Amazing journey with Zero-to-Hero
Reetta Kaasalainen is a Finnish early learning educator who spent a month with Zero-to-Hero at Na Yom, Thailand. This visit was funded by KCF as part of its teacher exchange program. During the visit, Reetta actively participated in the daily life of Z2H Project …
The building looks the same as any public school building I’ve seen in Thailand. But when you step into the classroom, you know right away something magical is taking place here. Teachers laugh together with children, the air is filled with joy and enthusiasm. In Na Yom, central Thailand, Zero-to-Hero foundation, more precisely Jo and Dan Rubinstein together with their local dream team and support from KCF, aims to make a big change happen, starting with the smallest children and their families.
Zero-to-Hero foundation is bringing Finnish influence to the way children are brought up and educated in Thailand. They wish to make learning more active and joyful - for both children and adults. At the moment they are running a baby club for babies and their grandparents and implementing the High Scope model based on active learning at the Huana Day Care program. The long-term goal of Zero-to-Hero Foundation is to expand their model throughout the local Huana School, starting from grade 1 where children are already practicing English with the Moomin Language School program.
During my one month in Na Yom I worked with children at preschool, taught English at primary school, had a project with grades 3-6 where they created their own News about Finland and naturally, as it was December, threw a Christmas party together with the children. I tried to show children and teachers what active learning actually means in practice. Every day after school we also literally got active as we gathered on the big field to play football together. The sun was burning but no one seemed to mind. We were having fun!
Children made decorations for the Christmas party using the trash they collected.
My aim was to model the Finnish way of teaching but also the Finnish way of interacting with students. In Thailand children are used to studying by watching a national teaching program on tv or repeating monotonically phrases after their teacher. Seeing children enjoying learning, opening up, having courage to share their opinions and taking initiative when they didn’t have to be afraid of wrong answers or sit quietly and listen, shows that every child has a huge potential. Teachers just need to be open for the change, willing to grow professionally and work together. Sounds easier than what it is in practice.
As Thailand wishes to move towards a value-based society, education holds the key to making the change happen. This includes not only children but teachers as well. Jo, Dan and I spent hours discussing the importance of teachers for the success of this project. The big challenge for the future of the project will be where to find teachers who can meet the standards set by the project.
Change is always hard but through their persistence and great work Jo and Dan have managed to convince both families and professionals of their model, which is now spreading slowly but steadily. It is touching to see what effect they’ve already had, and I can see this project having a huge positive influence on the whole village. More importantly, the work Zero-to-Hero is doing is not only meaningful for the village of Na Yom but holds the potential to act as a model that helps Thailand reach their goals as a society.
About the Author
I’m Reetta, a passionate educator from Finland, always curious to learn more. The last years I’ve spent designing daycares, training teachers and visiting several education projects around the world, both for work and pleasure.
