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Program The
following were the 4 primary goals for the project: 1.
Heinavaara is a small, rural and poor community in Finland near the
Russian boarder. The community was losing residents and identity. To turn
around this trend the government decided to help give the village a symbol
of hope. A new elementary school for 190 students was chosen as the focus. 2.
Consistent with bringing hope to the community was the need for
economic development. The community's largest natural resource is its'
forest. Therefore it was decided that the school would be made out of wood
using the latest wood framing technologies. The most advanced development
of these concepts was in North America. Implementing this goal included
educating the construction and building trades on these methods. This
launched a new skill/industry in Finland. 3.
The educational goal was to provide the best in learning and
teaching processes for the children. Drawing on research both in Finland
and internationally, the primary strategy added to the existing pedagogy
was to enhance group learning. No longer would a classroom be an isolated
element. Rather it became a home base with a "window on the
world." This "connectivity was implemented throughout the
design. 4. Also consistent with bringing hope to the community was the need to provide a place for the community to gather. This meant that programmatically the school needed to serve as a center of community as well as for education. For
more information, contact Bruce Jilk: jilkx001@tc.umn.edu
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