A Day at the Embassy

Students from Harriet Tubman Elementary School took a deep dive into Finnish culture at the Finnish Embassy as part of the Embassy Adoption Program (EAP), a global education and enrichment program.

The Embassy Adoption Program, a program presented in partnership by DC Public Schools and Washington Performing Arts, is described by the local public school system as an “interdisciplinary approach to learning the content, concepts and 21st century skills necessary to succeed in an increasingly interconnected and culturally diverse world.”

The program allows fifth and sixth graders to learn about the language, history and culture of their partner country. Teachers host their diplomat partners for classroom visits or field trips during the course of a school year. At the end of the program, students give a Capstone Presentation to demonstrate what they have learned.

The Embassy Adoption Program team paired the Finnish Embassy with fifth graders from Tubman Elementary for the school year 2021-22 during which students, teachers, and embassy staff met both virtually and in person. In early June, it was time to visit the embassy for the Capstone Presentations, which the students had prepared with Ms. Morrell and Ms. Bechill.

The participating students were greeted by Katri Källbacka, a public diplomacy attaché coordinating the program at the Embassy of Finland, and Otto Mattila, a public diplomacy assistant, who held an introduction session on the building’s history and architecture. 

The students explored Finlandia Hall, the embassy’s airy event space, and the adjoining catwalk and patio overlooking a patch of forest in the Woodland-Normanstone neighborhood.

The group was then seated at Finlandia Hall for the students’ Capstone Presentations, which covered topics from Finnish art to the concept of sisu. Some students had chosen to learn Finnish, while others had concentrated on Finnish visual arts, presenting an incredible range of talent.









The group then enjoyed a cookie break and watched an episode of Moominvalley, whose characters were already familiar to Joshua, who watches the show with his little brother. The students had also visited a Moomin animation exhibition at the National Children’s Museum earlier during the school year.

Based on all that he’s learned, Joshua would be interested in visiting Finland in the future. “People have told me there’s lots of snow in Finland," he added. "Me and my brother actually like snow, so it would be fun to play a snowball fight too.”

Oliver and Jose enjoyed their time at the catwalk and patio. Oliver’s favorite was his field trip to the Embassy Adoption Program. Jose was most surprised about Finnish art. Both would like to visit Finland.

“The Embassy of Finland has been a wonderful partner for years and years, always providing such amazing experiences for students to connect with Finland,” said Trisha Taylor, Assistant Director of Education for Washington Performing Arts.

The program even continued during the pandemic: “We did virtual visits with the embassies and the schools," Trisha explained. "Our program did become just a tiny bit smaller, but we still continued throughout.

Ms. Taylor noted that this year the kids were focused on nature, animals, art and the beauty of Finland. She recalled a visit from four years ago, when a student’s most fun fact was that sometimes it’s so cold that students ski to school. “There’s always something that’s so delightful.”

Katri Källbacka said the Embassy of Finland was honored and thankful to host the students from Tubman Elementary.