Plane

Windmill

Huvi story

In Estonian, ‘huvi’ means interest. So, arousing interest is what we do. We create interest towards science, engineering, and solving problems (not creating them). Outdoors. 

We really believe that the world needs more people who want to solve problems and know how to do it. This is more than a mindset, it is also a skill. Learning is so much more meaningful if you actually understand what you are learning and are able to connect it with your everyday life. So no more questions like: “Why do I need to study this, I will never use it in real life?” Huvi is real life. And we have science backing us up – we have chosen evidence based frameworks as STEAM, PBL and 21st century skills to develop tools for meaningful outdoor learning.

On top of that – when we started Huvi, we wanted to make sure that in the era of digitalisation (which we also do love), there will still be space for moving and learning off screens. To show that real life can also be interesting, catchy, and spark new ideas. And learning is best done outdoors, where you can move more (and connect to the environment around you, be it a park, schoolyard, or city). And furthermore – we need to bring students outdoors during their schooldays to bring variety and enhance engagement in studying.

Oh, and the reason why we did it? Not hard to guess, many of us are parents, teachers, and ex-students who either suffered under conditions of: “I have no idea why I have to learn it” or “I have more interest in engineering, but this is really boring”. We do it for us and for our (future) children, but with your children in mind as well.

Our architects Katrin Koov and Kadri Klementi from architectural office b210 are experts in designing environments for learning. They have co-authored guidelines on how architecture can support new learning methodologies and school environments (“School space in change”, only available in Estonian). Katrin has also researched schools’ outdoor spaces with her students at the Estonian Academy of Arts. We asked them to design an outdoor classroom solution that supports meaningful learning. HUVI outdoor classroom solution is the outcome of this. We are still working on many ideas to expand the solution, but you can already start planning.

Our team of teachers, inventors and architects are at the heart of Huvi. They all invent and innovate in their respective fields and bring their top knowledge  into Huvi products.

Our team

Huvi boasts some of the best talents in teaching, science, and engineering.
Meet the people behind Huvi.

Our inventors

Triin Visnapuu-Sepp, MA

CEO

Triin is a seasoned professional with over 15 years of experience in the dynamic realm of marketing and team leadership. Beyond her marketing prowess, Triin has dedicated a remarkable 10 years to the realm of adult education. 

Triin’s passion for education extends beyond the realm of adults – she is also an occasional substitute teacher in primary schools. Her genuine enthusiasm for innovative and creative teaching methods makes her a standout advocate for progressive education.

With a multifaceted background that combines marketing mastery, leading experience, educational dedication, and a penchant for innovation, as the CEO of Huvi, Triin is committed to making outdoor learning and STEAM part of everyday school-life. Well, she has 3 daughters, so that’s her motivation.

Our advisors

Projects

Jana Liiv, MA

Head of Learning

Jana is a dedicated educator and educational technologist with over 10 years in teaching history, civics, and economy across primary, middle, and secondary school levels and has found her calling is advocating meaningful learning.

Jana is more than just an educator – she is a fervent enthusiast of education innovation and problem-based learning and STEAM. Her passion for exploring innovative teaching methods, combined with her extensive background in both traditional and technology-driven education, sets her apart as a true trailblazer in the field.

With an extensive and diverse background in teaching, and educational technology, and a genuine zeal for pushing the boundaries of education, Jana continues to inspire both her colleagues and students alike, leaving an indelible mark on the world of learning.

Liis Nestor

Head of Marketing

Liis has almost ten years experience in marketing and was a pre-school assistant a while back. She believes that encouraging and supporting children to think outside the box and explore continuously is crucial to ensure that their creativity knows no bounds.

When autumn rolls around, it’s hard for Liis not to get that “back to school” feeling. So Liis keeps herself busy with learning sociology, marketing, ceramics, or graphic design. A real poster-girl for lifelong learning.

When she’s not working or hitting the books, she enjoys the company of her children, learning from them about the little joys in life that adults often overlook.

Ahti Petrovits

Development Manager

Ahti is an experienced production manager with nearly two decades of knowledge on wood and smart solutions in construction. We call him our space man, meaning he makes sure the modular outdoor space is done with good materials and great effort.

As a parent, Ahti sees on a daily basis how problem-based learning assists kids to become confident problem solvers and hopes that more schools will take on PBL. So to make sure it happens, he constantly contributes ideas on how the outdoor classroom environment could support learning and further bolster project-based teaching methods.

And when Ahti figures out another creative solution, he leaves the office, heads to our workshop and makes the idea come alive. Our own jack of all trades for sure.

 

 

Laura Herm, PhD

laura@huvioutdoor.com

Head of Science Content

Laura has more than 10 years experience in teaching science at all school levels and has been acknowledged by her students and colleagues as the teacher who is always experimenting and trying to make things as real as possible.

She’s passionate about popularizing science and making sure that teaching science is natural and experimental. So over a decade she has been leading a science theater and many of her students have later pursued their career in engineering or science.

But more than anything, she’s dedicated to inspire the next generation of teachers to become teachers and teach in captivating manner. She genuinely believes outdoor education and STEAM-approach motivate teachers and students to pursue engaging and meaningful learning. Oh, and her PhD is in bioorganic chemistry. Yup, super-impressive.

Siim Ilves

Siim is a real multi-talent (and science nerd), who says he dreamed of having something like Huvi at his school. So now he gets excited figuring out our new products and what to learn with them.

Veiko Salumäe

Veiko engineers for exhibitions, so if people come up with a crazy idea to do something, he figures it out.

Reigo Rand

Reigo is our workshop fairy, whose skills make the engineers’ ideas come true, sometimes with some touch of sweat and dust instead of sparkle.

 

 

Ott Sarapuu

CEO of Proto Invention Factory and Motor Agency

Huvi co-founder

Motor OÜ’s product development for Huvi Outdoor was supported through the EAS (Enterprise Estonia) development program with funding from the European Regional Development Fund in the amount of 149,269.50 EUR.

The goal of the development program was to enhance Motor OÜ’s internal processes and create new products for general education schools.

With Huvi products, we aim to provide opportunities for active outdoor lessons, thereby increasing students’ learning motivation and teachers’ well-being. Huvi outdoor tools help develop general competencies and make learning engaging. The educational materials support teachers in implementing real-life learning experiences by integrating various subjects.

As part of the Motor OÜ development program, the Huvi Outdoor learning system was created, consisting of a modular outdoor classroom and educational tools with STEAM-content (wind turbine, plane and energy wall).

 

 

 

Architects

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