Backstage in Vantaa
By Nina Tervala, Vaskivuoren lukio
Backstage in Vantaa
Year two of ODDience2030 was the year of Vantaa Finland
First planning in September and then in March came the students, teachers and NGOs from France, Portugal and India, and our trainer from Romania. Over 40 people with two timetables and programs.
We Finnish teachers took charge of planning the transport to Lapland and of course the stay in Vaskivuori High School and the program for the students for the whole time and one day for the teachers and NGOs.
We wanted to let the people see and experience what the Finnish school system can offer for creativity and critical thinking as those aspects have been the targets of this program. The students got to make acquaintance with each other through theater improvisation techniques. The lesson was held by our theater teacher Leena Gardiner. The students practiced noticing, listening and reacting to their observations. And not just the students, some teachers participated as well. We experienced what it is to work with just one tool, you yourself.
In these kinds of practices at least one of our basic needs is met: the need to be seen and accepted
Be able to provide, create
The students were also introduced to music lessons and visual arts lessons. They got to do some drumming and chanting with our music teacher Mika Karhunen. He gave a lesson that he always gives to the newcomers in high school. Joining a rhythm and a song creates a strong feeling of belonging which also happens to be one of our basic needs as human beings.
At the arts class our arts teacher Maija Mikkola gave the students a chance to create a collage that represents something important to them. The possibility to work with one’s hands is essential as an experience especially when one gets to create something genuine. This practice meets the third basic need of human beings, the need to be able to provide, create.
Once this idea was clear for us the work was easy: find the teachers, book the times, enjoy. And so it went. The prize for us was to see the smiles, hear the laughing.
Take a long time to decide about our activities
One cannot come to Finland and not go to sauna. At least one has to have the opportunity to go to sauna. So we decided to bring the whole group to Kuusijärvi, a small lake in Vantaa where they have saunas and it is possible to dip into the lake all year round. In March the lake was still frozen, but there was an open space for swimmers. And indeed, some of the group, actually quite many, embraced the challenge, went to sauna and into the lake. Some went quietly and quickly others took their time maybe screamed a little bit, returned into the sauna and then came back! From the French group at one point I heard the best feedback: “C’est trop bon le sauna!”
Bringing four nationalities together is not very easy. Our backgrounds are different and as a host we cannot predict what will surprise or seem boring, what is too easy, what seems impossible. I as a Finn cannot see the exotic in my home. This is the aspect that made us take a long time to decide about our activities.
Communication is the key
Hopefully the visit gave good memories and maybe something to think about later on. For us as hosts this visit was an opportunity to try to see our country, culture and school system from the outside. It makes us evaluate ourselves and see the good and the not so good.
Communication is the key and shared experiences bring people to a better understanding. Communication does not happen only with words, but also through music, movement, gestures and artefacts, objects, everything we do and create. The better we understand what lies behind the words the better we can communicate. We all have a lot to learn AND we have come a long way!
