This LTTA took place in Tampere between 25-29 of April 2023. Activities in Tampere were focused on getting to know Finnish schools, especially the teacher training school system. In the mobility, we spent time at school doing different tasks, but also visited nearby sights and nature:
- Ice-breaking and musical activities at school.
- Teacher training observation by visiting teachers.
- Getting to know Finnish culture (swimming at a frozen lake, visiting local museums and art places).
- Explore Tampere using mobile apps.
- Cleaning activities in natural environments near the city.
- Field trip to the national park Helvetinjärvi: Identify typical Finnish plant species, compare the wild forests of different countries, and think about the importance of nature conservation.
The implemented activities are related to our school’s everyday life, which is connected to the teacher training school of the local university. Environmental activities and field trips connected with on-site activities about environment conservation are common practices that we wanted to share with our partners in the project.
All visiting students (20) and teachers (10) participated in all the activities alongside students (100) and teachers (15) from our school and also the host families (35). In total, about 180 people attended the activities
The main joint staff meeting took place at the school, where various aspects of the project and cooperation were discussed among the partners. Every partner presented the activities they had done so far, how many teachers and students were involved in them, the challenges they faced, and which activities they did not manage to complete. We discussed the forthcoming activities, rescheduling, and reordering where appropriate.
Monday 24th of April
Travelling for most of the participants. One team came to Finland earlier, and they spent Monday in Helsinki, visiting the Finnish Parliament House.
Tuesday 25th of April
Welcome reception and getting to know each other at school. Students participated in an ice-breaking game of asking questions so they knew what was common with everyone. In the afternoon, we scheduled a city tour of the Tampere central area using a mobile app.
Wednesday 26th of April
Students and teachers visited a nearby lake and participated in cleaning the environment activities. Participants also presented facts about their countries in other classes, and teachers observed lessons of teacher trainers. In the afternoon, we visited the Vapriikki museum and went for a swim in the frozen lake – getting to know Finnish culture!
Thursday, 27th of April
All teams went on a field trip to the national park Helvetinjärvi. In the forest, the student’s task was to identify typical Finnish plant species compare the wild forests of different countries and think about the importance of nature conservation.
Friday 28th of April
Musical activities at school and farewell ceremony. In the afternoon, we all visited the Moomin Museum, which is a typical Finnish cartoon series by Tove Jansson.
Saturday 29th of April
A day of free touring in Tampere and Helsinki. Some groups were travelling back home on Saturday.
Results
The participants got to know new students from all over Europe. By gaining new experiences from different cultures, their view of the world and tolerance towards different cultures increased. They also practised their skills in the English language and learned the similarities and differences of each culture interacting with other students. Participants also learned about biodiversity in Finnish nature and how climate change affects the forest. They learn about recycling and building a sustainable future.
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