Futures Guidance – briefly in English

Futures Guidance combines futures research methods with guidance-oriented thinking. The concept and tools of Futures Guidance are the result of the Finland Futures Research Centre’s various projects that have focused on the subject since 2009.

In Futures Guidance, the future is seen as an open phenomenon that can contain many different possibilities. Humans naturally like to think about and focus on the future, but future-oriented thinking can also be learned and taught. Futures Guidance provides people with the tools for thinking and acting in ways that enable them to focus on their future expectations while also preparing for different chains of events. Futures Guidance also helps people imagine their future selves and roles within their communities and environments. Instead of envisioning a singular future that is set on a linear path, the goal of Futures Guidance is to assess the future as a more comprehensive set of entities and nonlinear continuum.

The methods and tools of Futures Guidance are suited for e.g.:

• Providing student guidance in various educational institutions
• Providing support for coaching and guidance workshops
• Providing workforce education for people who are switching fields or searching for their own field
• Youth work
• Working with immigrants and other special groups
• All those who are interested in thinking about the future!

We have translated our Futures Guidance workbook in English and five other languages. Also our Get a Life simulation, which allows users to explore and imagine their future working life and educational paths, is translated in English.

Articles about Futures Guidance in English:

• 10 Statements on choice
• Futureness – The futurenes in me
• The hopes and goals of upper secondary school students in educational choices
• Making an educational choice – The clarity and finality of a choice and factors influencing it from the point of view of an upper secondary school graduate
• Making one’s way – The challenges of educational choice for upper secondary school leavers

Future Camp event

Future Camp is a participatory and action based learning concept for exploring future possibilities and contemplating one’s personal ideas about the future.

The objective is to inspire students to think long term futures and support reflections on their personal decision making. The exploration takes 60–90 minutes in an indoor camp site. 

Future camp can be tailored for different target groups and objectives.

Read more…

For more information, please contact: tulevaisuusohjaus(AT)utu.fi

Brochure (pdf)

Related events and organisations

Futures Day

• Annual, national event in Finland
• Materials for schools, institutions and companies on how to train futures thinking
• Arranged by Finland Futures Research Centre
• More info

UNESCO Chair in Learning Society and Futures of Education

• University of Turku, granted for professor Markku Wilenius (2016-2020)
• The aim is making use of tools of futures research to eradicate global poverty and improve human well-being in developing countries
• Development of Futures literacy concept and tool
• More info

Teach the Future

• A nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing foresight and futures thinking to schools and students around the world.
• Free online teaching materials library and The Futures Thinking Playbook for educators.
• More info

Futures School

• Initiates kids of various ages with futures thinking and foresight by taking them on a fun and fascinating journey to alternative futures.
• More info

Futures Guidance workbook in English:

Workbook (pdf) Futures exercises (pdf)

Futures Guidance workbook in Swedish:

Framtiden – full av möjligheter! En arbetsbok för framtidsvägledning (pdf)

Futures Guidance workbook in Russian:

Workbook (pdf) Futures exercises (pdf)

Futures Guidance workbook in Somali:

Workbook (pdf) Futures exercises (pdf)

Futures Guidance workbook in Farsi:

Workbook (pdf) Futures exercises (pdf)