CANDLES

About the project

It brings together partners from Denmark, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden through the international NordLead research network. The project examines how school leaders respond to demographic decline, long distances and rapid social change while adapting education to the culture, circumstances and needs of each locality. In small communities, schools often do more than provide education: they can strengthen social cohesion, culture and the community’s future.

The main aim is to study and strengthen school leadership in these settings. Researchers collaborate with twelve school principals—two from each participating country—through action research. Principals examine challenges and opportunities in their own practice, test improvement initiatives and evaluate outcomes with the researchers. This produces knowledge within the schools themselves and supports direct use in practice.

The project has three connected phases. The first establishes a common action-research framework and strengthens Nordic–Arctic cooperation. The second carries out collaborative action research in the six countries and supports learning across national contexts. The final phase synthesises the findings and mobilises the knowledge. Outputs will include practical, research-informed guidance and policy recommendations for sustainable educational leadership in rural Nordic and Arctic regions. The project period is 2026–2028, with funding from the Nordic Council of Ministers through the Nordic Arctic Programme.

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