PROGRAM

What will you learn?

The Summer School curriculum bases on Finnish national core curriculum. The pedagogical approach is holistic and student-centered. You will take a part to the interactive and inspiring learning sessions. We will focus on phenomenon-based teaching and learning, a move away from subjects and towards inter-disciplinary topics. HEAT Summer School is like a typical Finnish Camp School which aim is also to strengthen co-operational and communicational skills in the classroom. You will be able to learn by doing and sharing not only with the students but also with the local experienced teachers.

The Summer School opens for you an opportunity to share ideas, knowledge and local practices, which are ethically sustainable and culturally sensitive, and could be transferred from culture to another.

Tentative program for HEAT2023 – Please note that minor changes are possible! 

REGISTRATION AND PRICES

How can I participate?

The registration deadline for this course is July 31, 2023!

HEAT2023 is a very unique opportunity for only 40 participants, so be quick and register for this special event today! All registration must be done using the following online registration form. Reservations will be handled on a “first come – first served” basis, so early registration is the only way to secure your place. Accepted methods of payment are credit card and bank transfer. If you have problems or questions about completing the online form, please contact info@visitedufinn.com

REGISTER FOR HEAT2023

Prices
(Read more about grants and other options for financial support.) 

If you have Erasmus+ KA1 funding, it should cover the fees. For those who come from outside the EU countries, there are other professional development grants for teachers. We have tried to keep the costs so low that self-funded participation is also a real option. 

The course price excludes Finnish VAT 24%. For VAT exemption, you need to register as a representative/employee of a school or organization and during the registration, attach your school’s tax certificate, OID code, or similar document. A screenshot/picture of a VAT-number or Erasmus-related OID (Organization ID) are also acceptable. 

Course fee 500€ 

Obligatory meal package 140€

Prices include

• Free 30-day access to Finnish Education Online Courses
• HEAT2023 program
• Lunches (including a School lunch) and refreshments each day
• Welcome dinner
• Entrance fees when apply (for instance The Full Finnish Experience with Sauna)
• Materials
• Certificates of attendance  

Other expenses

Airline tickets, accommodation, and local travel tickets to be bought separately.

Frequently Asked Questions about Registration and Fees

TRAINER

Who is in charge of HEAT2023?

Ms. Suvi Krista Westling is an expert on educational psychology with a broad view of education and a deep understanding of the human mind. She has graduated from and later taught students in an innovative program of educational psychology at the University of Helsinki. Her teaching has included lecturing, supervising pre-service teachers’ practice, and facilitating group processes and phenomenon-based group studies. In her research, she has studied the quality of regulation of students’ learning and activity both at school and at teacher education. She has worked as an expert in educational program design at an academic level as well as in few international organizations.

Suvi has also gained grassroots experience with children and teenagers while working as a classroom teacher, youth worker, and camp supervisor in various places at earlier phases of her life. She has developed an international mindset and understanding of different cultures by participating and working in different international communities and networks, living and studying in Latin America (Chile).

Other experts in HEAT2023

AULIS PITKÄLÄ 

Mr. Aulis Pitkälä has an exceptional career in the field of education. During the years 2012-2016, Aulis responded to a valued task of Director General in the Finnish National Agency for Education. Afterward, he worked as a Deputy Mayor of Education and Cultural Services in the city of Espoo. In 2017, he was awarded the honorary title for his distinguished career in education by the President of the Republic of Finland.

ERASMUS+

VisitEDUfinn (OID CODE: E10020922 / PIC CODE: 899855324) organises ERASMUS+ Staff Mobility job shadowing and  professional courses designed for teachers at all levels. Our programs are organized in different parts of Finland in cooperation with other stakeholders in the field of education (schools, universities, municipalities). 

All the courses are designed following the Quality Standards for courses under Key Action 1 and participants are provided with certificates that meet the Europass criteria.

Course title: HEAT2023 – Helsinki Education in Action for Teachers

Audience

• Kindergarten, primary, and secondary school teachers
• Special education teachers
• School management and leadership
• All other non-teaching experts

Working Methods

• Exploration of pre-assumptions
• Workshops (also together with Finnish school pupils)
• Facilitated discussions / shared brainstorming
• Teamwork and Presentations
• Field visits   
• Personal learning diary

Outcomes

• Gain insight into Finnish schools and education
• Facilitate team-building activities
• Implement teaching sessions by utilizing participatory methods
• Create a concrete development plan for your own school

European/ International dimension

We wait participants from many European countries as well as from outside Europe. Sharing ideas together with colleagues from different countries offers a broader perspective on the topic. The course is also a great opportunity for networking for future collaboration.

ACCOMODATION

Where to stay?

Summer School participants will have the option to stay overnight in an old elementary school, Hostel Suomenlinna. The Finnish Hostel Association has designated Hostel Suomenlinna as the Hostel of the Year 2018. The hostel, owned by The Organization for Outdoor Education in Finland, is located on one of the Suomenlinna islands, just 15-20 minutes from the city center by ferry. If you are interested in this option, for more information and booking, please contact hostel@suokki.fi. If the Hostel is fully booked or you prefer to stay in a hotel, there are plenty of good options within walking distance from where the ferry service runs in the Market Square. Check out the ferry schedule. 

How do I get there? 

Suomenlinna is accessible only by water. A ferry service runs from the Market Square to Suomenlinna throughout the year. The trip to Suomenlinna takes 15–20 minutes and offers magnificent views of Helsinki and the surrounding area from the sea.

GENERAL INFORMATION ON HELSINKI

Is Helsinki the coolest city in the world?

Probably yes! In the capital of Finland, you can find the influence of both our neighbors, Sweden and Russia, but still the city is unique. It’s a modern metropole with over 650, 000 inhabitants (1,5 million in the larger metropolitan area) and yet you are never more than a 10-minute walk from nature. On the same day, you can pick berries in a forest and go to the Opera. Helsinki is a lively big city that never sleeps, but so safe that you can see 7-year-old first graders the take the tram to school on their own. 

Feeling the fresh breeze of the Baltic Sea while wandering around the picturesque streets of this easy-going city, it is not so difficult to imagine why Finns are the happiest nation in the world. After the walk, warm yourself up with a cup of coffee and a cinnamon bun. These coffee breaks with friends and colleagues are almost sacred moments to Finns. 

While in Helsinki, check out the libraries as a social innovation in Finnish education, interactive museums, the islands around Helsinki and the sauna. There are many more attractions that promise unforgettable experience in Helsinki such as  Alvar Aalto’s studio, Helsinki Cathedral by Carl Ludvig Engel, Senate Square, Old Market Hall, Löyly sauna and restaurant, and much more. 

Check out What’s up in Helsinki during your study visit!

EDUCATION IN FINLAND

How is the education in Finland? 

During our events and courses, you will get familiar with all the characteristics of Finnish education:

• One of the basic principles is that everyone must have equal access to high-quality education and training.
• Each student has the right to educational support.
• Special needs education is generally provided within mainstream education.
• The Finnish education system is based on the philosophy of inclusion.
• Educational support and guidance covers support for learning according to the individual capacity of the learners, school attendance, pupil welfare, and guidance and counseling. The learning of gifted pupils and students is supported.
• The education system is based on trust and responsibility.
• Educational autonomy is high at all levels.
• Most education is publicly funded.
• National core curriculum gives space for local variations.
• Learning outside the classroom is common.
• The first national examination is at the end of general upper secondary education.
• Teaching continues to be an attractive profession.
• Finnish schools have highly educated teaching personnel.
• Continuing teacher education is widely encouraged.