Between June and October, practical cultural and leisure activities will take place in Sillamäe and Tallinn, allowing adult language learners practise Estonian in a creative and supportive environment. These are not traditional language lessons – the meetings are filled with various activities where language can be used in natural personal communication situations.

In the course of the programme, each group will meet ten times. Every meeting lasts three hours and takes place at weekends or in the evenings of work days, so that people who work could also participate. A group consists of 12–14 people, who all have an opportunity to participate actively.

Activities vary: there will be discussion groups in libraries and community centres, the groups will participate in cooking classes and tours, create art and handicrafts, go out to nature, bake bread, play board games, or learn about folk culture. In every activity, the emphasis is on communicating in Estonian and involving the participants actively.
The participants are supported by many different language tools, such as worksheets, visual materials, or props. In addition, guests from various walks of life are will be invited to participate in the meetings to enrich the language-learning experience and provide a practical connection between language and culture.

The Sillamäe programme

In Ida-Viru County, the activities are organised by Museum Education MTÜ in partnership with the Sillamäe Museum, using the museum environment for supporting learning. In the course of ten meetings, the participants can prepare Estonian dishes, take part in handicraft and perfume workshops, learn about folk music and national culture, watch films, and discuss travel experiences. Language learning takes place through practical activities in everyday communication and in a supportive environment. The first meeting takes place on 14 June and the last on 18 October 2025.

The Tallinn programme

In Tallinn, the activities are organised by ImmiSchool – Uusimmigrantide Koolituskeskus OÜ that has created a diverse programme in various places across the city – in community gardens, the Botanical Garden, art studios, and cultural centres. The participants can discuss environmental protection and city life, bake their own bread, participate in folk dance or calligraphy workshops, and visit literary and art events. Learning the language is intertwined with practical activities, experiencing culture, and communicating in real-life situations to support the development of language skills of the group members in natural environments.

Cultural and leisure activities offer the learners more than an opportunity to practice the language – they create opportunities to meet new people, discover Estonian culture, and offer support to increase their self-confidence when speaking Estonian. Learning takes place in a relaxed and supportive atmosphere, which is what every language learner needs the most.

Registration:

The Narva group: https://iseteenindus.integratsioon.ee/service/view/15439 registration begins at 12.00 p.m. on 10 June

The Tallinn group: https://iseteenindus.integratsioon.ee/service/view/15431 registration begins at 2.00 p.m. on 29 May.

The Sillamäe group: https://iseteenindus.integratsioon.ee/service/view/15432 registration begins at 2.00 p.m. on 29 May.

The activities are funded by sub-activity No. 3.4.4.4 ‘Provision of various cultural and leisure activities to support Estonian language learning and practice’ within the framework of the project No. 2021-2027.4.07.23-0006 ‘Activities supporting Estonian language learning and civic education’ financed by the European Social Fund+.

Kristina Ots, the social service coordinator of the Jõhvi Rural Municipality Government, started work in June 2022, initially helping subsistence benefit specialists whose workload had increased sharply due to the war in Ukraine. What was supposed to be a temporary job grew into so much more: she became responsible for supporting the smooth integration of newly arrived immigrants.

Before Kristina, there was no such position in Jõhvi, meaning that she and her colleague became something like pioneers. Together, they started from scratch to provide the necessary support, mainly to recipients of temporary and international protection.

Kristina had previous experience in accepting applications, but admits that all other necessary skills had to be acquired on the job. Her tasks include processing rental benefits, receiving people, and providing guidance on everyday life issues. There is a lot of cooperation with various state institutions, such as the Police and Border Guard Board, the Social Insurance Board, and the Unemployment Insurance Fund, with whom efforts are made towards a common goal – to ensure that the adaptation of refugees in Estonia is as smooth as possible.

‘What I love most about my job is the human contact, the opportunity to provide support in a difficult situation with coping in a new society and see how people gradually become more and more independent,’ Kristina points out.

She mostly works with families with children, elderly people with no remaining family, and people who do not have a support network in Estonia. They need help in different areas of life: completing documents, finding a place to live, looking for a job, and getting a school or kindergarten place. Choosing a family physician, understanding the logic of public transportation, and banking transactions can also be a challenge for newcomers.

