National Minorities Day to be marked in September for 11^th time
Additional application round for financing of national minority Sunday schools launched
Integration Foundation to launch procurement for preparatory courses for citizenship exams
Seminar to be held for development of new audio-visual programme
Women invited to attend ‘Exercise unites’ sports and health festival
Ökokratt project unites and inspires special-needs people with different native languages
 

National Minorities Day to be marked in September for 11^th time

Indian summers and the transition to the red and gold of autumn are a time that reminds us of the richness and diversity of nations in the population of Estonia. According to Statistics Estonia, 192 different nationalities are represented in the country. In honour of this diversity, National Minorities Day will be marked for the 11^th time on 24 September.

This annual event is marked on the anniversary of the first Estonian National Minorities Forum in 1988 and is dedicated to all of the nationalities represented in the country. At that inaugural forum, representatives of different nationalities confirmed their support for the endeavours of ethnic Estonians to restore their nationhood and democratic way of life. The first National Minorities Day was held in 2005, when then Minister for Population Affairs Paul-Eerik Rummo decreed that it would be observed on 24 September.

A number of events will be held this month both before and after National Minorities Day. An integration-themed discussion and a showdown between Estonia’s best debaters will be held on 23 September, to which everyone is invited. Registration for both events is open on the National Minorities Day website.

Programme of events:

19 September (10:00-21:00) & 20 September (10:00-18:00) – The Estonian Debating Society will be hosting a debating tournament in three languages at Tallinn English College as part of National Minorities Day. The focus of the event will be the cultural diversity of Estonia.

Contact: Triin Toimetaja – mobile: +372 5389 7089 | website: www.debate.ee

19 & 20 September (10:00-18:00) – The Estonian Union of National Minorities will be holding a fair and giving a concert on Town Hall Square in Tallinn. Contact: Laura Šmideberga – e-mail: latviesuklubins@hot.ee or laura.shmideberga@gmail.com | mobile: +372 5451 1595 / Timur Seifullen – Mobile: +372 55 42 001 | e-mail: timur@nationalities.ee

20 September – Golden Autumn Fair (Kaera 21A, Tallinn)

12:00-14:00 – Lüüra, otherwise known as the International Union of Associations of National Minorities, will be organising an open day. Visitors will enjoy folk dancing, music, national cuisine and other creative workshops.
14:00-17:00 – National Minority Cultural Association Fair in the Lüüra courtyard. There will be a concert by the creative collectives of Lüüra, an introduction to national minority games and customs, an exhibition and sale of national food (Belarusian, Russian, Polish, Ossetian and Lezgian), creative workshops and an auction. For example, a Best Carrot contest will be held in the Korean tent; there will be a drawing competition for children in the Buryat tent; visitors will be able to make themselves a protective doll in the Slavic tent; a nardy (Persian backgammon) contest will be held in the Georgian tent; visitors to the Kabardian tent will see a showcase of national ornaments; and in the Uzbek tent there will be an exhibition of national folk costumes.

Admission is free of charge. Contact: Ilona Thagazitova – mobile: +372 55 48 496

20 September (14:00-16:00) – 27^th Forum of the Estonian Union of National Minorities at Teachers House. Contact: Timur Seifullen – mobile: +372 55 42 001 | e-mail: timur@nationalities.ee

22 September – Union of Russian Educational and Charity Associations in Estonia in cooperation with the Education Society: ‘Russian Cultural Folk University’

12:00 – Series of video lectures by literary researcher Vladimir Bragin: ‘The literature of the 20^th century in faces: era, destiny, love’ and ‘Russian poet David Samoilov – resident of Pärnu’
17:00 – Lecture by cultural specialist Tatjana Tšernova: ‘From Revel to St Petersburg: the Estonian intelligentsia’

All of the lectures are free and will be held in the Russian Cultural Centre. Contact: Vladimir Bragin | Mobile: +372 5858 8958 / +372 5657 3993

23 September (15:00-17:00) – The Grand Prix event of the National Minorities Day debating tournament will be held at the Russian Theatre in Tallinn. Anyone interested is welcome to attend to watch the integration-themed debate of the finalists and a discussion among influential public figures on the same topic. Registration is open on the National Minorities Day website. The event is free of charge, but the number of places is limited. Contact: Kristina Pirgop – telephone: +372 659 9024 | e-mail: kristina.pirgop@meis.ee

23 September – Union of Russian Educational and Charity Associations in Estonia in  cooperation with the Education Society: ‘Russian Cultural Folk University’ 

12:00 – Lecture by artist Sergei Minin: ‘Russian landscape painters in Estonia’
17:00 – Lecture by Professor Hanon Barabaneri: ‘The contribution of national minorities to the development of Estonia’

Contact: Vladimir Bragin | Mobile: +372 5858 8958 / +372 5657 3993

24 September – Union of Russian Educational and Charity Associations in Estonia in cooperation with the Education Society: ‘Russian Cultural Folk University’

11:00 – Lecture by artist and art researcher Valeri Laur: ‘The Estonian artists Nikolai Triik and Konrad Mägi’ Contact: Vladimir Bragin | Mobile: +372 5858 8958 / +372 5657 3993

24 September (18:00) – National Minorities Day concert at the Russian Cultural Centre (Mere pst 5, Tallinn) featuring collectives from Lüüra (the International Union of Associations of National Minorities) Contact: Larissa Ivaništševa – mobile: +372 5805 3258

25 September – Union of Russian Educational and Charity Associations in Estonia in cooperation with the Education Society: ‘Russian Cultural Folk University’

12:00 – Lecture by art historian Valentina Siig: ‘The history of the visual arts from the early 20^th century’
Contact: Vladimir Bragin | Mobile: +372 5858 8958 / +372 5657 3993

25 September at 13:00 – Union of Russian Educational and Charity Associations in Estonia opens the exhibition ‘Family: shades of creativity’ at the Russian Cultural Centre
Contact: Vladimir Bragin | Mobile: +372 5858 8958 / +372 5657 3993

