When we design an educational program, we craft a complete cultural and learning journey. Take a look at this complex 10-day tour we organized for over 100 participants from the PDC schools network.
The PDC (Project-Driven Creation) journey began approximately ten years ago, rooted in an exchange where Chinese educators first learned about project-based learning through initial visits to Finland. This long-term dialogue has evolved significantly, and this year’s conference served as a showcase of the practices gathered over the years and their practical implementations in educational systems. For this year’s conference, Experience Workshop took on the role of the host organisation, facilitating a platform where a decade of Sino-Finnish educational collaboration could be celebrated and presented to a global audience.
We began in Finland’s capital, Helsinki. After a warm welcome at the airport by the Experience Workshop team, guests were provided a 4-star hotel in each city visited on this tour. The package included three daily meals, a mix of authentic Finnish cuisine and Chinese dishes. The group was transported by private buses between destinations and assigned native-speaking guides ensuring clear communication and 24/7 assistance.
The exploration started with an educational city tour of Helsinki, including architectural landmarks like the Finlandia Hall, the Parliament House, the modern Musiikkitalo (Music Centre), and the extraordinary Oodi Central Library—where accessible knowledge and public shared space meets. The group joined a guided tour about the history at Senate Square and the Helsinki Cathedral and also enjoyed the natural beauty of Sibelius Park.
The tour continued with a private bus ride to the city of Jyväskylä, a hub of education and innovation. The delegation was welcomed by the local hotel vice-manager who personally greeted our large delegation with a welcoming speech. In Jyväskylä, participants engaged in hands-on, minds-on activities including collaborative soccer ball construction, building small and giant versions of the Warka Tower, and an introduction to robotics. These preparatory STEAM workshops led by Dr. Kristof Fenyvesi were designed to illustrate the joy of interdisciplinary learning.
Cultural exchange followed with visits to local Finnish schools, Kuokkala School and Puisto School. Here, Chinese and Finnish students came together for the “Our Future School” joint workshop, a collaborative project they would later present at the PDC conference in Helsinki. At the Könkkölä Farm, students engaged in outdoor learning activities and earned a certification for their participation in a forest school. The Jyväskylä experience also included a tour of the university campus and a visit to the Aalto2 museum, exploring the roots of Finnish design and academic excellence.
Risto Suutarinen, Puisto School
A central part of the tour was participation in The 5th PDC International Education Conference at the University of Helsinki. Here, students transitioned from learners to presenters, showcasing the results of their workshops and engaging with international educators on topics of global educational transformation. The conference served as a prestigious academic platform within the broader context of their educational journey to Finland.
Following the conference, the delegation took a flight north to the Arctic Circle and the city of Rovaniemi. They explored the region’s nature and culture at the Arktikum Museum and the Science Centre Pilke, learning about Arctic ecosystems and sustainable forestry. No visit to Rovaniemi is complete without a trip to the Santa Claus Village, where students sent postcards from Santa’s official post office back to their homes. At the Ranua Wildlife Park they learned about Nordic fauna and flora in their natural habitats, completing the Arctic adventure.
The tour concluded with an iconic Finnish experience: an overnight train journey back to Helsinki. The group had a final day to visit the Fazer Factory, discovering the secrets of Finland’s famous chocolate, and to explore the interactive exhibits at the Heureka Science Centre before their departure.
Photo credits: Nóra Somlyódy, Tereza Pruknerová, Charlotte AU YONG, Lijia Huang, Yunyi Luo, Eeva Kuorikoski and Zoomland
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