PROGRAM
Tentative program – Please note that minor changes are possible!
SUNDAY
Arrival to Finland and Oulu
Afternoon session
15:30-17:30
Welcome session, ice-breakers and introduction to the course
MONDAY
9:00-11:00
Introduction:
Finnish Education System and Transversal Competences
Lunch Break
11:00-12:00
Lunch in the City Center
12:00-15:00
Theme 1:
Learning Stream for Sustainable Future
UN’s Sustainable Development Goals in Education
TUESDAY
9:00-11:30
Theme 2:
Strengthening Nature Relationship
11:30-12:00
Transportation to the school
12:00-15:00 School visit (including lunch)
15:00-15:30
Transportation from the school visit
WEDNESDAY
8:30-9:00
Transportation to the school visit
9:00-11:00
School visit 2
11:00-12:00
School Lunch
12:00-12:30
Transportation from the school visit
THURSDAY
9:00-11:30
Theme 3:
Climate Competence
11:30-12:00
Transportation for the school visit
12:00-12:45
School Lunch
12:45-15:00
School visit 3
15:00-15:30
Transportation from the school visit
FRIDAY
9:00-12:00
Theme 4:
Circular Economy in Education
12:00-13:00
Lunch in the City Center
SATURDAY
9:00-11:00
Course’s Final Session
11:00-12:00
Brunch in the City Center
THANK YOU AND HAVE A NICE WEEKEND AND JOURNEY BACK HOME!
COURSE BROCHURE
Spread the word about this course among your colleagues!
How can I participate?
All registrations must be done using the online registration form.
The pre-registration deadline for this course is July 31, 2023!
Discounts available for groups of 5 or more participants! Contact info@visitedufinn.com for more information.
The course will be confirmed later. For the moment, we take binding pre-registrations. If you want to send a group, but you don’t know yet all participants’ names, it is possible to add them to the registration form like this:
participant 1, participant 2, etc.
If you have problems or questions about completing the online form, please contact info@visitedufinn.com
REGISTER
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 price excludes Finnish VAT 24%. For VAT exemption, you need to register as a representative/employee of a company or organization and during the registration, attach a tax certificate, trade register extract, or similar from your country. A screenshot/picture of a VAT-number or Erasmus-related OID (Organization ID) are also acceptable.
Course fee 660€
Price includes
- Free 30-day access to Finnish Education Online Courses
- Admission to all sessions
- Course materials
- School visits
- Certificate of attendance
- Possibility to participate in the optional cultural activities (additional fees apply)
The meal package (110€ excl. VAT) is obligatory and it includes:
- Five lunches and coffee/tea with snacks during breaks
- Farewell Brunch
Other expenses
Airline tickets, accommodation, and local travel tickets to be bought separately.
Payments
When we confirm the course we send a link to pay with a credit card or an invoice to make a bank transfer. The participant should assume all the bank transaction fees.
Please note that all payments must be made in advance and in euros (€).
Cancellation policy
Pre-registration
We can confirm this course once we have received 10 registrations. Note that also pre-registration is binding; as there is a minimum and maximum number of participants, every registration counts.
Cancellation by participant
All cancellations must be made by email to info@visitedufinn.com at least a month before the course starts. If you do not cancel your participation at all, you will be charged the full fee. Please note that a processing fee of 50€ (excl. VAT) will be deducted from all refunds. If unable to attend, the registered person may substitute someone else from the same organization by sending a notification to info@visitedufinn.com.
Cancellation by VisitEDUfinn
In case the course is cancelled due to COVID-19 or a similar situation, all the payments will be refunded without any processing fee. VisitEDUfinn is not responsible for any damage caused by the cancellation and strongly recommends purchasing flexible flight tickets and accommodation.
Invitation letters
VisitEDUfinn will write invitation letters only after the full payment. If the participant cannot get a visa and sends evidence about the rejected visa application, VisitEDUfinn will refund the paid amount. However, 100€ (excl. VAT) will be deducted as an administrative fee.
Any questions about the registration or payments? Please contact info@visitedufinn.com.
