The document discusses the work of Culture Leap, an organization that develops cultural education plans and methods to provide all children equal access to cultural experiences. It notes that Culture Leap operates nationwide in Finland and with EU projects, focusing on cultural heritage education. Culture Leap created an online service to help municipalities develop their own cultural education plans, which have led to over 90 plans being implemented. The plans guarantee children can experience local culture through activities integrated into different school subjects. Examples from two cities that worked with Culture Leap show how cultural education plans have increased cultural opportunities for children.

1. Cultural leap – Educational Programme
Ira Vihreälehto
Association of Cultural Heritage
Education in Finland
ira_vihrealehto

2. • We work nationwide and also with
2 EU-projects
• We work in cooperation with
culture, education, youth,
environment, and sustainable
policy sectors
• We develop methods and tools for
cultural heritage education
📍We are located in Helsinki at the
House of Nobility

3. 🔉We talk about
learning, not
teaching
🔉 Every child has the
right to experience
culture and to visit
cultural sites; the right
to interpret, shape and
produce culture
🔉 We concentrate on
things that unite us, not
the differences between
cultures

4. Cultural Participation
• Participation in cultural activities is a
human right
• QUESTION: Why does one child
participate while another does not?
• STUDY: 85% of Finnish children
have a hobby and 85% of
municipalities currently provide
basic art education
• STUDY: A child experiences fewer
barriers to and more positive
feelings about museums the higher
the socio-economic status of the
family

5. In Culture Leap we asked:
• How do schools choose the sites
to visit?
• What is the minimum that children
should learn or experience of their
cultural heritage?
• Who pays for the tickets or
transport costs?
• Are schools and kindergartens
aware of what is happening and
where to visit in their municipality
or region?
• What will children learn if they are
involved?
• Who plans these activities?

6. We answered: Cultural Education Plan
• Guarantees that all children and
young people have equal
opportunities to experience and
participate in their local culture
• Applies to all grades (in Finland 1–9,
sometimes also daycare)
• It includes art in all forms, culture
services and institutions, cultural
heritage and art education
• Is a local agreement between
educational and culture services
• Is always written in cooperation with
education and culture sector
professionals
• Is integrated with different subjects

7. • We created an online service to help develop
cultural education plans
• Available in Finnish/Swedish/English
• http://kulttuurikasvatussuunnitelma.fi/en/

8. • Prior to Culture Leap,
only 43 of the 311
municipalities in Finland
had Cultural Education
Plans
• Now over 90 plans have
been implemented and a
further 50 plans are in
development
• Workshops have taken
place in 17 locations,
reaching 83 municipalities

9. Example: City of Seinäjoki
• Population: +63 000
• Pupils: + 6 800
• Budget 2019: around 50 000€
• “Now after 3 years I can say
that teachers appreciate this
more every year”
• “Architecture workshops in
particular get great feedback”
• Culture Leap organized a
Seinäjoki workshop in 2016
Questions? aila.taivalmaki@seinajoki.fi

10. Example: City of Rauma
• Population: +40 000
• Pupils: + 2 500
• Coordinator:
• Budget 2019:
• Culture Leap organized a Pori
workshop (a town near
Rauma) in 2016

11. • ”The project outlines an inclusive and
flexible approach to educational
planning through an innovative use of
digital technology, which is relevant
at local, national and European
levels.”.
• ”Culture Leap has stressed the
importance of including education
related to the arts, culture and
heritage in the regular curriculum, in
turn underlining its important role in
creating responsible citizenship and
instilling value in innovation and
creativity”

12. Future challenges?
• Demographic changes: the
diversity of languages and
cultural backgrounds is
increasing
• The number of children is
decreasing in Finland
• Cultural rights apply to the
whole population, there
should be plans for adults
and seniors as well

13. Culture Leap 2015-2016
• The Association of Cultural
Heritage Education in Finland
• Finnish Network of Children’s
Cultural Centers
• The partners:
• The Association of Finnish Local
and Regional Authorities
• The Finnish National Board of
Education and Culture
• The Arts Promotion Centre Finland