HEI Schools

🌍 Big news from HEI Schools!

We’re proud to partner with Ion Riva to bring Finnish, research-based early childhood education to a visionary new community in Istanbul, Türkiye 🇹🇷🇫🇮

This project represents more than a school — it’s a commitment to creating future-ready learning environments where children can thrive through play, creativity, wellbeing, and holistic development.

Together with Ion Riva, we are building a community where education is designed around happiness, curiosity, and lifelong learning — inspired by the world-renowned Finnish education approach.

✨ A new benchmark for early education in Türkiye
✨ Designed for modern families and future generations
✨ Rooted in Finnish pedagogy, child-centered learning and sustainability

We’re excited to shape the future of education together.

A beautiful new beginning in Bogotá ✨

A few weeks ago, HEI Schools Bogotá Buckingham North officially opened its doors — welcoming children, families, educators, and partners into a thoughtfully designed learning environment inspired by the Finnish approach to early childhood education 🇫🇮🌱

From light-filled classrooms and calming spaces to moments shared with our global HEI Schools community, the inauguration day was a celebration of what learning can look and feel like when children’s wellbeing is placed at the center.

We were honored to celebrate this milestone together with HEI Schools Co-founder Dr. Lasse Lipponen, Ambassador of Finland Eija Rotinen, the Buckingham School leadership team, and many others who believe in the power of joyful, play-based learning.

Here, children are encouraged to explore, discover, create, and grow — at their own pace and in their own way.

Thank you to everyone who made this special day possible. We can’t wait to see this community flourish 💛

We were delighted to welcome two inspiring international educator groups to our headquarters in Helsinki last week — all united by a shared interest in learning more about the Finnish education system and early childhood education practices.

🇫🇮🤝🇰🇿 On Wednesday last week we had the pleasure of hosting a delegation from Pavlodar Pedagogical University (PPU) in Kazakhstan. Led by the university’s principal, Mr. Yerzhan Amirbekuly, the group is on a four-day visit to Finland to explore the world-renowned Finnish education system and gain insights into its pedagogical approaches and practices.

Founded in 1962, Pavlodar Pedagogical University is one of Kazakhstan’s recognized public teacher-training universities, specializing in education, pedagogy, psychology, languages, and natural sciences. PPU offers bachelor’s, master’s, and PhD programs and plays an important role in preparing teachers and education professionals across the region. The university is also actively involved in educational research and international academic cooperation under Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Science and Higher Education.

🇫🇮🤝🇹🇷 On Thursday last week, we also welcomed a group of Turkish educators and school owners who visited Lahti and Helsinki as part of a Finnish education study tour. The visit was organized by Mr. Abdollah Nazari from ITTC – International Teacher Training College in Ankara, Türkiye. The group was eager to deepen their understanding of Finnish early childhood education and the broader Finnish education ecosystem.

Both visits were hosted by Mr. Heikki Vartia, Director of Global Partnerships at HEI Schools. He received highly positive feedback from participants regarding their observations in Finland and the inspiring work HEI Schools is doing to bring Finnish early childhood education practices to children around the world.

We are grateful for these meaningful international exchanges and proud to contribute to global conversations about quality education, pedagogy, and child-centered learning.

Big news: HEI Schools is launching in Myanmar 🇲🇲

HEI Schools Yangon opens June 2026, bringing Finland’s play-based, research-driven early education to young learners in Yangon.

Inclusive education is no longer optional—it’s becoming a growth driver for schools.

More families are looking for personalised support, yet many preschools aren’t built to meet diverse learning needs within one model.

This creates both a challenge—and an opportunity.

Introducing HEI + HEI Bridges
A dual-pathway preschool concept designed for school owners, operators, and education leaders.

👉 One campus
👉 Two integrated pathways
👉 One inclusive ecosystem

Expand your enrolment potential, support more learners, and strengthen your positioning as a future-ready school.

Already in action at HEI Schools Singapore Bishan.

👉 Explore if this model fits your market, link in commemt ⬇️

What if your preschool wasn’t just a place to teach—but a space designed for learning itself? 🌱

At HEI Schools®, our environments are built on Finnish pedagogy—where every detail supports how children explore, move, and grow.

This isn’t just design. It’s education made visible.

Bring a globally trusted concept to your city!
👉 Discover how to start your own HEI Schools®, link in comment ⬇️

🇹🇭 Exciting news from Thailand!

HEI Schools is proud to announce the upcoming opening of Lillipods St.Catherine in Pathum Thani — set to become the first operational LILLIPODS preschool in Thailand, opening in May 2026.

This marks an important step in expanding Finnish early childhood education in the region. While our journey in Thailand began with the LILLIPODS Mae Sot project, St. Catherine will be the first to welcome children.

Led by Panasorn Namtien, a third-generation education provider, the school reflects a strong commitment to quality education and local families.

📍 Up to 150 children aged 2–6
🤝 Signing ceremony held on 26 February 2026 with Sami Mäkinen, Director of Global Partnerships at the Finnish Embassy in Thailand

More expansion is already planned in the country.

We look forward to welcoming the first learners 💙💚

📍 NEW Lillipods® Preschool Opening in Maesot, Thailand 🇹🇭

Big news from Southeast Asia!

The Finnish-inspired kindergarten concept Lillipods® is expanding to Maesot, Thailand — bringing globally benchmarked early childhood education to a growing and vibrant community.

🌱 Built on a 2-hectare greenfield site
👶 Phase 1 capacity: up to 120 children (scalable to 180)
🏫 Designed as the foundation for a future full K–12 campus
🗓 Target opening: June 2027

As demand rises across Asia for internationally inspired early education models, this project represents a needed opportunity — both for families and forward-thinking edupreneurs.

More updates coming soon as the project progresses.