Who: Sofia Talborn Bjorkvi
Does: Business Dev & Communications at Framtidsfrön
Where: Helio GT30
Since: Februari 2017
All over Sweden, the non-profit organization Framtidsfrön, is planting seeds for the future labor market. Sofia Talborn Björkvi is based in Stockholm, but has her colleagues in Linköping, Gothenburg, Karlstad and other cities. We had the first cup of coffee of the morning with her and talked about the teaching methodologies of today and how learning in the school of the future will look like.
Tell us a little bit about Framtidsfrön! Who are you and what do you do?
“Framtidsfrön has been around since 2002 and we are working to promote entrepreneurship in schools around Sweden. We want schools to make use of the ambition, the curiosity and the creativity that exists in all children. At the same time, we can serve as a link between schools and the outside world. We work throughout the country on behalf of Skolverket (the National Agency for Education.)”
You describe that you have an “Entrepreneurial Approach” to learning. What does it mean exactly?
The word “Entrepreneurial” can mean a lot of things and at first it can feel big and scary but that is the attitude we want to change. Entrepreneurship is not only about starting a business, but about the ability to think freely, be creative, take chances and to take risks. It’s about daring to fail. These traits are in the DNA of an entrepreneur, but are also needed as an employee of a company.”
Is it always easy to get teachers and students to change their approach to teaching and learning?
“Well, sometimes the threshold to change the way schools are used to work is quite high. But most people find that the benefits are many. You can often see a positive effect on the students results, and their attitude towards various school subjects.”
On your website, you say that “students should be able to feel that the content of their schoolwork has to do with their reality”Why do you think that is so important?
“If you can connect your learning to your reality, you can increase your motivation and creativity. It is about discovering what you think is fun and what you are good at and then learning how to put that to work. If you can find a way of learning that kids think is fun you have gained a lot.”
What are you working on right now from your workplace at Helio?
“I’m working on a super-exciting project where we want to make virtual corporate visits available to students around the country. This is done through 360 tours. One example on our website now. You can actually navigate through a restaurant, see interviews with employees and click on interactive points to learn more about the business. The goal is to give students a comprehensive picture of different professions in order to help them make wise choices in the future.”
That sounds exciting! How did you get that idea?
“We actually got it by sitting here at Helio! We were talking amongst each other and suddenly we realized that we would like to show students how the daily work in a restaurant looks like. We ran down to the Penny & Bill restaurant downstairs and asked if we could film a bit and take a look around. And they were game!”
Why does coworking work for you?
”We work alongside others on a daily basis. We hang around and have coffee together. Potential collaborations are easier this way than having to call a potential partner, book a meeting and make formal decisions.”
Read more about our location on Grev Turegatan or about memberships at Helio.
