Meet Riina Riihimäki
Riina Riihimäki started working as a project manager for the VINCE project at Turku University of Applied Sciences in the spring. She has a wide range of experience in the social sector. In addition, she teaches in the social and educational field.
Riina Riihimäki wants to build bridges between different fields
It is inspiring to listen to students and follow the development of their thinking, says Riina Riihimäki. In the spring, she started as a teacher of social services education at Turku University of Applied Sciences. In addition, she utilises her diverse knowledge of the social field as a project manager for the VINCE project.
Riihimäki became interested in teaching already during upper secondary school. However, her career has included many tasks and trainings before starting to teach. When Turku UAS was looking for teachers for social services education at the beginning of the year, she decided to apply after some thought.
– In therapy, I had planned and implemented trainings. I realised that I might also have something to offer to students heading into the field. However, I needed more pedagogical competence, which is why I also started pedagogical studies in the spring.
Riihimäki already has a long educational background. She graduated as a nurse from Turku UAS in 2007 and as a psychotherapist in 2012. After various methodological training related to the field of psychotherapy, she completed her Master’s studies in social sciences majoring in sociology at the University of Tampere in 2020.
Students inspire the teacher
Riihimäki works as a full-time lecturer in the social services education field with adult students. With a few months of experience, she says that the choice to apply for the position was the right one, and she has enjoyed teaching.
– I am excited to see students, hear their thoughts, and watch their thinking develop. It’s amazing, Riihimäki enthuses.
– When I started, I noticed that teaching and learning environments have changed a lot lately, even surprisingly much. It seemed confusing at first, but I hope to get help with digital methods from pedagogical studies.
Riihimäki refers here to how digitalisation has increased rapidly in teaching in the use of teaching methods and materials.
On the other hand, she has been relieved in teaching by the fact that she is able to utilise her own work experience in teaching. It is easier for students to understand what is being taught when you can give concrete examples.
Substance expertise is shared in new networks
Since 2006, Riihimäki has worked in the mental health and substance abuse unit for long-term rehabilitees. At the beginning of her therapy studies, she moved to the youth centre of Turku A-Clinic and worked there with young people suffering from substance abuse problems and their parents.
The next job was found at the psychiatric examination and interval treatment unit for children at Tyks, followed by Raisio’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Unit. She also held part-time therapy appointments for substance addicts and their loved ones in Raisio and Turku since 2012. She also led some trainings for social work professionals.
Before joining the University of Applied Sciences, she worked as an education officer at the Science School.
– I was involved in a project to export science and technology education for children to Latin America. In the project, local teachers were taught Finnish STEM pedagogy in distance learning.
– If I hadn’t had my most recent work experience, I would have been much more insecure when I started working on a VINCE project.
By this, she refers to her role as a project manager in the Virtual integration home – promoting inclusion and empowerment digitally – VINCE project. It develops and promotes public integration services for immigrants so that digital services are implemented in a virtual environment alongside existing services.
– I have worked in networks with various fields in Turku, in schools, child welfare and social services. I have always liked multiprofessional networking.
– Utilising competence and expertise in any work gives immense benefits to both one’s own work and the common task. This is very important in my current position as well, Riihimäki enthuses.
Riihimäki is already looking forward to students joining the project. Since the method used in the project is service design, all participants have an opportunity to increase their expertise through service design training.
The virtual environment will be implemented at Turku UAS. From Turku also Sateenkaari Koto ry and International House Turku are involved in the project and are taking the services into use.
– I hope that we can build a good, open and encouraging atmosphere in the team. This way we can share experiences and ideas and thus develop the project further.
As a counterbalance to cold water
Riihimäki strives to leave work matters to working hours. In this, she gets help from her family, especially her four-year-old daughter, who grounds her in the moment. She also likes to spend a lot of time outdoors, especially in the archipelago. But one is above the rest:
– Not everyone is waiting for winter to come, but I do. I’m looking forward to taking a dip in the ice water once or twice a week!
Text: Saija Vanhanen
Photo: Aleksi Rajamäki