25 September – Cultural forum in Narva  and opening concert of the season of Eesti Kontsert at the Geneva Centre. Contact: Piia Tamm – e-mail: piia.tamm@concert.ee / Urmi Püve – e-mail: urmi.puve@concert.ee 

26 September (19.00) – ‘The wealth of cultural space’: traditional celebrations of the Estonian Folklore Council at Palamuse Community Centre in Jõgeva County. Showcasing their heritage at the event will be Ursa, Udmurt and Mari people, Moldovan Romanians and experts and admirers of local Jõgeva County culture. Everyone will join in singing each other’s songs, take to the floor for folk dances and offer their national dishes. There will also be a handicrafts exhibition. Contact: Ene Lukka-Jegikjan – e-mail: ene.lukka-jegikjan@folkloorinoukogu.ee (http://www.folkloorinoukogu.ee/Eesti_Folkloorinoukogu_Koolituskes_116.htm)

27 September – National Cultures Creative Pot festival at Jõhvi Concert Hall in Ida-Viru County. The event will open at 11:30, with a conference starting at 12:00. A concert will be held at 16:00. Exhibitions and workshops will run throughout the day. Contact: Aleksandr Dusman – e-mail: aleksandrdusman@gmail.com

For further information please contact: Kristina Pirgop, area manager of Development Centre, e-mail: kristina.pirgop@meis.ee, telephone: +372 659 9024

 

 

Students are invited to discuss the role of young people in society
Overview of language & culture café themes in Narva this autumn
Comings and goings in the Integration Foundation
KUMU brings classic Estonian poetry to a Russian-speaking audience
‘Musical bridges’ festival sings its way into the hearts of its choristers
Latest Russian-language edition of Täheke magazine to be released in October

Students are invited to discuss the role of young people in society

The Integration and Migration Foundation is inviting all students in grades 7-12 of general education schools and from institutes of vocational education to take part in an essay contest entitled ‘How can young people be of use to Estonian society?’. The essays can be submitted to the foundation from 12-28 October 2015.

“Working with the Ministry of Education and Research, we’re organising the contest for the fifth time,” explained Toivo Sikk, an area manager with the Development Centre of the Integration Foundation. “The umbrella theme this year is how young people can be useful to Estonian society. We decided on that as our topic because we want to see young people making more of a contribution to a broader range of things, including civic initiatives, that have an impact on a larger number and greater diversity of people. We think that by putting into words what they see their role as being they’ll gain a better understanding themselves of how much they can do to make their own lives – and those of everyone else in the country – better.”

The essays, which should be up to two pages (3600 characters) long, can be submitted until 28 October to essee@meis.ee. Authors should add their name, the name of their school and the number of their group or class, as well as a contact telephone number and e-mail address.

Starting from this year the essays will be judged in three categories: students from grades 7-9; students from grades 10-12; and vocational school students. One first place, two second places and two third places will be awarded in each category, as well as certificates of recognition for effort. The winning authors will receive their awards at a ceremony for the best performers in the essay contest and Citizens Day quiz at the House of the Blackheads in Tallinn on 21 January 2016. All of the prize-winning essays will be published in a compendium with the same title as the contest: ‘How can young people be of use to Estonian society?’.

For further information please contact: Toivo Sikk | Area Manager, Development Centre | Telephone: +372 659 9850 | E-mail: toivo.sikk@meis.ee.

Overview of language & culture café themes in Narva this autumn

Language and culture café get-togethers have been held in the Narva offices of the Integration Foundation’s Counselling Centre since spring. The meetings, which are held once a week in room 308 on the 3rd floor of the Keres Centre in Narva, form part of a series events known as the Language Café and Culture Café, which support free Estonian language learning in a non-formal environment.

“Everyone who comes to the language café get-togethers gets the chance to practise their Estonian and use what they know, and they’re inspired to use their language skills more in their everyday lives,” explained Irina Rakova, a counsellor at the foundation’s Narva office. “In the coming months we’ll be looking at things like work, health, and balance and satisfaction within yourself. In December we’ll be joined by Ljubov Smirnova, a medical worker who’ll be passing on the kind of first-aid skills that people need in their day-to-day lives and giving them the chance to learn some useful health care-related vocabulary.”

Rakova says that those coming to the café are also given an overview of local and national cultural events. “We also talk about customs connected to special days in Estonia and share our ideas on how we could mark these occasions in our own families. We invite guest speakers along, too. For example, on the 14th of October we’ll be getting a visit from Maria Kullamägi, a young woman who moved to Ida-Viru County a few years ago to do something with her knowledge of the fields of marketing and culture and to gain further experience at Narva College of the University of Tartu. She’s also been helping to organise the Black Nights Film Festival for a few years as a volunteer. She wants to contribute to the Culture Café as well, so she’ll be coming along to talk about the film festival and its programme for this year.”

Language Café get-togethers are held on Mondays from 17:00-18:00 every other week and Culture Café events on Wednesdays from 16:00-17:00 every other week. The themes of the events are updated regularly on the website of the Integration Foundation. 

For further information please contact: Irina Rakova | Counsellor, Counselling Centre | Telephone: +372 800 9000 | E-mail: irina.rakova@meis.ee.

Comings and goings in the Integration Foundation

Riina Ring and Sandra Nuudi returned from maternity leave in October, taking up positions in the Integration Foundation’s Implementation Centre. Also taking up a new post was former Implementation Centre staffer Liilika Raudhein, who from this month is responsible – alongside the area manager for research – for assessing the impact of the foundation’s programmes, projects and activities.

Riina, Sandra and Liilika’s contact details can be found on the Integration Foundation website. 

WE ARE PROUD TO SUPPOR

KUMU brings classic Estonian poetry to a Russian-speaking audience

Assisted by the Integration Foundation’s project competition for sports and cultural events supporting integration and a shared cultural space, KUMU – a.k.a. the Art Museum of Estonia – is presenting the works of Estonian poets to a Russian-speaking audience this autumn. A series of five events has been dedicated to the classics of Estonian poetry, the last two of which will be held in the second half of October.

