europe is different from country to country, there are common elements. This work needs to be done together internationally, because many of the concerns about the future are not confined to one nation.  It really would make sense to bring together young people from different countries to talk beyond borders in order to address issues like security in Europe. 

The Futures of Youth Work workshop at the European Youth Work Academy in Kranjska Gora showed how many perspectives can be brought to this conversation and how fruitful it can be when we combine the different perspectives. The whole Futures Coaches Manual has been translated into English. And the main reason for this is that we want to make it an international tool. We are also considering developing an international training programme and implementing sessions for Future Coaches in youth work. 

IJAB: You already mentioned the European Youth Work Academy in Slovenia. What are your takeaways from the workshop?

Anti Rantaniva: One takeaway is that awareness is definitely increasing: futures thinking is not just a big topic in Finland. It is a big topic. Full stop. At the same time, I get the sense that we aren’t as far along in the discussion as we should be. And I think that’s natural, and that doesn’t only concern youth work. I think we are a bit slow to react to the fact that the future is coming and pushing in, and that big changes are needed at societal, European and national levels. But, you know, people tend to change slowly, and only when they absolutely have to. 

I don’t have ready answers for what those changes should be. But I do recognise that within youth work there is a strong need for structural change and for developing competencies that can respond to the signals and concerns of young people today, and the societies in which young people live. Perhaps the most valuable and important thing, after all, is that we are talking about change and recognising that it is happening, even if it is not yet clear how we should react to it. 

IJAB: What impact will the UN Declaration for Future Generations have on futures thinking in youth work? 

Antti Rantaniva: It is historically significant that future generations are being addressed in this way by virtually all nations. One criticism is that the agreement doesn’t obligate anyone. It is nevertheless meaningful that these discussions are happening at all and are recognised by all nations as worthy of attention.

There are many youth initiatives and much youth activism aimed at making an impact. Younger generations representing change are looking for platforms to make their voices heard and opportunities to participate, so they can make a difference. This is where youth work should step in – we could be more ambitious in the way we help young people change the world and represent their argument. The European Union provides platforms and participation opportunities, engaging young European citizens in decision-making processes. And it’s not just talk – there is action. Ultimately, it is young people who are creating the pathways to these futures that we are trying to envision for generations to come.

IJAB: Thank you for the interview! 

Further information and methods from the Futures Coaches Manual are available in English: Future Coaching. 

Antti Rantaniva has been working at Juvenia – the Youth Research and Development Centre in Finland – since 2019. He has been active in the development of youth work for many years, taking on a wide range of advisory roles in the field of municipal youth work, as well as testing larger development projects in various regions of Finland and at the international level. In addition to futures-oriented thinking, he is inspired by exchanges with different people and by creative learning environments.

Website: www.xamk.fi/en/rdi/juvenia/

Contact: antti.rantaniva(at)xamk.fi

We will talk about futures thinking in international youth work on 11 December 2025 at the DIY² Lab, in cooperation with the European Academy on Youth Work.