Finnish Fulbright

In 2017 I was granted a Fulbright grant to travel to Finland to study their renowned educational system.

While in Finland I was be stationed at the LUMA center at the University of Helsinki. The LUMA Center is an umbrella organization for the collaboration of schools, universities and the business sector, with the aim to promote and support studying and teaching STEM at all levels of education.

The heart of my Fulbright work entailed visiting schools-- where I observed classes, interviewed students and staff, and experienced the Finnish Educational system from primary through university level.

One of the main take-ways from my sabbatical was that Finnish schools put a much stronger emphasis on making. Finland has a long history of compulsory handcrafts and textile education in primary schools. The new National Core Curriculum combines these two subjects and reinforces the trend, which is already underway, of integrating technology and engineering into these courses. It is incredible what students are able to produce in these classes. The videos and pictures below show Finnish elementary school student in the act of making. For more on making education in Finland, visit my other site: Finnish Fulbright