There is strong consensus within the education community that American schools need to prepare students to participate in a global society. With that said, it is ironic that the preparation of leaders for our nation’s schools continues to emanate primarily from a knowledge base derived from within our own borders.  There is much that can be learned about promising leadership practices by looking outside our borders.

Recent studies that compare the academic performance of students in a variety of countries underscore the fact that students in many developed countries are performing at significantly higher levels than students in the United States.  In 2003, among 40 developed countries in which 250,000 students were assessed in the PISA study, the performance of 15 year olds in the United States ranked 28th in mathematics, 22nd in science, and 18th in reading.  The performance of 15 year olds in Finland ranked 1st in reading and science and 2nd in mathematics.

This course will introduce students to promising practices in teaching and learning that are applied in Finnish schools.  The program will also provide an introduction to the preparation of teachers and educational leaders for Finnish schools, as well as contemporary life, traditions and historical aspects of Finnish life that impact on the teaching and learning process.  The course challenges students to expand their thinking about the application of research-based curriculum, instruction, and assessment practices in American schools.

Unique insights into the life, culture and education systems in Finland will be garnered through opportunities for observations in schools, meetings with educators at the elementary, secondary, and higher education levels, and cultural excursions.  Students will understand Finnish history and culture through guided visits to important sites, including Senate Square and Cathedral, Temppeliaukio church and Uspenski Cathedral, the National Museum of Finland, Parliament, the Ateneum Art Museum and the Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma.  At the end of each day, we will step back as a group to reflect on our discoveries, before spending the evening enjoying the culinary and cultural features of Helsinki.

The cost of this program includes airport/hotel transfers in Helsinki, double-occupancy hotel accommodations at the Sokos Hotel Presidente, breakfast daily, welcome dinner and closing banquet, in-country lecture series, ground transportation and entrance fees to all required sites.