Kadriorg Art Museum director Aleksandra Murre says they are organising the literary evenings in order to showcase the rich creative work of Estonian poets for the local Russian-speaking audience. “We want to make Estonian poetry more approachable to Russian speakers,” she explained. “We want to shatter the preconceptions they have and truly engage them. If we’re to do that, excellent translations and performances that really draw the audience in are obviously very important. We’ve held three events so far – one each dedicated to Lydia Koidula, Juhan Liiv and Juhan Viiding. We had their poems translated into Russian, and they were then read by poet, singer and artist Elina Gerodes. At each event we also present the artworks we have in our collection that relate to the poets and their work. So far we’ve showcased the works of artist Julie Hagen-Schwarz and painter Paul Burman, and Professor Irina Belobrovtseva has spoken about women in Estonian poetry in the early 20^th century.”

Anyone interested in attending the last two events in the series is welcome to do so at Kadriorg Art Museum (Weizenbergi 37, Tallinn) on 15 and 22 October. Igor Severjanin, a translator of the works of many Estonian poets, his life in Estonia and his place in literary culture will be the focus of discussion at the 15 October event. In addition to the performance of the poems, the audience will also enjoy Russian Theatre actor Dmitri Kosjakov’s monologue ‘Severjanin in Estonia’. The final poetry evening will be dedicated to Marie Under. The guest speaker will be artist Vera Staniševskaja, who will be talking about the role of the artist/illustrator in the compilation of poetry collections.

The programme of each event can be found on the website of Kadriorg Art Museum at http://kadriorumuuseum.ekm.ee/eesti-luuletajad-vene-auditooriumile/.

For further information on the project competition please contact: Jana Tondi | Area Manager, Development Centre | Telephone: +372 659 9069 | E-mail: jana.tondi@meis.ee.
Aleksandra Murre | Director, Kadriorg Art Museum | Telephone: +372 606 6406 | E-mail: aleksandra.murre@ekm.ee.

‘Musical bridges’ festival sings its way into the hearts of its choristers

The Integration Foundation has given its backing to a long list of sports and cultural events supporting integration and a shared culture space this year, including the ‘Musical bridges’ festival dedicated to choral music.

The festival – which is designed to integrate the Estonian- and Russian-speaking populations through beautiful music and the act of creating something wonderful together – will be held under the auspices of the Further Training Centre for Musicians (the Pille Lill Music Fund) on Friday 16 October. The event will include workshops for 150 students, who will learn all about the vocal techniques of choristers, the cultural history of the song festival and activities connected to Music Year.

The day will culminate in a gala concert at the Russian Cultural Centre in Tallinn at 19:00 at which an audience of almost 900 spectators is awaited. Performers will include popular singer Tanja Mihhailova, talented young sopranos Maria Listra and Maria Veretenina, the Women’s Alumni Choir of Tallinn University of Technology (conducted by Andres Heinapuu), the Ukraina mixed choir (conducted by Stanislav Šeljahovski), the Russ mixed choir, the Eleegia chamber choir and the Allegro children’s choir (conducted by Svetlana Zaugarova). Pieces will also be performed by choirs from schools around Tallinn – the City Centre Russian Upper Secondary School youth choir (conducted by Natalja Junkur), the Tõnismäe School of Sciences girls’ choir (conducted by Inna Rüü), the Tallinn Co-Ed Upper Secondary School mixed choir (conducted by Aade Erits), the Õismäe Upper Secondary School mixed choir (conducted by Koidu Ilmjärv), the Mustamäe Upper Secondary School of Sciences and Õismäe Russian Lyceum project choir (conducted by Ljudmila Sjomina) and the Laagna Upper Secondary School girls’ choir and ensemble (conducted by Pirika Sööt and Lii Leitmaa). Leading the concert will be renowned pianist Piia Paemurru.

Admission is free of charge. More information about the event can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/events/1645213005756803/.

For further information on the project competition please contact: Jana Tondi | Area Manager, Development Centre | Telephone: +372 659 9069 | E-mail: jana.tondi@meis.eeFor further information on the event please contact: Leelo Lehtla | Director, Pille Lill Music Fund | Mobile: +372 5648 4244 | E-mail: plmf@plmf.ee.

Latest Russian-language edition of Täheke magazine to be released in October

The latest Russian-language special edition of Täheke magazine – which showcases the latest Estonian children’s literature translated into Russian for children aged 5-9 whose mother tongue is Russian – is to be published in October with the support of the Integration Foundation. The magazine also features children’s own work, instructions on making things, a crossword and a comic.

“This year’s Russian-language edition of Täheke will tell readers everything they need to know about the latest Estonian children’s literature,” explained editor-in-chief Ilona Martson. “For example, there’ll be stories by Andrus Kivirähk, Kairi Look and Mae Lender and poems by Svetlana Jagodkina, who’s Kohtla-Järve. We also provide an overview of the Estonian children’s books that have been published in Russian over the year. Since the magazine mostly gets around via the children’s sections of libraries, we’ve dedicated a couple of pages in this issue to the theme of libraries – there’s a story by Moscow-based children’s author Artur Givargizov and an article about libraries. There’s an interview with writer Anait Piruzyan, whose roots are in Armenia, and whose children’s book in Estonia was published in Russian, Estonian and English simultaneously. And of course there are all the traditional features, like readers’ own work, instructions on how to make things, jokes, a crossword puzzle and a comic strip.”

The target readership of the Russian-language Täheke is Russian-speaking Estonian children aged 5-9 and their parents, grandparents and teachers. The special edition of the magazine will be available in the children’s sections of libraries all over Estonia. It will also be distributed to kindergarten children. In addition to libraries, copies are available from the office of the magazine. Some of the print-run of the special issue will be presented at international book fairs in Bologna, Moscow and St Petersburg by the Estonian Children’s Literature Centre and the Estonian Publishers Association. The Estonian Institute will also send copies to schools in Russia at which Estonian is taught.

