Finnish education in Denver
Denver's international school options, including Colorado International School and the International School of Denver, are built around the IB rather than Finland's own K-5 approach.
- Colorado International School (CoIS) is a private, non-profit IB World School serving pre-kindergarten through grade 8.
- International School of Denver is a multicultural, multilingual IB World School for pre-K through grade 8.
- Neither school currently teaches with Finland's own K-5 pedagogy as its core model.
- Finnish-American school models are emerging elsewhere in the US that combine Finnish methods with locally accredited curricula, a route Denver schools could also follow.
Denver's current international options
Families in Denver looking for an alternative to mainstream American public schooling generally choose between IB World Schools such as Colorado International School and the International School of Denver, both multilingual and multicultural in focus. These are strong programmes, but their pedagogy is built around IB frameworks, not Finland's own approach to the primary years.
There is currently no school in Denver teaching with Finland's early childhood approach, phenomenon-based primary curriculum, or light-touch assessment model.
What Finnish pedagogy would add
The IB's Primary Years Programme and Finnish pedagogy overlap on inquiry and a broad view of the child, a comparison covered fully in Finnish pedagogy vs IB PYP. Finland's model adds specifics an IB school does not automatically include: outdoor time and short breaks built into every school day, phenomenon-based learning as the default way subjects connect rather than a special project, and formal grades held back until the later primary years.
The route for a Denver school
A Colorado school does not need to abandon its existing accreditation to bring Finnish methods into its K-5 classrooms. Affiliation trains staff and adapts curriculum while the school keeps its current framework, a process explained in how to start a Finnish curriculum school in the USA.
Frequently asked questions
Does Denver have a Finnish curriculum school?
Not currently. Denver's international options, Colorado International School and the International School of Denver, both follow IB curricula rather than Finland's own model.
How is Finnish pedagogy different from the IB Primary Years Programme?
Both value inquiry and a broad view of the learner, but Finnish pedagogy adds specifics like daily outdoor breaks, phenomenon-based learning as the default rather than a special project, and delayed formal grading.
Can a Denver school bring in Finnish pedagogy while keeping its accreditation?
Yes, through affiliation a school keeps its existing accreditation and framework while training K-5 staff in Finnish methods.
Related reading
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 →