PDK Traveled to Finland/Sweden in March 2013
In spring 2013, PDK and EF, an international tour group, brought members on a 10-day global study tour to Finland and Sweden. The tour included school visits, conversations with education leaders and several guided tours of historic and cultural sites.
Itinerary for Finland/Sweden Trip:
Day 1 • Flight
Overnight flight to Helsinki.
Day 2 • Helsinki
Arrive in Helsinki, Finland’s capital and largest city. After you transfer to the hotel, join your EF tour director for a walking tour of Helsinki.
Day 3 • Helsinki
Guided sightseeing and school visit. See some of the city’s most famous landmarks, including Temppeliaukio Church. Then visit a local school for a chance to discuss teaching practices with Finnish educators.
Day 4 • Helsinki
Examine the methods that lead to high scores on PISA and other forms of student assessment on a site visit to a local school. Next, visit the Finnish National Board of Education where you will learn about Finnish education from a policy point of view.
Day 5 • Tallinn, Estonia
Travel by ferry across the Gulf of Finland to Tallinn, the capital of Estonia.
Day 6 • Helsinki/Stockholm
Examine education policy on the national level as you visit the Finnish Ministry of Education. Enjoy exploring the Finnish capital at your leisure before departing on an overnight ferry to Stockholm.
Day 7 • Stockholm
Travel to Stockholm, Sweden’s capital and largest city. After your arrival, your tour director will lead you through Stockholm’s Gamla Stan (Old Town). Prepare your own education visits for the afternoon before relaxing at one of Stockholm’s many cafés.
Day 8 • Stockholm
A local guide will introduce you to Stockholm’s impressive architecture and rich history. See City Hall, where the Nobel Prize is awarded, Skansen, and the famous Vasa Ship, located on the island of Djurgarden. Compare education in Finland and Sweden as you visit a school in Stockholm this afternoon.
Day 9 • Stockholm
Compare education in Finland and Sweden as you visit another school in Stockholm. Examine teacher training in Sweden during a visit to local school or university.
Day 10 • Flight
Transfer to the airport, where you’ll check in for your return flight home.