Art Alum Brings Finnish Culture Back to Pittsburgh
Holly Adams ’94 Shares Fulbright-Hays Program Experience with Elementary Students
Holly Adams has worked with students at St. Edmund’s Academy in Pittsburgh for nearly 20 years, helping them create art and learn more about the world around them.
St. Edmund’s Academy is the first school in Western Pennsylvania designated as a Global Goals School, part of a United Nations project designed to create a world in which every student is equipped with environmental and social knowledge, values and skills to shape a prosperous and sustainable future. Adams completed a six-month training program with the U.N. in 2023.
In the summer of 2024, Adams expanded her global footprint by traveling to Finland for a month as part of the Fulbright-Hays Seminars Abroad Program with 15 other K-8 teachers.
“We got to meet a lot of educators from all over Finland and travel to pretty much every region of the country. In Finnish culture, people spend a lot of time outdoors and we did too; it’s a beautiful place,” Adams said. “It was an incredible experience that I’m going to continue to unpack for a long time.”
As part of the application process, Adams submitted an updated curriculum for the fourth graders in her current class, “Global Arts & Sustainable Development Goals.” After her trip she has been expanding the curriculum for her other three grade levels with a focus on the school’s year end symposium. Adams has the opportunity to work with her students in each grade level three days a week thanks to St. Edmund’s emphasis on the arts.
“We can really create some momentum for learning. Every day when you’re teaching elementary school is different. Each class has its own dynamic that’s created by all the different personalities and it’s always changing and evolving,” Adams said. “The kids are curious and they really keep me on my toes.”
Adams had a chance to indulge her own curiosity in the summer of 2024. Her previous professional development experience had focused around teaching tools and classroom management, but she was led to apply for the Fulbright-Hays program by her own interests.
With encouragement from a colleague who had been through the program, she had been looking at Fulbright opportunities. Each year has a different theme and country. When she read the description for the Finland program and its emphasis on education, nature and sustainability, she felt an instant connection.
“Seton Hill helped me become a serious student and to take my learning seriously. My choice to do the Fulbright had more to do with my love of learning as an individual,” Adams said. “Education, nature and sustainability are three of my passions; it felt like the program was made for me.”
Finland’s top ranked education system and high happiness rating had captured Holly’s interest before her trip, and she enjoyed interacting with both her fellow travelers and the Finnish educators they met while traveling around the country.
Some of her highlights included finding a copy of the national curriculum in English, which she was able to bring back home to examine more closely. She was surprised to find that most people she met spoke English, and even the shop names were in English, making it very easy to navigate the country.
Adams also came to realize the value that the Fins place on creating a resilient, connected society. The emphasis on civic responsibility begins at the elementary school level and is carried through to adulthood with supportive social programs.
The close knit community at St. Edmund’s has amplified the impact of her time in Finland and she has plans to share what she learned not just with her students, but also with parents this spring.
“Just being able to go somewhere that was so intellectually stimulating was a treat and then to be able to come back and share it with my students it’s been a thrill for all of us. To teachers who are looking for professional development, I would recommend they do something that feeds their creative fire and their passion for learning and the rest will come naturally.”
St. Edmund’s Academy is the first school in Western Pennsylvania designated as a Global Goals School, part of a United Nations project designed to create a world in which every student is equipped with environmental and social knowledge, values and skills to shape a prosperous and sustainable future. Adams completed a six-month training program with the U.N. in 2023.
In the summer of 2024, Adams expanded her global footprint by traveling to Finland for a month as part of the Fulbright-Hays Seminars Abroad Program with 15 other K-8 teachers.
“We got to meet a lot of educators from all over Finland and travel to pretty much every region of the country. In Finnish culture, people spend a lot of time outdoors and we did too; it’s a beautiful place,” Adams said. “It was an incredible experience that I’m going to continue to unpack for a long time.”
As part of the application process, Adams submitted an updated curriculum for the fourth graders in her current class, “Global Arts & Sustainable Development Goals.” After her trip she has been expanding the curriculum for her other three grade levels with a focus on the school’s year end symposium. Adams has the opportunity to work with her students in each grade level three days a week thanks to St. Edmund’s emphasis on the arts.
“We can really create some momentum for learning. Every day when you’re teaching elementary school is different. Each class has its own dynamic that’s created by all the different personalities and it’s always changing and evolving,” Adams said. “The kids are curious and they really keep me on my toes.”
Adams had a chance to indulge her own curiosity in the summer of 2024. Her previous professional development experience had focused around teaching tools and classroom management, but she was led to apply for the Fulbright-Hays program by her own interests.
With encouragement from a colleague who had been through the program, she had been looking at Fulbright opportunities. Each year has a different theme and country. When she read the description for the Finland program and its emphasis on education, nature and sustainability, she felt an instant connection.
“Seton Hill helped me become a serious student and to take my learning seriously. My choice to do the Fulbright had more to do with my love of learning as an individual,” Adams said. “Education, nature and sustainability are three of my passions; it felt like the program was made for me.”
Finland’s top ranked education system and high happiness rating had captured Holly’s interest before her trip, and she enjoyed interacting with both her fellow travelers and the Finnish educators they met while traveling around the country.
Some of her highlights included finding a copy of the national curriculum in English, which she was able to bring back home to examine more closely. She was surprised to find that most people she met spoke English, and even the shop names were in English, making it very easy to navigate the country.
Adams also came to realize the value that the Fins place on creating a resilient, connected society. The emphasis on civic responsibility begins at the elementary school level and is carried through to adulthood with supportive social programs.
The close knit community at St. Edmund’s has amplified the impact of her time in Finland and she has plans to share what she learned not just with her students, but also with parents this spring.
“Just being able to go somewhere that was so intellectually stimulating was a treat and then to be able to come back and share it with my students it’s been a thrill for all of us. To teachers who are looking for professional development, I would recommend they do something that feeds their creative fire and their passion for learning and the rest will come naturally.”