The first Russian-language edition of Täheke was published in 2005. It has been published annually since 2010. The magazine is distributed free of charge. Publication of the Russian-language edition is supported from the state budget via the Ministry of Culture as part of the ‘Sports and cultural activities that support a shared cultural space and integration’ project competition of the Integration Foundation.

For further information on the project competition please contact: Jana Tondi | Area Manager, Development Centre | Telephone: +372 659 9069 | E-mail: jana.tondi@meis.ee.
For further information on the project please contact: Ilona Martson | Editor-in-chief, Täheke | Mobile: +372 52 66 556 | Telephone: +372 646 3697 | E-mail: ilona.martson@taheke.ee.

Estonian language and culture clubs to launch activities in December
First cross-media hackathon and audio-visual media development seminar to be held in Mektory in November
Integration Foundation to organise in-service training for national minority Sunday school teachers
Project camps help lower language barrier for Russian-speaking youngsters
Students from Armenian Sunday school inspired by study trip for new school year

Estonian language and culture clubs to launch activities in December

Starting in December, the Integration and Migration Foundation will be organising language and cultural immersion in a club format for long-terms residents of Estonia who speak a language other than Estonian as their mother tongue and whose integration to date has been limited. The language and culture clubs are designed primarily for those who speak Estonian at the B1 level as a minimum and who wish to improve or maintain their conversational language skills.

“The clubs are meant for people whose mother tongue is a language other than Estonian, who want to learn more about what makes Estonian culture unique and who need practical support and encouragement to speak Estonian,” explained Jana Tondi, the director of language and cultural immersion with the Integration Foundation. “Native speakers of Estonian will be involved in the get-togethers and be able to help the language-learners as part of a number of activities on different topics, building up their vocabulary with common words and expressions.” The club meetings will also give participants the chance to practise speaking, listening and writing through interesting and topical issues linked to culture. “They won’t be language lessons as such, but focus on communication,” said Tondi. “We’ll be discussing actual issues in society, and visiting and sharing information about cultural events. We won’t just be meeting in a ‘classroom’ setting, but also going out and experiencing things first hand.”

Membership of the club will first be offered to those who applied for Estonian courses at the B2 level via the Integration Foundation’s website in summer. Joining the club will be voluntary for everyone involved.

Each club will have two group leaders and 16 members from different private and professional backgrounds. Estonian native speakers, or guest speakers whose Estonian skills are at least at the C1 level, will be invited to take part in events. The members and leaders will get together at least once a week over a six-month period and take part in one special event or excursion each month.

“Offers can be submitted to us until mid-November to find club leaders and for organising activities all over the country,” Tondi explained. “You’ll find information about the procurement on the Integration Foundation website. We’re looking to make a start on initial activities, like information days and introductory events for those interested in organising the clubs, before the year’s out.” Club leaders, like their members, will post about their get-togethers in a blog, with one new entry for each event. 

The activities of the ‘Language and cultural immersion’ sub-programme of the ‘Activities supporting integration in Estonian society’ project are financed from the resources of the European Social Fund. The activities of the language and culture clubs are being financed to a value of 300,000 euros in 2015 and 2016.

For further information please contact:
Jana Tondi | Director of Language and Cultural Immersion, Integration Foundation | Telephone: +372 659 9069 | E-mail: jana.tondi@meis.ee.

First cross-media hackathon and audio-visual media development seminar to be held in Mektory in November

The Mektory innovation centre in Tallinn will be hosting a cross-media seminar commissioned by the Integration and Migration Foundation and organised by ETV+ from 13-15 November. The seminar aims to come up with new ideas for the development of audio-visual media programmes.

The foundation’s media director Natalja Kitam says that the seminar has been designed to find new media formats that speak to a Russian-language audience and also interest Estonian speakers. “The event’s open to anyone interested, from individuals to public and private broadcasters,” she explained. “The only criteria are that they have an interest in the media and would like to contribute to introducing new, modern media products to the market that speak to people and that foster a more tolerant and cohesive society.”

The seminar will be opened at 15:00 on 13 November. The first day will focus on mapping ideas and dividing the attendees up into teams. A total of 12-15 teams will be formed on the basis of the ideas presented. The groups will then have until almost midnight to shape and hone their ideas. The first full day of the seminar will start at 9:00 and also run through until late in the evening, with interim summaries being made, mentors being involved and pilot projects being compiled. The final day will likewise start at 9:00, with plans for the audio-visual programmes being outlined. Activities will then continue in groups as they put together their final presentations. The ideas showcase will start at 18:00 and will be broadcast live on the ETV+ website, culminating in the announcement of the overall winners. The seminar programme is available online at www.multipulti.ee.

The winner of the cross-media marathon will receive 25,000 euros with which to implement their idea and the chance to broadcast it on the new television channel ETV+. Special awards will also be presented which will enable the recipients to develop their ideas in cooperation with the national broadcasters of Denmark, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Helping the teams at the event will be professionals in the field from Estonia, Sweden and Germany, with ideas being assessed by an expert jury. A total of 200 people will be able to take part in the marathon.

The three-day seminar is being financed via the ‘Activities supporting integration in Estonian society’ project of the European Social Fund with the aim of acquiring practical input for the promotion of issues within the field on integration via the opportunities presented by audio-visual media.

For further information please contact:
Natalja Kitam | Director of Media, Integration Foundation | Telephone: +372 659 9061 | E-mail: natalja.kitam@meis.ee.

Integration Foundation to organise in-service training for national minority Sunday school teachers

The Integration Foundation will be organising in-service training for national minority Sunday school teachers on 21 & 22 November. The participants will learn what a modern teacher who supports children is like, and the implementation of child-centred and subject-centred methodology in teaching work will also be discussed.

