Frosty Finnish Forest Education - Case study FSPC Assignment 2

Assignment #2 History of FNS Programs & Case Study
*Chris, additional conversational bits added in green in the middle of the post.

Forest Schools Are Alive and Well in Finland, Canada and Secwepemc Territories

Travel with purpose: why Finland?

The Scandinavian countries are renown for their progressive and high quality educational programming. I wanted to see these educational models in action so I asked my partner if he would be open to going to Norway, Sweden or Finland, and which country appeals to him the most? Finland. He loves Norse mythology, is a fan of specific Finnish metal bands, and appreciates their natural resource & forestry practices. So it was settled. In August 2017 we bought our flight tickets.

Almost a year before our flight, I began researching forest schools in Finland. I found a few Finnish articles and studies on the benefits of outdoor learning. One particular article about a nature kindergarten near Helsinki only led me the school’s name and organizations such as Taiga Child, with a website mostly in Suomi (Shaw, 2011). Through a series of emails with various associations related to environmental education, forestry, recreation, and nature schools I received contacts for teachers who might be keen to talk shop and have me observe their classes. Of course, these teachers ended up suggesting even more teachers to connect with. I finally narrowed it down to 3 teachers who seemed enthusiastic. I ended my search there – I was travelling after all, and wanted to see ‘the nature’ (as Fins call it) and experience the outdoor culture I’d heard so much about.

Scandinavia: Leaders in the Modern Forest School movement

Finland could almost be considered ‘behind’ in the realm of forest schools compared to its Scandinavian counterparts. The first modern forest preschools emerged out of Denmark and Sweden. I can’t find English articles to confirm exactly which country initiated this practice, but it is safe to say that in the 1950s both Denmark and Sweden embarked on the inaugural journey of officially bringing kids outside to learn (McGurk, 2017). With parental and governmental support, the idea took off and these countries are now strong leaders in the creation and implementation of this model. There are so many more forest schools in Sweden than in Finland that Maria Svens, a nature school educator, recommended I visit the Swedish “naturskola”s on an archipelago bridging the two countries (personal communication, February 23, 2018). The idea is taking hold in Finland, though in some cases it looks a little different than the completely outdoor nature schools of Canada or “naturskolas” of Sweden. Here is what I encountered in Finland.

Finland: Three Schools, two distinct approaches to nature education

          When researching nature schools and preschools in Finland I of course came across the language hurdle. In the translated websites or brief descriptions in email I got of the three schools I planned on visiting, my impression was they’re similar to FNS. In reality, I visited 2 government funded programs that take groups of children on a yearly, or seasonal basis to natural spaces for an immersive outdoor experience. The third is a preschool, or dayhome, that integrates nature-based free play into their practice.

Haltia Nature Centre in Espoo

          At Haltia Nature Centre environmental educators lead children of all ages in Nuuksia National Park. The idea is to bring classes to this beautiful park to give children skills and confidence in using the plentiful wild spaces in a fun, respectful and meaningful way. I spent the afternoon with a grade 5 group who learned how to snow-shoe, leave-no-trace, make food on a camp stove, identify plants and animal track, clean up, and practice the Finnish law “Every Man’s Right” respectfully.  There was also some time for free play, where the kids happily romped around in the snowy landscape. This differs greatly to FNS because it is a program children may only visit once per year, but it does support children’s lifelong love of and ability to access nature.

Haltia Nature Centure offers program for all ages, in all seasons.

Cooking on a fire, kids were allowed to experiment with roasting their snacks. Noa over-cautious teachers saying "Don't touch!"

Kvarkens Naturskola in Vaasa

           Kvarkens Naturskola operates silimarly to Haltia in that they are government funded programs aimed at helping children access nature. But they vary greatly in that Kvarkens teacher Maria Svens comes to the class, rather than the class come to her. In this case, she joined a class of 3-6 year olds in walking from their daycare to a nearby park for the third time that school year. She takes classes of children to parks 4 times a year for seasonal studies. After sighting some squirrels and hare tracks on the way, we arrived and quickly engaged in some winter ecology activities. After snack, the children had ample run around time, and some children went back to the centre as it was really cold and they were mildly undressed. Next we played a few more teacher-led games intended to inspire wonder in nature and noticing life even in the dead of winter – it was February after all, and -18° C.

Heading out on the ice for some much needed running games to warm up.

The children were instructed to try and find "the colours of winter". Open-ended, creative and scienticfic activities are the focus at Kvarkens Naturskola

Silja’s Kindergarten at Toulhula Dayhome in Nurmijarvi

          The most dramatically similar program to FNS I visited was teacher Silja Vuohensilta’s class of children ages 1 – 3 years old. The day I visited there were only two and three year olds, and she is very involved with all the children at Toulhula Dayhome, for 1 – 6 year olds. At the centre, outdoor play in the yard or surrounding field makes up a huge part of the day. Depending on the age and weather, children will spend around four hours outside, out of a 6 or more hour day. It can easily end up being more time too. Activities vary from free play in the yard with playground equipment, sleds, skiis, and other toys, to more structured activities like X-Country skiing lead by a teacher. Silja takes her group of 5-7 children to the woods for about two hours 2-3 times a week, depending on the weather. It was -15° C when I got there at 8:30 and the little ones were going to the bathroom then gearing up in very cosy looking one-piece snow suits, good mitts and snow boots, and toques. They walked for about 20 minutes, taking their time to notice construction, fall down, walk safely by roads, and finally make their way over tricky slopes and roots to the forest. Once there, children had a few special activities like taking a photo of a spot to see the changes throughout the year, and a photo on a log to show how they can all sit together on it. But after that, anything was fair game and they climbed rocks and slide down, found spiders, played together, had a small snack of juice and banana given by Silja, played a bit longer then walked back. They didn’t go back inside but instead joined whole centre’s group for more outdoor play in the yard (unless they had to go to the bathroom). Silja studied nature kindergartens for her masters, and it is clear that her philosophy on outdoor free play echos that of the FNS model.