‘I have learned how to download account statements from PrivatBank because elderly people often find it difficult,’ she adds. ‘Mostly, however, they just need someone to listen and calmly explain things to them. There is a lot of new information at the beginning – I help people navigate it and feel more confident in their new environment. I am simply there for them.’

By providing support and guidance to newly arrived immigrants, Kristina helps them become more independent step by step: new compatriots gain the knowledge and confidence that they will be able to do the necessary tasks by themselves in the future. ‘Part of my job is also directing people to Estonian language courses and the adaptation programme. I also give them information about job searching and refer them to the Unemployment Insurance Fund. My goal is to motivate them not only to find work, but also to increase their self-confidence so that they feel that they have real opportunities to improve their lives here in Estonia. What brings me the most joy is when people are genuinely grateful for the help, and you can see the relief in their eyes.’

Kristina recalls a particularly heart-warming moment at an information day jointly organised by the Police and Border Guard Board and the Social Insurance Board, when, sitting in the front row, she heard one client say to another, ‘No problem, Kristina will help us.’

‘This really meant a lot to me because it assured me that I was doing the right thing. My role was to be a reliable contact person who could guide people, provide them with information, and offer support when there was a lot of information and the situations were complex. Moments like this remind me why I do what I do.’

Sometimes, even Kristina does not have the necessary information and cannot immediately solve the problems that her clients are facing. In these moments, she has learned, it is important to keep calm and find solutions in collaboration with colleagues and partner institutions. ‘In difficult situations, we need calm communication, cooperation, and a willingness to look for solutions. It is important to let the person know that I am doing everything I can – often, that is all it takes to give them some calm,’ she is convinced.

Her ‘superpower’ is simple and empathetic communication – people find it easy to talk to her; they trust her and are not afraid to ask for help. ‘When adapting to a new environment, it is very important to know that there is someone out there you can turn to. I believe that the reassurance and genuine support I offer is the greatest value of my work.’

The cooperation and open dialogue between the Integration Foundation and its partners have been and will continue to be extremely important to us. This is what inspired the idea to create a newsletter focused on the field of adaptation.

How have we been?

While I would like to start with the news right away, in the first newsletter, I want to take the opportunity to look back and give you an update on previous developments.

It is no secret that recent years have posed a major challenge for Estonia in terms of migration policy. We have offered support and knowledge to all newcomers – from war refugees from Ukraine and elsewhere to those who have migrated for work, study, or family reasons – so that they can successfully start a new life in Estonia. Due to the growing number of immigrants, it was decided that the adaptation programme needed a new home, and in the spring of 2023, it moved from the Ministry of Culture to the Integration Foundation.

In the first two years, we have focused on building a strong foundation for the adaptation programme. We have increased the volume of trainings, developed online learning courses, and expanded language learning opportunities. In 2024 alone, nearly 7,000 people participated in the free Estonian language courses of the Integration Foundation – among them people who had come to work or do research, as well as refugees from war zones. We will continue with these activities this year.

Many of you have expressed a wish to see a consolidated events calendar that would reflect upcoming courses of the adaptation programme and events in the field. We are very grateful for this feedback and will do our best to share relevant information already in this newsletter.

Towards a common goal

We are working every day to make adaptation services even more accessible for new migrants and make these services correspond to their needs. However, it is important to understand that adaptation does not just happen in the classroom or in an online course, but requires a comprehensive approach where new arrivals are supported by the state, local governments, as well as local residents, all working towards a common goal.

I am sincerely grateful to you for your consistent contribution and I invite you to cooperate even more closely. Feel free to share information about the Roadmap to Adaptation and other services of the Integration Foundation with your clients. Do not hesitate to contact us with your thoughts and suggestions – this is how we can create even better conditions for people to settle in Estonia. If you think your colleague could also receive this newsletter, please send them a form to fill in. 

Thank you very much!

Let us work together for a cohesive and friendly Estonia, where everyone feels welcome and cared for!