Thematic Network on Verdde Program

UArctic Thematic Network Verdde was established in 2004. Verdde has been working as an exchange program for students and teachers, with cooperation with five Arctic institutions. The Sami University of Applied Sciences has the coordinating role of Verdde program. Verdde wishes to connect indigenous circumpolar students and teachers with a and strengthen the collaboration between different indigenous groups. The teacher-training programs have had the most collaboration so far, and have experienced that the exchange and group visits have shown the similarities that exist in the field of upbringing and schooling. For the future Verdde will strive to expand the activities to other professions than teacher-training as well. Arts and crafts and resource management are two areas that have been mentioned.

Goals

The overall goal of Verdde - University Center for Mobility in Indigenous Education is to strengthen cooperation within UArctic in the field of teacher training, teaching of Indigenous minority languages and cultures.

Activities

  • promoting cross-cultural professional development of educators through university approved certificates, diplomas and degrees;
  • encouraging students, teachers, administrators, and university faculty to pursue improved teaching and learning practices through mutually recognized effective pedagogy;
  • offering high quality cross-institutional instructional programs that include exchange opportunities in each of the partner sites aimed at increased cross-cultural understanding;
  • exploring shared research interests among faculty and students from each of the institutions and international partners;
  • assisting each other in the development of exemplary curriculum and assessment
    strategies;
  • encouraging ongoing sharing of cultural resources and communication about
    educational issues using the internet and other electronic systems and technology;
  • promoting increased historical and contemporary understanding between and
    among Indigenous people throughout the circumpolar world;
  • facilitating national and international exchange of students, faculty, and researchers to foster collaborative study and research.
  • Traditional individual exchanges such as for an entire semester.
  • Non-traditional exchanges are required, such as the exchange of groups with shorter stays.
  • during Verdde workshops in 2017-2018, we have developed a draft of a joint online course The land as source of learning - Indigenous Knowledge through Circumpolar Collaboration. It will be arranged and completed through one of the institutions LMS system. Within the course, the students will be using different kind of digital tools and programs. 
  • continue student and teacher exchange.
  • development of exemplary curriculum and assessment strategies.
  • From May 21 to May 25th, Verdde Network hosted a gathering Indigenous and land-based scholars from several circumpolar nations including Greenland, Canada, Alaska, Norway and Sweden. The gathering took place at Memorial University in St. John’s, in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. We also conducted the Verdde annual meeting.