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| With Sam Norton from Kansas |
Fulbright Orientation for all the Fulbright Grantees to Finland. This three day event from January 24-26, included ice-skating, seminars, visit to US Embassy and the Design Museum.
The orientation started on Wednesday afternoon when the
spring awardees gathered around the ice skating ring near the Railway Station. Some skated and others stood around the ring and chattered. Skates were available for rent. The skating lasted for an hour and then we moved to Atheneum Bistro to have a meal. Chatter continued. It was nice to see all the Fulbright teachers I met last August in Washington DC.
Thursday
Day started with coffee and karjalanpiirakka at the Fulbright office in Hakaniemenranta 6. Some of the grantees from other cities stayed overnight at Kumulus hotel and Fulbright Finland team members escorted the grantees from the hotel lobby to Hakaniemenranta. I of course had to take a tram because my apartment is located in Helsinki.
Program schedule was tight.
8:45-9:15 We received orientation materials and had to introduce ourselves.
9:15-9:25 Introduction to the Fulbright Finland Orientation Program carried out by Mirka McIntire, Manager, Teacher Exchange and Education Programs, Fulbright Finland
9:25-10:10 U.S. Fulbrighters and the Fulbright Program in Finland: What Everyone Needs to Know by Terhi Mölsä, Chief Executive offcer, Fulbright Finland
10:10-10:15 Break. Everything was behind the doors and of course when you needed a bathroom, you had to ask some of the team members to open you the door.
10.15-11.00 Discussions
Key
Contacts During Your Fulbright and How ey Can Help You
· Host institutions’ role and services
· Fulbright Finland services
Karoliina Kokko, Senior Program Manager, Fulbright Finland Emmi
Jelekäinen, Program Coordinator, Fulbright Finland
Your
Role in Publicity and Outreach
· Social Media
· Media Outreach
· Fulbright Speaker Program
Terhi Mölsä, Chief Executive O cer, Fulbright Finland
Maija Kettunen, Communication and Events Coordinator, Fulbright Finland
Fulbright
Finland Events for Spring 2018
· Fulbright Finland Capacity Building Workshop on
Establishing Partnership Agreements with U.S. Universities to Increase
Student Mobility
· Fulbright Forum: Education, Innovation, Science and Art
· Fulbright Finland Grant Award Ceremony and Reception
Maija Kettunen, Communication and Events Coordinator,
Fulbright Finland
Inter-Country
Travel Grant Program
Emilia Holopainen, Program Coordinator, Fulbright Finland
11.00-11.10. Tauko - Break
11.10-12.10. Panel
Discussion: Finnish System of Education (K-12): National, Municipal and School-Level
Panelists:
Eija Kauppinen, Counsellor for Education, Finnish
National Agency for Education, Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching
2010-2011
Salla Sissonen, Pedagogical Designer for Basic Education, City of Turku,
Department of Education
Sanna Leinonen, English and Special Education Teacher,
Ylöjärvi High School, Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching
2017-2018. I had met Sanna earlier in Washington DC. Truly a remarkable teacher!
Moderator:
Mirka McIntire, Manager, Teacher Exchange and Education Programs,
Fulbright Finland
This session was very good. We were able to ask questions on
anything.
12.10-13.20. Lounas - Lunch at Restaurant
Boat Wäiski. This was an old boat parked right outside the Fulbright
office at Hakaniemenranta. I had been
there once before when my was still alive in Helsinki. We took Jussi Pekkala there to eat. Nice buffet and of course I ate too
much. It was Thursday so they served
pea soup and pancakes plus several other meat and vegetable dishes. I had to taste everything.
13.30-14.00 Teacher Education in Finland
Jari
Lavonen, Head of the Department of Teacher Education, University of Helsinki. He was little late
because he went to place where he had given a speech for the previous
Fulbrighters. He has not checked the
schedule this time.