Frequently Asked Questions about Registration and Fees
TRAINERS
Jussi Tomberg, Senior Advisor for Sustainability
Head of Project, Coordination of Finnish AspNet Schools
Jussi works with sustainability and SDG themes. He works as an advisory teacher for sustainability in the Educational and Cultural Services of the City of Oulu, Finland. At the moment, he develops the sustainable path for education in Finland and supports UNESCO ASPNet schools with SDG themes. Mr. Tomberg is the Head of Finnish National UNESCO ASP network project. Mr Tomberg has also worked as a Biology and Geography teacher in secondary and upper secondary schools, and as an in-service Training Educator. Motto: What you don’t know, you can’t respect.
Paula Ratava works as an Advisory Teacher for Sustainable Future in the City of Oulu. Her expertise lies in education for sustainability in general and especially in climate and environmental issues. As a background, she has graduated as an environmental educator and expert and also as a teacher of Biology, Geography, and Languages. Ms. Ratava is really keen on hope and solutions-oriented education for sustainability, so her mostly used keywords are probably “realistic hope”, “constructive dialogue” and “the community level of action”. Her working days consist of planning materials, training and events for teachers and students, advising schools in sustainability issues and managing development projects on education for sustainability funded by the Finnish National Agency for Education.
Eemeli Alanne (Master of Arts in Education) works as an advisory teacher for entrepreneurship education in the City of Oulu. Eemeli is an education professional with a special focus on entrepreneurship, working life readiness and sustainability. He loves learning new things and applying the theory into practice. He holds degrees in hospitality management, education & globalization and currently is doing MBA in leading sustainable growth. He has worked with NGOs in the field as well as the public sector. He has worked with thousands of students from 3rd graders to adults to understand entrepreneurship better. He has developed learning materials and facilitated events for hundreds of people. Eemeli thinks entrepreneurship is a learning process and a mindset.
Eemeli is energetic and passionate about the things he does. Working with him is not only about talking, it’s about doing, which is at the core of entrepreneurial behaviour.
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: Super Week of Sustainability
Course description
Sustainable development is one of the most crucial skills now and in the future. The purpose of this course is to give you the necessary skills, mindset and tools to promote sustainable development education in your own work and school. We will dive into sustainability topics from different perspectives, and offer you an opportunity to experience in practice, how sustainability teaching and learning can be integrated to the daily school life.
During this seven-day course, the participants familiarize themselves with the topics of sustainable development education. The course is based on the Learning Stream for Sustainable Future created by the city of Oulu. The course approaches sustainable development from four perspectives:
- Strenghtening nature relationship
- Circular economy
- Climate competence
- UN’s Sustainable Development Goals
The participants will also learn the basics of the Finnish Curriculum, gain insight into transversal competences in the Finnish Curriculum, and how sustainability topics can be integrated into teaching.
We are all learners in the stream of a sustainable future and grow together towards a sustainable lifestyle. Our goal with course is to equip you with the tools raise and educate ecosocial individuals, who want to create a sustainable future for themselves and others.
Learning outcomes
The training course aims to give you the knowledge and understanding to develop and implement sustainable development education in your own work and school. The course has the following learning goals:
- Participants understand the different elements of sustainable development education and can identify their connection to own work.
- Participants can combine one’s curriculum goals with sustainable development topics.
- Participants know how to use different pedagogical methods to implement and integrate sustainability into teaching in a meaningful way.
- Participants can act as change makers in their own institutions and further develop themselves and organizations towards sustainable lifestyle and work culture.
Working methods
The training course uses different methods to enhance the learning experience. The working methods include:
- Lectures and presentations
- School visits
- Workshops
- Group work and discussions
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.
OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES
Wednesday afternoon:
Excursion to the Sanginjoki nature reserve – Doing by hand
Welcome to the old forest ranger’s house “Loppula” and its surroundings in Sanginjoki nature reserve (https://www.nationalparks.fi/sanginjoki). Local nature organizations renovated the house in 2023 to serve travelers in the area.
Reed is a typical plant that causes problems for local lakes here in Finland. Water restoration can produce good material, for example, for craft use. This trip shows an excellent example of a small-scale circular economy. In this excursion You will get familiarized with the reed and its possibilities as a craft material. You will get to make your own reed necklace or decorative cone. You will also enjoy a short walk in the forest and snacks by the campfire. Our instructors with You during the activity are Johanna Riepula and Rita Porkka.
