About this tour
How does rough landscape, ancient storytelling traditions, and cultural history shape a nation’s approach to childhood and education? This week-long Study Tour to Iceland investigates how the country’s education system is shaped by its dramatic geography, rich storytelling traditions, and deep connection to nature, and how it contributes to children’s development, learning and sense of identity and belonging.
While Iceland is our main focus, the tour also encourages reflection on how other former Danish territories such as Island, the Faroe Islands and Greenland have approached education in different ways. Iceland emphasizes locally rooted place-based knowledge alongside global perspectives, whereas the Faroe Islands have focused on strengthening national identity and the Faroese language. Greenland, in contrast, continues to face ongoing political and organizational challenges in aligning its education system with local culture and community priorities. Comparing these approaches provides a framework for thinking about how education can respond to culture, history, and identity in different historical and cultural contexts after Danish colonial rule.
By integrating research, theory, and classroom practice, this tour offers an immersive experience where ideas from readings about Nordic child development and education meet real-world observation. Visits to schools, cultural sites, and Iceland’s extraordinary landscapes will allow students to see first-hand how storytelling, heritage, and place come together to shape children’s learning, development, and sense of identity.
Learning outcomes
- Analyze how Icelandic education integrates place-based learning and the relationship between nature, landscape, and childhood
- Explore the influence of the Icelandic sagas and storytelling traditions on contemporary ideas about learning, culture, and identity
- Examine how Iceland balances local educational traditions with broader goals such as critical thinking and global citizenship
- Compare the distinct approaches of Iceland, the Faroe Islands, and Greenland in shaping education systems in relation to culture, language, and their historical ties to Denmark
Possible activities
- Observe how Icelandic preschools and schools integrate nature, outdoor environments, and local landscapes into daily practice, and how cultural narratives shape pedagogy
- Engage with Icelandic educators and researchers to discuss the interplay of culture, language, and storytelling in educational approaches and conceptions of childhood
- Explore Iceland’s literary heritage through visits to historical and cultural sites, examining the role of the sagas and storytelling in shaping national identity and educational values
- Experience Iceland’s unique environment firsthand through outdoor tours, fostering a deeper understanding of why nature and place are central to Icelandic culture, identity, and educational philosophy