According to Kersti Türk, who will be carrying out the training, the archetypal approach means that children living in a particular era have teachers who support their development and potential. “During the training we’ll be looking at whether teachers are guiding and helping the children of our time as effectively and as expressively as they can, and if so, what these teachers are like,” she explained.

Türk says the participants will get to experience a range of creative, inclusive and experiential methodologies that support self-reflection and help teachers implement in their own work what they learn on the course. “We’ll also be looking at motivation to learn and the factors that influence it,” she added. “For example, we want the teachers to find out how they can motivate students to attend Sunday school and to make use of that experience in their day-to-day lives.”

The in-service training, which is being organised by the Integration and Migration Foundation, is being conducted by Kersti Türk, who has worked as both a teacher and a social pedagogue and who has been the director of Tartu Private School and the Village School of Inventors. She has also published two books for teachers with Mari-Mall Feldschmidt: Arenguvestlused koolis /Appraisals in schools/ and Õhinapõhine kool /Making schools exciting/. She studied what it takes to become a supportive teacher on a training course in the United States in autumn 2013.

In addition to the event in November the Integration Foundation is organising a further two in-service training courses for Sunday school teachers this year, with the next scheduled for 5 & 6 December. The participants will be introduced to the practices of the European language map and taught to make use of theatrical elements to enliven language lessons.  The course will be given by Evelin Müüripeal and Leili Sägi.

The training course is open to teachers from national minority Sunday schools who are – or wish to become – partners to the Integration Foundation. Invitations to participate will be issued by the foundation personally.

The teaching activities of Sunday schools are financed from the state budget via the Ministry of Education and Research.

For further information please contact:
Kristina Pirgop | Director of Partnership Relations, Integration Foundation | Telephone: +372 659 9024 | E-mail: kristina.pirgop@meis.ee;
Kersti Türk | Teacher and social pedagogue | E-mail: kersti@pfe.ee.

Project camps help lower language barrier for Russian-speaking youngsters

The Integration and Migration Foundation has supported a number of Estonian language and culture camps for youngsters aged 7-19 this year. For example, students at Saverna Basic School in Põlva County met students from Narva Language Lyceum, while students from Narva Estonian Gymnasium and Narva School no. 6 made friends with students from Sõmerpalu Basic School in Võru County.

A joint project camp was held in August involving three schools. Entitled ‘On the paths of culture in Põlva County’, the camp was designed to offer Narva-based youngsters who speak Russian as their mother tongue the chance to practise their Estonian in an everyday environment. In addition to learning the language, the students were also hoping to make friends with Estonian-speaking peers and find out more about local culture – which they did by visiting interesting and historical sites in Põlva County. 

A truly authentic Estonian cultural experience was had by 27 students aged 11 and 12 from Narva Language Lyceum when they travelled to the south of the country to join nine Estonian-speaking youngsters on an excursion around Tartu and Põlva County. Camp leader and Estonian language teacher Maret Annuk says that what the students liked most of all was the excursions they went on. “They learned about local history and the old way of life here as part of an orienteering game at the Põlva County Farm Museum, found out what life was like on estates by visiting Pikajärve Manor and, since it was Music Year, they were also taken to Tartu’s Song Festival Museum to explore the history of the song festival,” she explained. “They really enjoyed the contests we had each night, too, where they practised teamwork, and the traditional ‘Relvovision’ song contest, which got its name from the place they stayed. There was a dance contest as well, and a camp fashion show, all of which were great fun.”

Another camp – this one entitled ‘Learning with friends’ – was held in October and saw 12 Russian-speaking students from Grade 4 at Narva Language Lyceum spending five days in Võsu with 10 support students from Grades 6 & 7 at Sõmerpalu Basic School in Võru County.

Camp leader and economics teacher Tatiana Kupratsevich says the youngsters were very much looking forward to their autumn trip, since the camps are always fun and give them plenty to talk about for weeks and even months afterwards. “In putting the programme for the camp together we focussed on making sure that the kids would get to speak to each other as much as possible in Estonian,” she explained. “The tasks we set for them were set up in such a way that the Russian-speaking kids would want or need to speak Estonian, either to get help or ask for information. It’s simple conversations like this that often lead to the kids chatting together for much longer and that generates mutual interest.” Kupratsevich says there was also a full schedule of free-time activities. “The kids filled in descriptive forms about each other, came up with some great posters about Estonian towns, held a football match and organised an autumn picnic, complete with barbecue, at which they munched on sausages and sang and danced together.”

Estonian language and culture camps are financed by the Integration Foundation from the state budget via the Ministry of Culture.

For further information please contact:
Jana Tondi | Director of Language and Cultural Immersion, Integration Foundation | Telephone: +372 659 9069 | E-mail: jana.tondi@meis.ee.

Students from Armenian Sunday school inspired by study trip for new school year

This July, seven students from the Maštots Armenian Sunday school visited their homeland with their teacher to pit their knowledge of Armenian culture, language and history against that of other Armenian youngsters living outside of the country. School director and teacher Džanna Šahbazjan, who has been the head of the Sunday school for eight years, shared her thoughts on the trip.

The Ministry of Education of Armenia organises a language, culture and religion Olympiad for young people with Armenian roots living outside of the country every two years. The Sunday school teacher says that youngsters from all over the world gathered in Armenia once again this year and spent a week together in the beautiful Aghveran region. In addition to Estonia, Sunday schools from Spain, Russia, France, Georgia, Iran and other countries were represented. A total of 60 students between the ages of 14 and 18 took part.

The first time that students from the Maštots Sunday school competed in the Olympiad in Armenia was in 2009. Their teacher says it is good to see that taking part has been such a positive experience for them and that it has increased their interest in learning their native tongue and culture enormously. The students who attended the event in August looked forward to the start of the new academic year, as it meant they would be able to continue studying their language and culture. “This time our kids focussed solely on the history part of the competition,” Šahbazjan explained. “They made it all the way to the final, where they had to answer questions verbally, in Armenian. We’ve set ourselves the goal of taking part in the culture and language competitions as well further down the line.”

