Personal Journey Into Learning and Why It Matters for Finland and Ukraine
The best way to improve education is by constantly improving the skills of and respect for teachers. This, and the following, is a summary of recent personal observations and learnings about Ukraine, Finland, myself and the role of education for all of us.
I trained to become a teacher at the University of Jyväskylä in the 90s. My training covered diverse elements from gymnastics, music and the arts to knitting. At the same time, we were challenged to reflect on our own view of humans, the metacognitive processes and higher purposes of learning. All of the latest research on psychology and sociology was available. Most importantly, I learned the superpower of listening to kids and professors — all experts in their own way.
I applied everything I had learned when I co-founded a digital design company called Idean. After it was sold and our ways parted, I set up the Ministry of Good Spirit, a community that brings together people who are committed to using good spirit to make better decisions.
Educational collaboration with Ukraine begins
After the aggressor state attack on 24 February 2022, I began collaborating with the Ukrainian Future startup incubator as an advisor. The collaboration included a pitching competition for startups. The winner was Knopka. Ministry of Good Spirit gave scholarship to Igor who created a drone used to detect mines and Yaroslava from Herson who created a wind turbine concept without blades. After the competition we kept thinking about other ways to deepen the collaboration, when Ukrainian authorities expressed a wish that Finland would contribute to rebuilding Ukraine with educational insights..
On the 8th of April, 2022, President Zelenskiy addressed the Finnish parliament and people of Finland. I was struck by the following:
“The people of Finland! I do believe that common sense will win and that together we will be able to protect freedom and Ukraine. This is why we need to start thinking now about how to rebuild our country after this war. The world knows about the leadership role of your country and your nation in the education sector. You have developed such an educational sector that allows you to protect personal freedom of human beings, make them educated, teach them respect for other people, the environment, and the globe. And this is something we have to learn, and other countries have to learn. In the one and a half months of Russian aggression, 928 educational facilities have been destroyed or damaged: kindergartens, schools, universities. I welcome you and your companies, your experts to join the efforts of rebuilding our educational sector and join the efforts of modernization of education in Ukraine.”
My Finnish and Ukrainian friends kept thinking about how to deepen the collaboration. We decided to combine an exploration of the Ukrainian educational needs with immediate humanitarian action.
Trip to Ukraine in May 2023
I prepared for the trip by raising funds, buying a van, filling it with tourniquets — and talking with Finnish education specialists. Professor Patrik Scheinin explained the education system story of Finland. Assistant Professor Sirkku Lähdesmäki described the focus on teacher education in Finland and globally. I had a chance to talk with several startup founders in the education sector as well as my good friend Mika Elo who’s been a practicing teacher for over 20 years.
I then drove to Ukraine to deliver the van and contents in mid-May 2023. In Ukraine, I had the honor to meet the new Ministry of Education and Science Oksen Lisovyi. The mayor of Makriv, Vadym Tokar, showed me the realities of the current context of learning in Ukraine. I had conversations with parents and teachers from Kharkiv and Odessa. I was struck by how many of the educational challenges are the same as in Finland, but because of the full scale war, occupation and war crimes against children and young people, Ukraine has several other serious challenges to solve.
First of all, learning has to be and feel safe. In Makariv county, several schools have been destroyed and most of the school buildings will have to be rebuilt. The risk of air raids and escalation is ever present. The effort to create a physically safe environment will take time and plenty of resources, but psychological safety is crucial as well. Without safety, minds cannot operate at their full potential.
When we combined all I’d heard from Ukrainians and Finns, we became sure of the best way for us to support Ukraine.
May 2023: MovED sees the light
In February 2022, Vitalii Lisovyi, the head of the Ukrainian Future business incubator, and Hannele Mennala, a startup founder and higher education expert, and myself had founded a movement with the purpose of supporting young Ukrainians with world-class learning. During the trip, the focus of the movement became clear: the best way to improve education is by constantly improving the competencies of and respect for teachers. Music and creativity will be used to inspire and raise awareness, funds and hope. I am excited to see what this new journey will bring — and what I will learn along the way.
#movedcollective #actioncreateshope
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