14.00-14.45 Finnish System of Higher Education and
Research
· Differences between universities and universities of
applied sciences (UAS)
· Finnish system of higher education and research
· Internationalization in Finnish higher education and
research
Timo Korkeamäki, Dean of Research, Professor in
Finance, Hanken School of Economics Teemu Kokko, President, Haaga-Helia
University of Applied Sciences
Moderator:
Terhi Mölsä, Chief Executive Officer, Fulbright Finland
14.45-15.00
Tauko -
Break
15.00-16.15 Break-out Sessions for Fulbright Teachers
and Scholars
Group
1: Teachers: Schools and Teachers in the Finnish System. I of course attended this session.
Facilitator:
Mirka McIntire, Manager, Teacher Exchange and Education Programs,
Fulbright Finland
Discussion
leaders:
Maija Heikkilä, Teacher of English, Helsinki University
Teacher Training School, Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching 2016-2017
Emilia Heimonen, English and Swedish Teacher, Nummen yhtenäiskoulu,
Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching 2017-2018
Sanna Leinonen, English and Special Education Teacher,
Ylöjärvi High School, Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching 2017-2018
Tarja Mykrä, Pedagogical Specialist, Mercuria Business College, Fulbright
Distinguished Awards in Teaching 2015-2016
Andrea Schmuttermair, Primary Maths and Science Teacher,
International School Campus Hamburg, Fulbright Distinguished Awards in
Teaching 2016-2017
Group
2: Scholars: Higher Education and Research Environment in Finland. There were 6 scholars who attended this session.
16:30 Bus
left from Hakaniemenranta 6 to the U.S. Embassy. Rick came to this event. He waited for us in the lobby and joined
the busride.
17:00-18:30
Informal Welcome Get-Together at the U.S. Embassy
U.S. Embassy, Itäinen Puistotie 14 B, Innovation Center Gate
Host:
T.J. Grubisha, Counselor for Public A airs, U.S. Embassy, Chair of the
Fulbright Finland Foundation Board
I so looked forward to this event, but it was a disaster to my opinion. First of all, it took
almost an hour for everyone to get through the security checkpoint. It was like going through a security check at the airport. Then we were not allowed to wander
around the compound. We stayed in the same plain, uninviting room, ate pizza and drank sodas.
Nobody from the Embassy talked to us and no welcome speeches. I expected the embassy to treat us like we were "royals". What a disappointment! We took
tram back to our apartment.
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| Outside the US Embassy in Eira |
Friday,
26. January
8.45-9.00Aamukahvi
-
Morning Coffee; Recap
9.00-9.15 American Resource Center
Introduction & Resources for Fulbrighters
Taina
Iduozee, American Resource Center Director, American Resource Center
9.15-9.25
U.S. Citizen Services
·
Registering
·
Passport replacement
·
24/7 emergency phone number: +358-9-616-250 (select 0)
·
STEP
·
Travel to neighboring countries
·
Other citizen services
Jeremy Wisemiller, Consul, U.S. Consulate
9.25-9.55Grantee-Alumni Continuum
Emilia Holopainen, Program Coordinator, Fulbright Finland
Webinar Q&A
NB. is session assumes that you have either attended the pre-arrival
webinar or viewed the recording of it.
Mirka McIntire, Manager, Teacher Exchange and Education Programs, Fulbright Finland Emmi Jelekäinen, Program Coordinator, Fulbright Finland
Notifcation of Grant Award to Finnish Tax Authority (VERO)
Pia Arola, Executive Assistant, Fulbright Finland
9.55-10.10 Tauko - Break
10.40-11.10 10,000 Years of Finnish History in 30 Minutes
Birger Holm, Principal, Espoonlahti School
10.40-11.10 Suomi 101
Elisa Repo, University Teacher, University of Turku, Finnish Language and Culture Teaching Assistant 2014-2015
11.15 Lounas – Lunch
12.15 Departure from Haka6 by Tram to the Finnish Design Museum.
Design Museum, Korkeavuorenkatu 23
13.00 Design Museum Tour
Guide: Hanna Kapanen, Educational Curator, Design Museum
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| New Fulbrighters sitting on the steps at the Design Museum. |
14.15-15.00 Wrap-up, Evaluations and Certifcates
Terhi Mölsä, Chief Executive Officer, Fulbright Finland
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| "Graduation diploma". |
15.00 Orientation Seminar Ended
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