Meet Euneos' driving force
The founders of Euneos from left to right: Ilpo Halonen, Ludo Mateusen, Pentti Pirhonen
Euneos' success story stems from the Comenius 3 network Comp@ct, back in 2005, led by Pentti Pirhonen. Pentti Pirhonen and Ilpo Halonen from Finland and Ludo Mateusen, Belgian living in The Netherlands, consolidated their competences and expertise and established a spin-off by the name of Euneos. It did not take long to kindle the crave for excellence in professional development of European and global educational institutions by tailoring high-quality courses adjusted to the contemporaneous needs and trends. Parallelly, throughout the years, Euneos assembled a noteworthy international team of highly competent trainers, most experienced in the field of their expertise. They are Euneos' biggest asset!
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Core Team
Riku Korosuo (M.Sc.)
CEO
Specialized in International Business and Education. After his pedagogical studies at the University of Helsinki and working as a lecturer at Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences and Helsinki Business College, he has dedicated himself to promoting Finnish education internationally. Among other projects, he has spent several months in Colombia in 2016 and 2017, consulting the local Ministry of Education. Since 2016 he has worked as the CEO of VisitEDUfinn and Customer Relationship Manager of Haaga-Helia
Ilpo Halonen
- Chair of board of course provider Euneos, Finland
- School Counselor and a Language teacher (retired)
- Trainer and consultant of educational ICT
- Author of lesson books and online exercises.
Heidi Veikkolainen
- Course administration and billing
Spasia Neshkoska Tsutsuleska
- Project management
- Course administration
- Customer service
- Course trainer
Jenni Sippala
- Course assistant
Thomas De Bluts
- Coding and robotics
- Web developer
Trainers
Mart Laanpere, PhD
- Professor at Tallinn University, Estonia
- Head of the R&D Centre for Educational Technology in Tallinn University
- Former mathematics and physics teacher and school principal
- Member of board of course provider Euneos, Finland
After working as a mathematics & physics teacher and school principal, he has been involved in teacher education and educational technology research for last 20 years. Mart has been contributing to international research projects focusing on the use of mobile technology and social software in teaching and learning. He is coordinating the training of school teams in the project “Digital Turn towards 1:1 Computing” funded by Samsung (www.samsungdigipoore.ee); and expert in school digital innovation and change.
Petri Ilmonen
- CEO, Principal of TRYcamps Kielikoulu oy / Language School Ltd
- English Teacher since 1997 @ TRYcamps and different International Language Schools and schools of Helsinki
- Neuropsychological Coach (Solution based, strengths), Helsinki
- ICF-coach, University of Munich, Germany
- LEAD - Organizational Leadership Certificate, Helsinki
- CEO, Entrepreneur of piTRY Education
- Author of 25 different books e.g. How to use iPads in Easy-to-Read language, the Safety Netiquette of Internet, The ICT Curriculum & Evaluation
- Main trainer and planning officer of National Board of Education’s National Teacher Training projects since 2005 in Finland
- Main trainer & host of Euneos Erasmus course: Original Benchmarking 1-9 & all levels, Special Education in Finland and Future Classrooms of Math, AI and Language teaching) since 2017
- Public speaker of seminars and conferences both national and international since 2002; e.g. BETT, ITK, Educa and Erasmus
- Former Development Manager of Learning Material Centre, Opike, Espoo (2004-2020)
- Former Chair of School Board at HEKLU, Language High School of Helsinki (2015-2020)
- Former Member of School Board at RESSU, IB WORLD High School of Helsinki (2020-2024)
- Former Classroom & Special Education Teacher 1994 in different schools in Helsinki and Kerava (1993-2021)
Tuovi Ronkainen
- Former principal of Akaa Secondary School
- Student in University of Turku (futures studies), future coach
- Biology and geography teacher
- Project Ambassador of ESHA (European School Heads Association)
- Coordinator of Comenius and Erasmus+ projects in many schools
- Former network coordinator of Baltic sea Project (National Board of Education)
She has been working on many ecological projects both at the national and international levels. Her special area is future education: how to get a positive approach to the future and how to get the skills to solve wicked problems like climate change.
Jan Hormann
- Former international coordinator at Jac.P.Thijsse College (Netherlands)
- International coordinator and member of the international jury of Eumind
- Projects initiator and coordinator of Comenius and Erasmus+ projects at his school
- eTwinning ambassador
- National eTwinning prize winner 2014
- Freelance internationalization advisor
Frans Schmitz
- Former principal of Udens College (Uden – The Netherlands), a school very active in a wide range of international activities
- Former president of the International Committee of the Association of school leaders for secondary education in The Netherlands
- Former member of the General Board of ESHA (European School Heads Association)
- Former advisor to Nuffic (National Agency in The Netherlands) to support schools in setting up a solid school policy on internationalization now cold Global Citizen Network
Spasia Neshkoska Tsutsuleska
- International project coordinator
- Former external expert evaluator for Erasmus+ projects
- Former eTwinning ambassador
- Member of the international jury of Eumind projects
- Former principal of a vocational school in North Macedonia
- Master studies in Education and Globalization, Oulu University, Finland
Peter Rafferty
- Primary teacher in Green Park Primary, Liverpool (UK).
