Educational travel in Finland

Finland differs from many other high-ranking PISA countries by having comparatively short school days, little focus on homework and exams as well as emphasis on self-direction and critical thinking. This is reflected on the satisfaction of the Finnish pupils – they stand out from their peers in terms of how happy they feel with their own lives. According to PISA 2018, Finland is the only country to score high in both academic performance and life satisfaction. No wonder Finland has been selected as the happiest nation in the world already six times in a row!  

Equality is one of the key cornerstones of the Finnish education system. This means equal opportunities for schooling and individual support when needed. The philosophy of continuous learning throughout life is also one of the guiding principles of the Finnish education system. The digital revolution is changing education and future professions, highlighting the importance of continuously learning new skills.

Finland is also one of the pioneers of sustainable development and the theme is reflected in the national curriculum. Many educational travel operators provide sustainability themed school camps and study tours. 

School camps, study tours, and sister school visits combine educational content with leisure travel. The interest towards immersive learning in a Finnish school together with local pupils has increased rapidly. Finland offers educational camps with focus on STEAM subjects, English language, coding & robotics, music & arts, nature activities, sustainability… you name it! 

The camp and study tour programs in Finland support the learning of the 21st century skills including problem solving, creativity, teamwork and sharing know-how – all based on the Finnish curriculum. Teaching methods include adventure education and phenomenon-based learning. 

The activities are mainly carried out outdoors and in clean nature both in summer and winter times. Finnish forests and nature provide the best learning environment for all students helping to recover from the effects of stress and everyday worries. 

Finland has a number of educational camp and study tour organizers that are happy assist you in designing a memorable experience for your young customers. Many of them also provide professional study tours. 

Finland is one of the pioneers of sustainable development and the theme is also one of the key corner stones of the national curriculum. This makes it an interesting topic for school camps and study trips to Finland. Here are a few ideas how to include it as a main educational theme for the guests: 

In 2015, the member countries of the UN agreed upon a programme for sustainability development (Agenda 2030), and 17 detailed Sustainable Development Goals. Finland has been one of the first countries to implement the programme, with local focus themes “Carbon-neutral and resource-wise Finland”, and “Non-discriminating, equal and highly skilled Finland”. This can provides further content for the visit. 

You can make the sustainability principles visible and tangible for your guests by talking about them throughout the duration of their visit. Pinpoint examples during different parts of the visit to show how sustainability is an everyday topic made up of small, individual tasks of recycling, saving water and energy, bringing back your own garbage from the forest, respecting the learning of the local school community etc. 

During a city sightseeing tour, you can introduce climate actions and local practical initiatives undertaken by the city. 

Increasingly, Finnish educational professionals and cultural institutions are developing programmes for learning outside school. For example, public and private institutions, nature centres, science centres, museums and sports institutes offer the same programmes in English for foreign guests that Finnish pupils also enjoy during local school camps. Moreover, some internationally-oriented Finnish teachers have created specific programmes, to provide authentic learning opportunities. 

Examples for study themes offered by museums, sports institutes, science centres, youth centres, and nature centres include: 

• Coding, digital fabrication, robotics

• Film making

• Finnish history and lifestyle

• Geological and biological diversity

• Innovation skills and STEAM

• Nature as a learning environment

• Social and life skills

• Physical training and education

• Sustainability, environmental education and circular economy

Here's look at some of the most interesting educational travel products in Finland.