Company Profile: "Fun Learning" Lands in the U.S.
After igniting a Fun Learning revolution in China and Singapore, the Fun Learning concept has now landed in North America. The concept has received very positive feedback in Asia where parents and teachers are encouraged by the new approach.
The Fun Learning concept focuses on motivating the kids by letting learning be fun. This approach is based on the pedagogic practices used in Finland, a country that is globally known for the outstanding learning results its school system is achieving.
The Finnish company behind the Fun Learning approach is called Fun Academy. The company has its roots in Rovio Entertainment, the creators of Angry Birds. The company was spun off from Rovio in December 2015, and it continues the work that Rovio has done around the Fun Learning concept over the past five years.
While the fun side has its heritage in Rovio, the pedagogic strength of Fun Learning is based on research, and benefits from co-operation with universities, like the University of Helsinki (which is also one of the owners of Fun Academy), and the Beijing Normal University.
The Fun Learning approach involves and empowers teachers to be at the center of the digital revolution in schools. Teachers need curated high-quality selections of digital learning content, and tools for creating interactive lessons themselves. Fun Academy’s co-operation with universities also includes development programs for in-service teachers in the areas of digital pedagogy and Fun Learning.
St. Paul City School first licensee in the U.S.
Fun Academy’s first product is called the Angry Birds Playground, which is an early years education program for 3 to 6 year old children. The program is licensed to pre-K and kindergarten operators, and the first licensee in the U.S. is the St. Paul City School charter school in Minnesota.
Nancy Dana, Executive Director of St. Paul City School participated in the Fun Learning seminar that Fun Academy organized in conjunction with the White House Easter Egg Roll in Washington D.C. on Easter Monday, March 28. The seminar gathered a wonderful group of teachers and educators at the National Geographic Society building that served as the venue of the event.
“We are extremely excited to be discussing early years education and Fun Learning here in the U.S. where we see tremendous interest in figuring out a better future in education for all our children. We work together with teachers to help children understand how the world works and to identify their strengths - in context of their community and the world. We must Educate to Unite,” says Sanna Lukander, Co-founder of the company.
Read more about the company and about the Fun Learning concept: www.funacademy.fi
Text: Pär Andler, Co-founder of Fun Academy