Šahbazjan says the participants were inspired by one member of the jury in particular – Artak Movsisjan, a professor from the Armenian State University and the author of a textbook designed for use in Sunday schools in other countries which Maštots itself utilises in its lessons. “There were also exciting excursions for the students where the guides were members of the jury, and quizzes where the teams were made up of kids from different countries,” she added. “Everyone had to put together a photographic exhibition showcasing their country and where they live, too.”

The youngsters were able to take part in a number of workshops on Armenian culture in which they learned folk dances and traditional songs and poetry. The dance workshop was led by Gagik Ginosjan, the great champion of Armenian folk dancing. A student of Ginosjan’s will be giving lessons in Tartu this autumn. “There was a song and poetry competition at the Olympiad as well, and our students won three prizes,” Šahbazjan said. “It was a big thing for us to present the final song at the gala concert, which saw everyone in the audience singing along.”

The director of the Armenian Sunday school says it is important that the children got to talk to one another a great deal on the trip and made many new friends they have continued to correspond with since the Olympiad. “Thanks to these burgeoning friendships the kids have shown even more of an interest in upholding the culture and traditions of their forefathers,” she said.

Information about the Maštots Armenian Sunday school is available by e-mailing mastotsh@gmail.com or calling +372 5330 0425.

The teaching activities of Sunday schools are financed from the state budget via the Ministry of Education and Research.

For further information please contact:
Kristina Pirgop | Director of Partnership Relations, Integration Foundation | Telephone: +372 659 9024 | E-mail: kristina.pirgop@meis.ee;
Džanna Šahbazjan | Director, Maštots Armenian Sunday school | Mobile: +372 5330 0425 | E-mail: mastotsh@gmail.com.

Estonian language courses to continue for teachers from Ida-Viru County
Language and cultural immersion clubs offer opportunities for language practice
Eight further national minority Sunday schools granted support for teaching activities
December brings learning opportunities for national minority Sunday school teachers
Conference marks 95th anniversary of Russian Academic Society
Overview of procurements and competitions

Estonian language courses to continue for teachers from Ida-Viru County

The Integration and Migration Foundation has launched Estonian language courses at the B2 and C1 levels for a further 40 teachers from Ida-Viru County. Three new groups were opened for the teachers in November in Narva and Jõhvi.

According to Jana Tondi, the director of language and cultural immersion at the Integration Foundation, improving the Estonian language skills of teachers is one of the foundation’s priorities for the coming years. “We’ve started with teachers in Ida-Viru County, where the need for improvement is greatest,” she said. 

This August saw the start of Estonian language courses for 195 teachers from the county. In autumn the Integration Foundation launched an additional procurement competition to find a training company for a further three language groups in Narva and Jõhvi, serving a total of 40 people. The courses are designed for teachers whose names had been forwarded to the foundation by representatives of educational institutions from the region by the end of June but who did not make it into the first groups. “In November we were able to open up extra groups – one at the C1 level in Narva and one each at the B2 and C1 levels in Jõhvi,” Tondi explained.

The courses are being conducted by the language company Algus OÜ. Lessons are held twice a week in groups of up to 15 learners. An additional six-hour day of intensive studies is also held at least once a month, during which the participants meet with representatives of a variety of professions and walks of life. The aim of these meetings is to provide the learners with life-like situations in which they need to be able to cope using Estonian. The courses are set to continue until 15 March 2016.

The hope is that all of the teachers participating in the courses will take the language exam at the relevant level in spring 2016 and that at least 80% of those who complete the courses improve their language skills by at least one level. The Estonian exams are scheduled to take place on 20 & 21 February. Each teacher must register for the exam personally via the state portal www.eesti.ee or by submitting an application to the Innove Foundation. Registration for the February exams closes on 1 January. More information can be found online at http://www.innove.ee/et/eesti-keele-tasemeeksamid/registreerumine.

The Integration Foundation is organising Estonian language courses at the B2 and C1 levels for a total of 18 groups in Ida-Viru County in the 2015/2016 academic year. Of those groups, 13 are at the B2 level and five are at the C1 level. The language courses are being financed from the state budget via the Ministry of Education and Research.

For further information please contact Jana Tondi | Director of Language and Cultural Immersion, Integration Foundation | Telephone: +372 659 9069 | E-mail: jana.tondi@meis.ee.

Language and cultural immersion clubs offer opportunities for language practice

The Integration and Migration Foundation launched a procurement this autumn to find an organiser for language and cultural clubs for those who speak a language other than Estonian as their mother tongue. Of the four offers received, the one submitted by Kodanikukoolitus was declared successful and the non-profit organisation will now start organising up to 20 clubs for 320 people all over Estonia.

According to Jana Tondi, the director of language and cultural immersion at the Integration Foundation, it is important to offer opportunities for language practice in addition to traditional language courses in order to ensure even more effective studies of Estonian. “One way of doing that is by setting up language and cultural immersion clubs that give people the chance to speak Estonian, attend cultural events and talk about topical issues,” she said. “Compared to language lessons, the way those taking part learn and communicate is non-formal and the atmosphere is more open.”

20 clubs will be opened in January, February, April and May in Tallinn, Tartu, Sillamäe, Jõhvi, Kohtla-Järve, Ahtme, Narva and Pärnu. The first clubs will open their doors in January in Ida-Viru County and Tallinn.

The language and culture clubs are designed primarily for those who speak Estonian at the B2 level as a minimum and who wish to improve or maintain their conversational language skills. Membership of the club will first be offered to those who applied for Estonian courses at the B2 level via the Integration Foundation website in summer. The foundation will pass the list of potential members on to the organisers, who will then contact them personally. Membership of the clubs is entirely voluntary.

The language and cultural immersion clubs will be led by 10 instructors who are teachers of Estonian for adult learners or teachers of another foreign language by profession. Each club will be run by two native speakers of Estonian. The activities of the clubs will continue for at least six months, during which time a minimum of one weekly meeting and one monthly excursion will be organised for members. The excursions will showcase the country’s natural assets; see the participants visiting museums and libraries, as well as attending theatrical performances; and involve meetings with local authority representatives and entrepreneurs. The participants will also get to visit the Riigikogu and learn about the Estonian electoral system.