- Presenter and trainer in UK and Europe
His school was at the forefront of the UK educational blogging revolution and has influenced, guided and led the way in which schools have used blogging as a platform to engage locally, nationally and internationally.
Tuula Asikainen
- Received a Presidential award in Finland for her work on the internationalisation of education
- experience in launching and teaching in CLIL programmes with English as the CLIL language
- taught in primary, secondary, upper secondary and vocational education, and has also worked as a school principal
- teacher trainer in and organiser of CLIL courses, programmes and seminars for over 20 years
- coordinated and taught dozens of CLIL teacher professional development courses across Europe
- involved in a number of national and international CLIL projects, including the CLIL Cascade Network (CCN). CCN involved 21 partner institutions from 14 countries. The network was dedicated to encouraging the use of CLIL in teaching and learning at all levels of education. The project was financed by the European Union from 2007 to 2010
- 2004-2012 Tuula worked as an external evaluator for the European Commission
- 2012–2014, Tuula was based in the United Arab Emirates working for the Abu Dhabi Education Council (2012–2014). Her work there included facilitation of academic reading and writing
- development for teacher professional development and MA programmes
Peeter Mehisto
- Award winning author and teacher educator with over 20 years’ experience in delivering courses on bilingual education and CLIL. He has also worked extensively on CLIL programme developmen
- Hands-on experience teaching at the primary, secondary and university levels
- Lead or sole author of: CLIL Essentials for Secondary School Teachers (Cambridge University Press); Uncovering CLIL: Content and Language Integrated Learning in Bilingual and Multilingual; Education (Macmillan); Excellence in Bilingual Education: Guidance for School Principals (Cambridge University Press); Building Bilingual Education Systems: Forces, Mechanisms and Counterweights (Cambridge University Press)
- Currently co-authoring a book on how Estonia has surpassed Finland in Science and Maths results as measured by PISA.
- Worked primarily in Europe and Asia with a wide variety of stakeholders to support the development and management of CLIL programmes, at the primary, secondary and university levels
- extensive experience developing and delivering professional development for teachers, and other CLIL stakeholders in countries as diverse as Brazil, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Portugal, Spain, South Korea and Vietnam. This has included one-on-one mentoring in CLIL classrooms
Suvi Westling
- Researcher & trainer in univ. Teacher education
- Nature & culture guide (not by degree, but by experience)
- Master of education, qualified classroom & subject teacher (Univ. Helsinki)
- Former teacher at primary school (K12)
Suvi is an expert on educational psychology with a broad view on education and a deep understanding of the human mind and learning. She has graduated from and later taught students in an innovative program of educational psychology at the University of Helsinki. Her teaching has included lecturing, supervising pre-service-teachers’ practice, and facilitating group processes and phenomenon-based group studies. In her research she has studied for instance the teacher-student interaction. Suvi has studied media education as part of her teacher studies. She has also gained grassroots experience of working with children and teenagers as a classroom teacher, youth worker and camp supervisor in various places at earlier phases of her life.
Mrs. Tup Bertley
- Native ESL-Teacher, Head Teacher
- Master's Degree, TEFL & TOEFL –certificates
Jussi Koivisto
- Head of Pedagogy at Code School Finland
- Teaching concepts and pedagogy of programming, robotics and AI.
Dr Martin Sillaots
- associate professor of serious games, Tallinn University, Estonia
Karoliina Mutanen, M. Ed, class teacher
- Teacher since 2010
- experienced and innovative elementary school teacher
- worked both in Finland and abroad
- student council counsellor
- keen life-long-learner
- experienced early level language teacher and works at the moment as English CLIL teacher
- Tutor teacher, digital learning and media education
- enthusiastic about STEAM education
At the moment I am working as a participation specialist and reinforcing student participation and involvement in society. I am convinced that engaged children and youth are more motivated learners and it is easier to find their full potential. I love to use a wide range of technology during the lessons. My goal is to inspire children to find their love for learning!
Jenni Sipola, M. Ed, Class Teacher
- Teacher since 2001
- Master of Education
- 4th grade classroom teacher
- Tutor teacher (digital skills, STEAM education)
- Fulbright Distinguished Awards on Teaching 2020-2021, Arizona StateUniversity 2022
Experienced teacher with a demonstrated history of working in the primary schools and as a tutor teacher. Skilled in lesson planning, E-Learning, STEAM education, projects, international cooperation, interdisciplinary teaching, outdoor activities and educational leadership. Strong education professional with a Master of Education (MEd) focused in Education from University of Joensuu. Fulbright Distinguished Awards on Teaching 2020-2021, Arizona State University.
