Copper Island Academy’s educational model embraces both innovation and tradition. Grounded in highly-effective Finnish education practices, the Academy’s educational program emphasizes outdoor learning, hands-on learning, and frequent unstructured brain breaks. Team members cultivate students’ lifelong skills, including communication skills, culinary skills, and more.
Our goal is to develop well-rounded, empowered students in a collaborative, community-like environment. Through collaboration with community members, local businesses, and other organizations, students receive opportunities to learn about many possible life/career pathways beginning in elementary school.
Schedules optimized for learning
Students and teachers receive a 15 minute break after each 45 minute block of instruction. This break allows students to re-enter the classroom ready to focus and provides teachers time to collaborate with one another, prepare for future lessons, communicate with families, or take a well-deserved break.
A balance of classic and contemporary instructional approaches
Students develop strong understandings of basic principles through recitation and memorization. They sharpen those skills through applied and interactive learning methods.
Development of critical thinking skills
Students are taught a foundation of reasoning skills, such as inferencing, predicting, classifying, and sequencing. They are also taught to evaluate fact vs. opinion, to locate and evaluate evidence, and to recognize many of the common errors in reasoning.
Purposeful technology integration
Students receive limited time on devices. When used, technology integration is purposeful and designed to build essential technology skills students will need for future success.
Establishment of lifelong skills and interests
Each year, students propose, plan, and implement a cross-curricular school improvement project, such as developing an outdoor classroom or modifying the campus dining spaces.
Promotion of American ideals and values
Despite borrowing principles of the Finnish education system, we have great pride in our country and the strong foundations that have established our freedoms. We feel that it is essential for even our youngest students to develop a strong understanding of their civic responsibilities.
Development of Lifelong Skills
An essential component of the Copper Island Academy model
Students at Copper Island Academy gain experience in a variety of areas, including technical, textile, and culinary education. These age-appropriate programs are designed to expand students’ technical and life skills, while simultaneously building 21st century competencies by promoting student independence, collaboration, communication, and critical thinking.
Community connections are essential to the development of these lifelong skills. Guest speakers frequently share their knowledge, experiences, and professions with students, providing early exposure and awareness and permitting students to consider the abundance of opportunities here in the Keweenaw Peninsula.