An information day for those running the clubs will be held in December, as will the first information event for future club members.

The activities of the ‘Linguistic and cultural immersion’ sub-programme of the ‘Activities supporting integration in Estonian society’ project are financed from the resources of the European Social Fund.

For further information please contact Jana Tondi | Director of Language and Cultural Immersion, Integration Foundation | Telephone: +372 659 9069| E-mail: jana.tondi@meis.ee.

Eight further national minority Sunday schools granted support for teaching activities

The results of the second round of applications for the base financing of national minority Sunday schools were announced at the end of October, with support for activities being granted to a further eight schools to the total value of 33,004 euros.

“I’m really pleased we got to launch an additional round of applications this year and have been able to grant support to Sunday schools that didn’t manage to take part back in the first round in spring,” said the Integration Foundation’s director of partner relations Kristina Pirgop. “Another eight Sunday schools have now joined the list of 22 that already received funding. Among them is one school that opened its door at the start of the academic year in Pärnu which is being run by the Cultural Association of Ingrian Finns. The others were four Sunday schools in Tallinn and three in Narva.”

National minority Sunday schools are places at which children can explore the culture of their forefathers and learn their language. The lessons are diverse. Excursions and field trips to museums are also frequently organised during the academic year.

Sunday school lessons are open to youngsters aged 3-18 of whose parents at least one is a representative of the nationality in question. Starting from this academic year children of other nationalities are also being accepted into Sunday schools, but they may not account for more than 20% of the total number of students at the school. The contact details of Sunday schools are available online at http://www.meis.ee/rahvuskultuuriseltside-puhapaevakoolid.

“December means Christmas, and that means traditions with special and important meanings,” said Pirgop. “Special attention is paid to Christmas and New Year events at Sunday schools, too – the kids learn about the customs and rituals associated with them, national dishes that are made at this time of year, Christmas songs and poems and folk traditions.”

The Cultural Association of Ingrian Finns in Ida-Viru County organised a special event for its students on 29 November at which they performed a play about the Nativity, sang Finnish-language songs and met Santa Clause, who had flown in especially from Finland. Meanwhile, students from the Armenian Sunday school Maštots will be paying a visit this month to students from the Sunday school of the Association of Ukrainian Organisations in Estonia to find out more about the stories of St Nicholas, who is not very well known in Armenia.

The base financing of Sunday schools is funded from the state budget via the Ministry of Education and Research.

For further information please contact Kristina Pirgop | Director of Partnership Relations, Integration Foundation | Telephone: +372 659 9024 | E-mail: kristina.pirgop@meis.ee.

December brings learning opportunities for national minority Sunday school teachers

This December the Integration and Migration Foundation is organising two exciting and educational in-service training events for teachers from national minority Sunday schools.

The first event, which is entitled ‘Intercultural communication: Elements of drama in language learning’ was held on 5 & 6 December in Narva-Jõesuu. Sunday school teachers from all over Estonia were in attendance. The course was given by Evelin Müüripeal and Leili Sägi.

Group work focussed on developing the practical skills of the teachers. They were shown how drama can be used to spice up language lessons and create a stress-free environment for students. Namely, utilising elements of drama helps foster in people of any age the courage to perform and reduces the level of tension that comes with it. The trainers also showcased a variety of movement and creative exercises that can be used in lessons to develop cooperation skills. From the point of view of language learning, using drama helps to reinforce values and boost communication skills.

The final in-service training event for national minority Sunday school teachers this year will be held on 12 & 13 December in Tallinn, led by five instructors.

The training will be introduced by Irina Moissejenko, a lecturer on Russian didactics at Tallinn University. She will teach the participants ways of supporting language-learning in national minority Sunday schools and talk about how linguistic development takes place within children in a bilingual environment – for example, what methods you can use to develop correct pronunciation and the basis on which you can select suitable teaching materials.

Psychologist, doctor and therapist Natalja Šastina will then explain to the teachers how it is possible to take care of the person inside you and how to avoid stress and burnout.

The second day of the event will be opened by experienced trainers and multiple textbook and worksheet authors Õie Vahar and Helgi Org. Their presentation is entitled ‘Cooperation skills as a guarantee of success and enjoyment in school work’ and will focus on how to make parents active participants in the work of Sunday schools.

In order for the learning process to be more interesting and diverse, almost all schools organise educational excursions for their students. Tallinn University lecturer Natalia Tšuikina will talk about how you can teach a language during an excursion and the kinds of exercises that most effectively support the acquisition of knowledge.

In-service training for national minority Sunday schools is financed from the state budget via the Ministry of Education and Research.

For further information please contact Kristina Pirgop | Director of Partnership Relations, Integration Foundation | Telephone: +372 659 9024 | E-mail: kristina.pirgop@meis.ee.

Conference marks 95^th anniversary of Russian Academic Society

In honour of the 95^th anniversary of the Russian Academic Society, a conference entitled ‘The Russian intelligentsia: Benefitting Estonia for 95 years’ is to be held at the Estonian National Library on 15 December.

The conference is designed to inform the public of the activities of the Russian-language literati and of their contribution to Estonian society. Ideas will also be exchanged on the current state of socioeconomic development in Estonia and on indicators in this field. The subtheme of the conference has been given the title ‘Analysis and prospects of the development of the Estonian economy and Estonian society’.

Members of the Russian Academic Society will be speaking at the conference. Researchers, teachers, lecturers and representatives of public, private and third-sector organisations are invited to attend the event, which will accommodate an audience of up to 120. Registration is on an invitation basis. If you have not received an invitation but are interested in attending, e-mail Angela Melikhova at info@rao.ee by 12 December 2015.

