Sini Viinikka_Lappia_inclusion

Sini Viinikka

Sini Viinikka a is a vocational teacher specializing in the restaurant and catering sector, working across the Lapland region of Finland. Her background combines practical experience in hospitality with pedagogical training, enabling her to deliver hands-on, industry-relevant education.
In addition to her teaching role, Sini is qualified in natural product processing. She focuses on refining wild ingredients such as berries and herbs, integrating sustainable practices and regional traditions into vocational learning. Her expertise supports the development of local food culture and environmentally conscious production methods.

Sini also holds a qualification in special education. Inclusion is a guiding principle in her work, and she actively adapts teaching methods to support learners with diverse needs. She promotes accessible learning environments and contributes to curriculum development with a focus on equity.
She has participated in several development projects, including the creation of multilingual qualification modules for vocational education. These initiatives aim to improve access for non-Finnish-speaking students and respond to the growing internationalization of the region.
International cooperation is another area of interest. Sini supports cross-border educational projects and encourages students to engage with global perspectives. Her work includes collaboration with partner institutions and participation in mobility programs.

Outside of work, Sini enjoys spending time in nature. Her hobbies include foraging BIDS canoeing and making handmade soaps—activities that reflect her interest in natural materials and sustainable living.

Through her multidisciplinary expertise and commitment to inclusive education, Sini contributes to the development of vocational training in Lapland, supporting both regional needs and broader educational goals.

Bridge the Ocean project

Bridge the Ocean is a partnership project of the Erasmus+ program, which creates a model of global mobility and cooperation between European and Canadian Colleges.

The partners are four vocational education and training (VET) colleges from Finland, two from Canada and one from the Netherlands and Denmark. In the project, two European and one Canadian study units are planned, which will be piloted with a multinational group during the project.

The project is the first European Erasmus+ VET project that involves partners from outside Europe. The main goals of the Bridge the Ocean partnership project are to increase the number of global mobility of students and experts, teachers, and at the same time promote the development of both professional and international competence and key skills.

The project seeks visibility and interest in the internationalization of VET.

bids

BIDS

Bridging Inclusion Digitalization & Sustainability
The BIDS project has three main objectives.

Building and strengthening partnerships to support the implementation and development of internationalization strategies.
Supporting the quality of staff and student mobility between two continents
Combining the previous two goals in such a way that we create a model of how the priorities of the Erasmus+ program, inclusion, digitalization, and sustainability, can be realized in the strategies of the VET providers.

The partners are four vocational education and training colleges from Finland, two from Canada, and one from Portugal, the Netherlands and Denmark.

The project will consist of three different modules: a Sustainability module in Nova Scotia Canada, a Digitalization module in the Netherlands, and an Inclusion module in Finland. These modules will be attended by students and staff from participating partner schools, representing a mix of different educational sectors. We believe that this diverse group will not only enhance students’ soft skills but also foster their international competences.

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