Our school, Otaniemen lukio, established in 2019, received Erasmus+ accreditation for 2021–2027. This recognition that supports innovation and international collaboration in education. According to our accreditation plan, we focus on fostering students' critical thinking, communication skills, and well-being while enhancing school culture and community spirit.
Since receiving accreditation, nearly 40 teachers and staff members have participated in courses across Europe, bringing back innovative ideas for pedagogy and school development. In fall 2023, we hosted an inspiring Getting Inspired with the 4 Cs workshop led by Susan Gagliano, an expert from Florence, Italy. Ten students and eight teachers participated in this engaging program, which received overwhelmingly positive feedback. As a result, Ms. Gagliano will return in fall 2025 for a second workshop.
We have also welcomed over twenty teachers from various countries for job shadowing, providing them with firsthand experience of Finnish educational practices. Many of these collaborations have grown into long-term partnerships. For example, we are conducting individual student mobility exchanges with Lycée Val de Durance in Pertuis, France, and begin a student group mobility with them this spring. In addition, we are starting an exchange program with LGT Philippe Cousteau in Saint-André-de-Cubzac, France. Plans are also underway for a long-term student mobility with Biskupské Gymnázium in Brno, Czech Republic as well as group mobility sometime in the future.
In addition to these new partnerships, our ongoing student exchange with Scholengemeenschap Groenewald in Stein, the Netherlands, continues to provide our students with enriching educational and cultural experiences not only in the Netherlands but also in the nearby city of Aachen in Germany.