Rebecca Koenig Interim Senior Editorial Director | EdSurge Research
Public school districts in the United States are dealing with challenges such as declining enrollment and reduced budgets, prompting leaders to look for effective ways to use their limited resources. One approach gaining traction is learning from global education systems through international study tours.
Dr. Laura Jacob, superintendent of the California Area School District in Pennsylvania and a member of the Digital Promise League of Innovative Schools, participated in such tours organized by Digital Promise in 2024 and 2025. She stated, “You learn more about your own system and ask better questions by examining other systems that are completely different.”
Over 60 education leaders joined these tours, which took place in Helsinki, Finland, and Montevideo, Uruguay. The tours are part of a 12- to 18-month collaborative learning program designed to help participants see how other countries address issues like whole-child development and technology-enabled learning. Leaders share insights and strategies that can be adapted for their local districts.
Dr. Jacob highlighted an example from Helsinki, where she learned about the “Fox Book,” an environmental curriculum using local animals to teach sustainability to elementary students. Inspired by this, she collaborated with her team in Pennsylvania to create “The Goat Book” — Growing Our Awareness Together — featuring local animals and aligning with state standards, using AI tools for development.
These experiences, combined with cultural immersion, provide district leaders with perspectives they can use to address local challenges.
Sandra Faioes, deputy superintendent for Norwalk Public Schools in Connecticut, joined the Digital Promise Whole-Child Development Implementation Cohort to learn how to better support students from diverse backgrounds. She visited Finland to observe its whole-child educational approach. “Everybody that's [in the Whole Child IC] has either tried something out, is in the process of actually building or enhancing these initiatives, or is seeking to learn what other people are doing. It was great to be with people who are all striving toward a similar goal,” she said.
Faioes noted Finland’s emphasis on outdoor play and exploration in schools. After returning to Connecticut, she organized professional development sessions for educators on play-based learning, aiming for research-based changes in classrooms. She said, “As a leader, [international study tours] inspire you to want to push people and reach for more. It inspires you to push the boundaries.”
Kellie Ady, senior director of education strategy and learning innovation at PowerSchool and a former district leader in Denver, Colorado, participated in the Montevideo tour. The group examined Uruguay’s efforts to provide equitable access to digital learning and observed teacher training in both rural and urban settings. Ady said, “It’s so easy to get stuck in your own context and only know the way you do things. An opportunity like this to not only step out of your own context, but step out of your own country context and learn from somebody else, and then have a network of people you're also learning alongside — it’s hard to quantify what an amazing experience that is.”
District leaders involved in these programs report that collaborating with peers internationally helps them develop actionable strategies for their home districts. As financial pressures increase, leaders emphasize the importance of making research-based decisions and collaborating to improve student outcomes.
For those interested in future opportunities, Digital Promise’s League of Innovative Schools continues to offer updates on international learning programs.
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