Eveliina Könönen, MA, Language Teacher
- Teacher since 2003
- Language teacher (Swedish and French), working in an international school since 2006
- Social-emotional skills teacher
- Tutor teacher in a social-emotional skills team
- Project specialist (2022-2023) in a nationwide project: Operation SKY, Engaging School Community Work
- Master of Arts (the degree including pedagogical studies), University of Tampere
- Studies in positive pedagogy and well-being skills (Positive Education Oy), Youth Effectiveness Training (Y.E.T.) Instructor (Gordon Training International)
I am a language and social-emotional skills teacher with experience working in different educational levels (from elementary school to adult education). I have also been working as a tutor teacher (in social-emotional skills team) and as a project specialist (Engaging School Community work).
Natalija Aceska, PhD
- Biology teacher and former principal of a VET school in North Macedonia
- Advisor at the Bureau for Development of Education, Ministry of Education and Science of North Macedonia
- Executive director of "Knowledge Harvest" NGO , North Macedonia
- EPAN (European Policy Advice Network) expert and an ETINED (European Committee on Democracy and Governance) expert
- One of Council of Europe project's leaders on integrating the Reference Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture (RFCDC) and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in education
- Certified GLOBE International trainer
- Scientix Ambassador of Scientix Project for North Macedonia
She has completed a doctoral dissertation exploring the integration of education for sustainable development into the educational process. As an author, she has a portfolio encompassing research works and manuals that address key aspects of education, sustainable development, and STEM initiatives. She has actively conducted numerous training sessions and workshops, sharing insights and fostering professional development within the educational community.
Pirjo Suhonen
- Master’s thesis (2016) on Educational Technology
- Worked at multinational European School of Brussels
- Worked at ALO Finland digital teacher training courses on Finnish education
Pirjo is a strong believer on life-long learning and passionate about creativity, innovation and global education. She has varied work experience from Finland, England, France and Belgium and has done podcasts and research from Alaska to Australia. One of her proudest moments was to be in the same OECD panel with the Director of education and skills, Andreas Schleicher. You can find out more about her work and research at ALOFinland.com/community and a short video.
Johanna Havisto
Titrée en enseignement du FLE et de la psychologie. Elle a étudié en tant que matières secondaires la pédagogie spécialisée ainsi que l’écriture créative. Elle possède une expérience professionnelle dans le travail avec des individus de tous âges : du jardin d’enfants au collège et aussi dans l’enseignement pour adultes. Elle valorise la nouvelle compréhension et connaissance acquises à travers des contacts internationaux. Johanna aspire à partager les atouts majeurs de l’éducation finlandaise, tels que le rythme paisible et la focalisation sur le bien-être des élèves.
Ville Saviluoto
- Advisory Teacher for working life skills and entrepreneurship education
- M.A. Education with technology oriented teacher education
- Minors in special education and technology education
His expertise lies in multidisclipinary modules promoting working life and entrepreneurial competence. He has been educating hundreds of teachers since 2019 and has over 4 years of experience at JA Finland as Specialist, Coordinator and Instructor.
Pietu Niinimaki
- Project coordinator for entrepreneurship education project
- M.Sc. Geography, specialized in regional development and economic geography
- Specialist vocational qualification as a Business Advisor and a Scrum Master
His expertise lies in organising both online and onsite business programs and in providing individual business advice in various different topics ranging from business idea creation and prototyping to the deep end of financial calculations. He also has experience in organising different kind of pop-up events where participants can validate their business idea and gather feedback from real customers.
Maikki Manninen
- Advisory Teacher for ICT Education
- Class teacher and early education and care teacher
- Expertise in ICT and STEAM education at primary and secondary level
Her working tasks include training and consultation on ICT especially according to the Finnish core curricula and the local strategies for both ICT and STEAM education. She is also experienced in development projects funded by the Finnish National Agency for Education, for instance, on innovative learning environments.
Paula Ratava
- Advisory Teacher for sustainable future in the City of Oulu
- Environmental educator and expert
- Teacher of Biology, Geography and Langauges
Her expertise lies in education for sustainability in general and especially in climate and environmental issues. She is really keen on hope and solutions-oriented education for sustainability, so her mostly used keywords are probably “realistic hope”, “constructive dialogue” and “the community level of action”. Her working days consist of planning materials, training and events for teachers and students, advising schools in sustainability issues and managing development projects on education for sustainability funded by the Finnish National Agency for Education.
Päivi Packalén
- English and Spanish language teacher in comprehensive education
- Advisory Teacher for Global Citizenship Skills Education in the Educational and Cultural Services of the city of Oulu
Her expertise include training and supporting schools in language teaching, global citizenship education, and international projects, such as Erasmus+ and Nordplus Projects. She is also experienced in development projects funded by the Finnish National Agency for Agency e.g., Internationalization in education and Bilingual Education.