Tampereen seudun työväenopisto is owned by the City of Tampere, and it has continued providing community college education since 1899. The aim of the college is to provide diverse and local educational services, promoting lifelong learning and self-development for the residents of the cities of Tampere and Ylöjärvi. However, the college is open to everyone interested, regardless of age and place of residence.

Our program consists of approximately 1100 courses per term. Courses on offer include subjects such as, philosophy, history, more than 20 different languages, literature, writing, cultural studies, visual arts, handicrafts from sewing to metal crafts, sports, music, psychology, environmental themes, cooking, dance, theatre, information technology and communication studies.

Most courses are aimed at long-term learning, running throughout the entire academic year or several years. In addition, the college offers single-term courses, a variety of intensive and short courses, as well as some free lectures. The college also offers basic art education. We offer basic education in poetry and theatre arts for children based on a general curriculum, and children’s visual arts education based on a broader curriculum. For adults, we offer a broad curriculum of basic education in handicrafts and visual arts. Viita-Akatemia offers a three-year adult education program in creative writing. As part of The City of Tampere’s Taite and Taidekaari activities, The Sara Hildén -akatemia school of fine arts organizes visual arts workshops for school and kindergarten groups. The college also has a learning centre, Opinverstas offering help with learning difficulties. At the end of each academic year, some of the college’s student groups will organize performances, concerts and exhibitions.