For the past 3 weeks, I have been apart of a study abroad program called DIS located in Copenhagen, Denmark. It has been such an amazing time so far exploring the city, meeting new people, and of course studying. There were many amazing course options to choose from, but I decided for my first session to take Children in a Multicultural Context. This course consisted of learning more about the education system in Denmark, as well as learning about children with different cultural backgrounds. For my class, we had some lectures, but mostly we were able to visit different types of schools all around Denmark. At these schools, we were able to interact and communicate with the students as both sides were interested in learning the similarities and differences of the education system around the world.
We visited a forest kindergarten, the University of Aarhus, a high school, and an elementary/middle school. Each school was very unique, ranging from the way it taught education to the subjects available. Some of the main differences I noticed while visiting these schools and talking to the children were the amount of independence the students were given as well as the cost of education. In Denmark, children are taught at a very early age to be independent and learn how to handle situations on their own. Many children around the city take public transportation alone at a young age, and are able to navigate safely to get to and from school. There also were no dress codes, so the kids were able to express themselves and wear what they would like. School is also free in Denmark, and in some cases the University will pay you to study and learn. When my class told the students at these different schools how much we pay for our education, especially college, they were shocked.
The next course which I am currently enrolled in is called the Philosophy of Happiness. Denmark is considered to be one of the happiest countries on earth, and I am looking forward to learning about why this is the case. This course delves deeper into learning about philosophy all around Denmark as well as studying pieces of work in various galleries and museums. I have been enjoying how hands-on each class has been and I am sad my experience here will be wrapping up in a few weeks. I would encourage everyone to take part of study abroad if they are interested as it is such an amazing opportunity and way to learn.