More information and inscription: Doing by hand
Friday afternoon:
Excursion to the Sanginjoki nature reserve – body and mind
Welcome to Korpilampi Trail in Sanginjoki. It is about 2 kilometers long path through the beautiful old forest (https://www.nationalparks.fi/sanginjoki/trails#korpilammenkierros). There is a campfire site and a lean-to shelter on the northern shore of Korpilampi Pond.
This is the best way to strengthen Your nature relationship! This afternoon offers You both body and mind relaxation in a Finnish forest. You will get tools for recovery with a taste of forestmind (Forestmind (metsamieli.fi)) while forest yoga will relax your body. You will also enjoy a short walk in the forest and snacks by the campfire. Our instructors with you during the activity are Laura Rahikkala and Rita Porkka.
More information and inscription: Body and Mind
ACCOMMODATION
The main venue of the course, The historic building Aleksinkulma. Aleksinkulma is located in the centre of Oulu.
Forenom offers comfortable accommodation (not in the city centre, though), and the participants get 10% discount with the code VISITEDU10
Other accomodation options:
Greenstar hotel Oulu – GreenStar Hotels
Hotel Arina
Pikisaari Guesthouse
Radisson Blu Oulu
De Gamlas Hem
GENERAL INFORMATION
The City of Oulu is the capital of northern Finland.
Oulu is located by the Gulf of Bothnia, at the mouth of Oulu River, about 600 km north of the capital city Helsinki. The name Oulu comes from a word in the Sami language meaning floodwater. The city of Oulu combines Northern hospitality, nature and culture with modern technology. Oulu has over 200 000 inhabitants, and its investment in education, research and innovation makes it the fastest growing region in Finland. Oulu has been designated the European Capital of Culture in 2026.
How to get there
Despite its northern location, Oulu is well connected to the rest of the world. Oulu airport is the second busiest in Finland, and there are several connective flights every day from Helsinki.
Finnair
Train
Oulu is easily reachable by train as well with 10 daily connections from Helsinki. It is an economical and sustainable option. There are two night trains available every day, and the trains during the daylight offer a good opportunity to see more of Finland. Oulu railway station is located in the city center, walking distance from most hotels. Visit VR for more information.
How to get from the airport to city center
City busses, routes 8 and 9, run daily from early morning to late night via Oulu city centre to Oulu Airport. Travel time from city centre to airport is approximately 25-30 minutes on both routes.
Name of the Oulu Airport bus stop is Lentoasema (ID-number 2646). The bus stop is located right in front of the airport terminal.
In Oulu city centre name of the bus stop is Kaupungintalo E (ID-number 2087) when travelling to airport and Kaupungintalo P (ID-number 2101) when arriving at city centre.
Adult ticket is 5,80€
Read more about public transport in Oulu.
TAXI
Normal Taxi: The price from the airport to the city center is approx. 40€
Finnish taxis are reliable and accept credit cards. The following taxi companies operate in Oulu:
OTAXI
MENEVÄ
Car rentals
All major car rentals have an office in Oulu for those interested in traveling around the surrounding areas by themselves.
Weather in Oulu
In March, the average maximum daytime temperature lies around -1.0°C . So it is still cold, but the brightness of the days invites you to enjoy the spring. In addition to new technologies, outdoor activities play an important role in the everyday life of Finnish school children and in the lifestyle of Finns in general (just to bear in mind when choosing your clothing). Please visit the Finnish Meteorological Institute’s website for updated news on weather in Rovaniemi.
Language
The official languages in Finland are Finnish and Swedish, but practically everyone knows basic English; especially the people involved in tourism speak excellent English. Course language is English.
Currency
The Finnish currency unit is the Euro. There are numerous cash machines (ATMs) open around the clock and accepting all major credit cards. Besides, Visa and Mastercard are widely accepted almost everywhere (hotels, restaurants, shops, taxis, cafeterias, bars, etc.).
Voltage
The electric current in Finland is 230V, 50Hz. Plugs are two-pin continental size.
Time
The time in Finland is UTC/GMT+2
