The English kindergarten of Kotka

Name: The English kindergarten of Kotka
Start: 2023-01-01
End: 2027-12-30
Location: Kotka, Finland

Code: 0922a640-a929-11ed-b9af-fa163ef8d720 Copied

Finland Education Children Education Children Permanent

About the project

📝 Detailed information

🏢 About the local organisation

The English Kindergarten of Kotka (Kotkan englanninkielinen leikkikoulu in Finnish) provides bilingual early childhood education in English and Finnish for children aged 2–6. The kindergarten is run by the Finnish-American Society and focuses on fostering a caring and respectful learning environment that instills a sense of global awareness and equity. There are 40–45 children in three groups, 4 teachers, and 4 nursery nurses in the kindergarten. The kindergarten values every child’s uniqueness, respect towards others and the environment, and good manners. Its goal is to introduce children to the English language and culture through play and structured activities and strengthen their self-esteem. Volunteers play an important role in this by engaging with the children and sharing their own cultural background.

💼 What the programme involves

Volunteers support teachers with daily routines and activities, play with the children, and help with cleaning tasks, e.g. laundry and changing the sheets. They also introduce cultural diversity. The role provides opportunities to improve English skills, learn Finnish, and experience Finnish culture firsthand.

🏠 Accommodation on site

Volunteers stay with a host family and should be open to adapting to family life. Breakfast, lunch, and afternoon snack are provided at the kindergarten on school days. Other meals are provided by the host family at other times.

📍 About the location

Kotka is a coastal city in southeast Finland with a population of about 55,000. It is situated about 130 kilometers away from Helsinki. Kotka has good public transport connections and offers a variety of recreational activities such as music, sports, and gym facilities