Corporate support saves one of Finland’s oldest nature schools

Kokkola’s Villa Elba nature school has secured funding from corporate sponsors to continue operations after city budget cuts threatened its closure, Yle reported.

A 25,000-euro annual shortfall caused by the city’s austerity measures had put the more than 30-year-old nature school at risk. Now four large industrial companies and the city’s environmental department have stepped in as sponsors.

The school will take on eight classes in 2027 instead of the previous 11, and enrollment for the sponsored classes opens in the autumn. Each year, about 250 primary school students attend the school’s environmental education program for one school year.

Founded in 1992, Villa Elba is one of Finland’s oldest nature schools, having introduced over 7,000 students to local nature during its history.

The school continues to seek new sponsors to secure its long-term future.