Finnish education abroad

Finnish education in Atlanta

Atlanta has a well-established international school scene built around the IB, plus an active Finnish language community, but no school currently teaches with Finland's own K-5 pedagogy.

In brief

Atlanta International School is a long-running IB World School serving 3K to Grade 12 with full and dual-language immersion.
The Finnish School in Atlanta (Suomikoulu) teaches Finnish language to children in the area outside regular school hours.
New Finnish-American school models, such as the Lumo-ISS approach, are being developed in the US to combine Finnish pedagogy with locally accredited curricula.
No Atlanta school currently offers Finland's full K-5 pedagogy as its everyday teaching approach.

What Atlanta families can access today

Atlanta International School has offered the IB World School curriculum from 3K through Grade 12 for decades, with strong language immersion options. It is a well-regarded international choice, but its pedagogy is built around IB frameworks rather than Finland's own approach to primary teaching.

For Finnish language and culture specifically, the Finnish School in Atlanta runs supplementary classes outside the regular school week, serving families who want to keep the language alive alongside mainstream American schooling.

IB and Finnish pedagogy are not interchangeable

The IB's Primary Years Programme shares some values with Finland, including inquiry and a broad view of the learner, and a fuller comparison is in Finnish pedagogy vs IB PYP. But Finland's own model has distinct features an IB school does not automatically replicate: very light formal assessment before age 10, phenomenon-based learning woven through the week rather than as a separate unit, and a K-5-first structure built around play and outdoor time.

There are also early signs of a more direct route. Finnish-American school models like Lumo-ISS are being developed specifically to bring Finnish pedagogical methods into US-accredited curricula from kindergarten through grade 12.

How a school in Atlanta could adopt Finnish pedagogy

An existing Atlanta school, whether independent, charter, or international, can bring in Finnish methods through affiliation rather than replacing its accreditation. The process, covering staff training and curriculum adaptation, is set out in how to start a Finnish curriculum school in the USA.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a Finnish curriculum school in Atlanta?

Not yet. Atlanta families currently choose between IB and mainstream American schools, with the Finnish School in Atlanta covering language and culture outside school hours.

Is the IB the same as Finnish pedagogy?

No. They share some values, like inquiry-based learning, but Finland's approach has distinct features around assessment, phenomenon-based learning, and the early years that an IB school does not automatically include.

Could an Atlanta school adopt Finnish pedagogy without giving up its accreditation?

Yes. Affiliation trains K-5 staff in Finnish methods and adapts units while the school keeps its existing accreditation and framework.

Bring Finnish pedagogy to your school

OPPI affiliates a selective cohort of schools each year for its K-5 Finnish-pedagogy programme, backed by Education Finland. Tell us about your school and our team will reach out.

Backed by Education Finland. Over 20 schools have already affiliated, including DPS, Radcliffe and Sanctus. Places in each cohort are limited.

Apply to the affiliation cohort →