Wise Consulting Finland’s Visit to Experience Workshop’s partner, Kukkumäki Early Childcare Center
Early childhood education has been increasingly important in recent years in fostering children’s growth and future success. Experience Workshop’s partner, Kukkumäki Early Childcare Center in Finland is an organisation that has made substantial progress in this area. Dieu Nguyen and Nguyen Dung, the chief representative for Wise Consulting Finland in Vietnam, visited the centre in the end of March 2023. The visit was an excellent chance to experience Kukkumäki’s creative and professional approach to early childhood education.
Dr. Kristof Fenyvesi, senior researcher of Innovative Learning Environments Research Group at the University of Jyväskylä and STEAM director at Experience Workshop hosted the visit. Dr. Fenyvesi has worked closely with Kukkumäki Early Childcare Center to advance early childhood STEAM education. Jukka Janhonen, principal of the center, Pirkko Karvonen, primary author of the book Playful Learning In Early Childhood Education in Finland, and Päivi Erkkilä with Susanna Hellden-Paavola, as teachers and co-authors were also present to greet the guests.
The tour of the Early Childcare Center’s bright rooms and green yard was a creative feast. The center has developed a setting that is both exciting and nurturing. Finland’s lovely springtime weather made the visit even more enjoyable.
One of the highlights of the tour was the opportunity to see how the kindergarten implements a 3D printer in pre-school education, which was demonstrated by teacher Jaakko Haavisto. A collaboration between 3D printer manufacturer CraftBot, the University of Jyväskylä’s STEAMupgrade project and Experience Workshop made the technology’s introduction in Kukkumäki possible. It is a remarkable illustration of how cutting-edge technology can be applied to encourage kids’ learning in a fun and interesting way.
Possibilities for future collaboration were also explored to advance early childhood education in other countries, such as Vietnam.
Overall, the visit was an excellent opportunity to highlight the creative and entertaining approach to early childhood education that Kukkumäki Early Childcare Center represents. The Centre is raising the bar in early childhood education with its initiatives to promote STEAM in early childhood education. It is clear that Kukkumäki Early Childcare Center and its staff are on a mission to improve the future of young children through innovative and creative learning.
