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Jackson Middle School, CPHS and CBPA host educators from Finland

Jackson Middle School observatory coordinator Ron Schmit sharing information about the school's observatory with guests(11/04/2022) Jackson Middle School - A Specialty School for Math and Science (JMS) hosted six educators from Finland Nov. 3 for a day-long glimpse of the U.S. education system from the Anoka-Hennepin perspective.

The Finnish guests toured Champlin Park High School - International Baccalaureate Programme (CPHS), JMS and Champlin-Brooklyn Park Academy for Math and Science all in one day and have been spending time in the state visiting a variety of schools and districts. 

JMS principal Joel Young became connected with the group of educators through a friend, Dr. Sean Wachsmuth, who spent a year teaching at the University of Turku in Finland as a Fulbright Scholar. 

Teachers and staff shared their experiences as educators and the guests visited classrooms at each site, seeing all of the great things Anoka-Hennepin has to offer. All three schools have specialty programs, where programming is integrated into the curriculum to provide unique learning experiences. 

CPHS activities director Matt Mattson shared how athletics and activities are integrated into the U.S. school system, which was an unusual system for the visitors. In Finland, sports and activities are not offered through school systems, but many people join club sports teams. 

View photos of the visit during the JMS portion of the visit.