Silja admits that she uses juice and fruit as a motivator to get kids outside initially in really cold weather. I get it!

The openness of forests in Southern Finland left the children with lots of room to run around and have positive experiences with their peers.

         Silja’s philosophy is very hands-off when it comes to outdoor time. She described to me how everything she does, or doesn't do, is intentional and informed. She explained that she lets kids put things in their mouths during this time in the forest, doesn't stop them or get them to try to think of whether not that is a "healthy" or "safe" choice. The flip side of this is that she feels confident that if a parent or another teacher were to ask her why she lets this happen she can explain her reasoning soundly. The culture in Finland is such that parents trust teachers and have no control over how or what teachers teach. She mentioned that stepping back and letting kids play is probably the most powerful action a teacher can take. Silja's philosophy aligns with the general Finnish position that day homes and kindergarten (ages 0 - 6) should be a time to "let kids be kids" (personal communication, February 15, 2018). I wanted to know how Finnish policies actually play out for families and educators. I was informed that school is designed to equalize opportunities for all children, so all schools and day homes teach through the same model and teach the same stuff. Also, the fact that nobody profits from education makes a huge difference in the attitude towards learning. All schools are public, although if you are a well-off family you pay a little for school from ages 1 - 6, but for other families it is free so parents can work or go to school. It was fascinating to see the pedagogies in action and hear directly from teachers that they believe in this model and witness the benefits it has for children and the society at large.

Bringing it back home: what’s happening in Canada

           The nature school concept is taking off in Canada, I’m proud to be a part of that brave wave of educators embracing a pedagogy that supports whole child development and tackles issues within education head-on. Marlene Powers started the first formal Forest School in Ottawa in 2007 (MacEachren, 2013). Powers then went on to found Forest School Canada to promote this model in early childhood and public elementary education schools, through training, resources and networking for FS educators across the country (MacEachren, 2013). And the concept has taken off across the country since then.

           There are a few nature-based school initiatives happening near me. In Chase, there is a parent committee vying the school board for Chase Outdoor Learning School. Following the approval of a nature-based public school in the neighboring community of Salmon Arm, the committee is gaining traction. They aim to re-open an unused primary school as the base for a (hopeful) kindergarten to grade seven outdoor public school! There are also amazing initiatives happening across the river at Adams Lake band where an early-years program called The Language Nest immerses children in Secwepemc language and culture, and takes daily nature walks (Chief Ahtam Lanuage Nest, n.d.).  Chief Ahtam schools has “… a vision of a Secwepemc-speaking community living in balance with nature" (T'selcéwtqen, 2017). In the city of Kamloops, there is a group of TRU students, educators, parents and community members pushing for greater awareness of outdoor learning and nature schools.

How does this affect my teaching practice going forward?

Directly behind me I have experiences teaching at three nature-based/ bioregional schools: Oak and Orca, Victoria Nature school and my most recent and most affective years at Hand-In-Hand. Directly in front of me I have a handful of families seeking alternative and nature-based programming for their children. Now, I am sitting pretty to start a small FNS program here in Chase BC. My recent experiences in Finland and my time at nature-based programs inspire me and guide me. Most of all, I will be unwavering in the knowledge that immersive nature play are powerful learning experiences for children. In Finland teachers have a strong stance on the vital importance of learning in nature. I saw how they valued their outdoorsy culture; young kids equipped with X-Country skiis spending hours in -15° C gliding and falling in the snow. In Chase, there is a strong culture of farming, fishing, riverside life, and Secwepemc presence. My intent will be to have the program’s activities reflect these cultures. I have the great joy to be a newcomer here, which means I will be in a similar state of wonder about all the plants, animals, weather and river patterns alongside the children – they will probably teach me more than I will ‘teach’ them!

May 2018, Canoe trips with the children I work with now give us the opportunity to witness the thriving ecology on the South Thompson river.

References

Chief Ahtam Lanuage Nest. N.d. Retrieved May 20 2018 from https://chiefatahmnest.webnode.com

MacEachren, Z. 2013. The Canadian Forest School Movement. LEARNing Landscapes, 7(1). 219-233 http://www.learninglandscapes.ca/index.php/learnland/article/download/The-Canadian-Forest-School-Movement/639/

McGurk, L.A. 2017. There’s No Such Thing As Bad Weather: a Scandinavian mom’s secrets for raising healthy, resilient and confident kids (from friluftsliv to hygge). New York: Touchstone.

Shaw. A. 2011. Back to Nature Begins Early. Retrieved from https://finland.fi/life-society/back-to-nature-begins-early/

Stasiuk, P. (n.d.). Early Nature Lessons in Denmark's Forest Preschools. Retrieved from http://denmark.dk/en/meet-the-danes/forest-preschools

T'selcéwtqen Clleq'mel'ten/Chief Atahm School. 2017. Retrieved May 20 2018 from http://www.chiefatahm.com/index.html