Private businesses support and enhance the Estonian educational establishment
Good Deed School Leadership Internship: Bridging Education and Business in Estonia
Get ready to learn as Estonia's education bigwigs and private sector powerhouses join forces to swap ideas. The Good Deed Education Fund, Tallinn Education Board, and Fontes Talent Advisory have teamed up to create an internship program that shakes up the conventional school management practices.
- Featured in collaboration with Education Estonia
Say hello to HK Unicorn Squad, a cutting-edge initiative that empowers young girls with tech, robotics, and science knowledge. Its ultimate goal? To shrink the gender divide in the ICT sector, with 154 Unicorn groups now blazing trails across 92 schools in Estonia. Edumus brings schools and experts together, connecting over 80 schools nationwide to give students the best online courses available.
But let's talk about the Good Deed Education Fund. This remarkable initiative, launched in 2018 by entrepreneurs Artur Taevere, Hannes Tamjärv, Martin Villig, and Taavet Hinrikus, aims to improve education quality by addressing three key issues: the quality of school management, the teacher shortage, and the art of learning. By focusing on ideas that have a tangible impact on education quality, this fund fosters collaboration with leaders from various sectors, including the public, private, and non-profit.
So what happens when you blend private sector management culture with school leadership? Fresh ideas, of course! Martin Villig, the chairman of the Good Deed Foundation, explained that the foundation supports education because it's the foundation of a smarter, healthier, and more balanced society. The internship program, launched in 2019, is an excellent example of cross-sector collaboration that has drawn on the talents of school principals since its inception.
The program has been instrumental in encouraging school principals to step outside their comfort zones, gain new perspectives, and return to their schools with innovative ideas. The participating schools run the gamut from major cities to smaller municipalities, with the program growing ever more popular.
The role of the public sector in this initiative is essential. School administrators work to identify candidates, organize substitutions, and cover the cost of participation, making it a truly collaborative effort.
School leaders who have taken part have shared their experiences, highlighting the transformative impact on their outlook. Tartu Jaan Poska High School's Mari Roostik reported better communication within the school, more efficient use of data for decision-making, and a renewed focus on teams and employee well-being. The Art Gymnasium's Mari-Liis Sults brought back changes to internal communication, creating transparency and streamlining the flow of information to improve efficiency and reduce stress levels.
On the other side, companies gain fresh, external perspectives. Pipedrive, an Estonian sales management software company, and Wise (formerly TransferWise), value the insights they gain from collaborating with education leaders. These enhanced partnerships help these companies communicate more effectively with stakeholders outside their industry, fostering dialogue and innovation.
- The Good Deed Education Fund, a remarkable initiative launched by entrepreneurs, aims to improve education quality by focusing on ideas that have a tangible impact, such as school management practices, teacher shortage, and the art of learning.
- The internship program, supported by the Good Deed Foundation, brings together school principals and leaders from various sectors, encouraging them to step outside their comfort zones and return to their schools with innovative ideas.
- HK Unicorn Squad, a cutting-edge initiative, empowers young girls with tech, robotics, and science knowledge, with the ultimate goal of shrinking the gender divide in the ICT sector.
- Edumus, a platform that connects schools and experts, offers students the best online courses available, contributing to the overall quality of education in Estonia.
- The Tallinn Education Board, along with the Good Deed Education Fund and Fontes Talent Advisory, created an internship program that combines private sector management culture with school leadership, fostering fresh ideas.
- The public sector plays a crucial role in this initiative, as school administrators work to identify candidates, organize substitutions, and cover the cost of participation, making it a truly collaborative effort.
- Companies participating in this initiative, such as Pipedrive and Wise, gain fresh, external perspectives from collaborating with education leaders, fostering dialogue and innovation.
- School leaders who have taken part in the internship program have reported improvements in communication, data decision-making, team management, and employee well-being, demonstrating the transformative impact of this cross-sector collaboration.