Founded in 1920, the Russian Academic Society is one of the oldest civic associations in Estonia. Its activities were revived in the early 1990s. Today it has more than 120 members of all ages and representing a wide range of fields. It has three regional departments – one in Tartu, one in Kohtla-Järve and one in Pärnu – which bring together academics and doctors, doctoral candidates and masters of science. More information about the society’s activities can be found online at http://www.rao.ee.

The Integration and Migration Foundation has contributed to the organisation of the conference.

For further information please contact Kristina Pirgop | Director of Partnership Relations, Integration Foundation | Telephone: +372 659 9024 | E-mail: kristina.pirgop@meis.ee.
Further details are also available from Angela Melikhova, PhD | Research Secretary, Russian Academic Society | E-mail: info@rao.ee.

Overview of procurements and competitions

The following is an overview (with brief descriptions) of the procurements and competitions being organised by the Integration and Migration Foundation in December.

• 30 November saw the launch of a social campaign entitled ‘Valuing public- and private-sector organisations with linguistically diverse staff and informing people with mother tongues other than Estonian of career opportunities within the public sector’. The procurement is being implemented as part of the ‘Activities supporting integration in Estonian society’ project of the European Social Fund. The deadline for submission of tenders is 10:00 on 15 January 2016.

More information and a link to the e-procurement registry can be found online at http://www.meis.ee/kaimasolevad-konkursid?project_id=650.

• 2 December saw the launch of a project competition entitled ‘Promotion of a unified field of information through cultural and sporting activities’. Applications can be submitted in two categories – sporting events supporting a unified cultural space and integration; and cultural events supporting a unified cultural space and integration. The deadline for submission of applications is 10:00 on 12 January 2016. The competition is being financed by the Ministry of Culture.

Competition information and documentation can be found online at http://www.meis.ee/kaimasolevad-konkursid?project_id=651.

• 8 December saw the launch of a procurement entitled ‘Training on the Estonian Constitution and Citizenship Act for new immigrants and permanent residents with limited integration’. Tenders for the procurement – which is being organised as part of the ‘Activities supporting integration in Estonian society’ project financed from the European Social Fund – are awaited for the organisation of the training in 2016 and 2017. The deadline for submission of tenders is 11:00 on 7 January 2016.

More information and a link to the e-procurement registry can be found online at http://www.meis.ee/kaimasolevad-konkursid?project_id=652.

• December will also see the launch of a project competition for foreign Estonian cultural associations. The competition will support the organisation of foreign Estonian cultural projects and festivals; contact between cultural collectives, creative people and foreign Estonian communities; and the professional guidance of foreign Estonian cultural collectives with the aim of promoting their participation in major Estonian cultural events. The competition is being financed by the Ministry of Culture.

Information about when the competition will be launched will be available shortly on the website of the Integration Foundation under http://www.meis.ee/konkursid.

• December will also see the launch of a project competition for national minority cultural associations. The competition is designed to contribute to the preservation and showcasing of national minority language and culture in Estonia, supporting cultural association events, festivals, international cooperation, the generation of a shared information space and more.

Information about when the competition will be launched will be available shortly on the website of the Integration Foundation under http://www.meis.ee/konkursid.

• December will also see the launch of a procurement competition entitled ‘Development of the communication cooperation network of the integration field and distribution of news’. The competition is designed to create, with the help of media partners, a unified field of information which brings together issues related to the field of integration and which reflects key groupings of topics in Estonian, Russian and English. The competition is being financed by the Ministry of Culture.

​Information about when the competition will be launched will be available shortly on the website of the Integration Foundation under http://www.meis.ee/konkursid.

                                                                                Merry Christmas and a happy new year to everyone! 
                                                                                                         

                                                                                                                     The Integration Foundation team

 

Supervisory board of Integration Foundation elects new chairman
Estonian language course participants selected for 2016
Awards ceremony to be held for Citizens Day quiz and essay competition winners
Russian Sunday school in Narva to organise classes for Estonian-language schools in region
Ukrainian associations arrange trip to Estonia for children of victims of war in Ukraine
Website for teachers supporting children with home languages other than Estonian
Institute of Baltic Studies to administer pan-European integration site EWSI

Supervisory board of Integration Foundation elects new chairman

The final meeting of the supervisory board of the Integration Foundation for 2015 saw the election of a new chairman and the approval of the foundation’s 2016 budget.

At the meeting, which was held on 15 December, Kristina Kallas – the deputy-director of Narva College of the University of Tartu – was elected as the new chairman. The supervisory board has eight members in total, with long-serving MP Mart Nutt continuing in his role as vice-chairman.

The meeting also saw the approval of the 2016 budget for the Integration Foundation, which is valued at 4.3 million euros. The foundation’s action plan will be approved at a meeting to be held on 26 January.

Estonian language course participants selected for 2016

The participants have now been selected for the free Estonian language courses at the A2, B1 and B2 levels being organised by the Integration Foundation in 2016. The first groups will begin their studies this month.

“At the end of last year we launched a procurement to find organisers for the free Estonian courses we’ll be offering to 2000 people this year, and the five winning bids were from OÜ Keelepisik, OÜ Mitteldorf, the EDUKOOL foundation, Folkuniversitetet Estonia and the NPO Atlasnet,” explained Jana Tondi, the director of language and cultural immersion with the Integration Foundation. “Throughout January they’ll be contacting those who registered for the courses over the phone and by e-mail in regard to testing their language level. They need to do this so that they know how well everyone can speak and understand Estonian already, and on that basis they can then put groups together.”

2000 people who registered for the courses on the Integration Foundation website last year will be participating in the language training in 2016. Courses for the first 50 groups or around 800 learners will start in the first part of the year all over Estonia – in January, February, late March and early April – ahead of courses commencing in late summer/early spring. The courses will be held in eight towns and cities: Tallinn, Narva, Jõhvi, Kohtla-Järve, Sillamäe, Ahtme, Tartu and Pärnu. Each course will last for 100 academic hours, with classes being held two or three times a week between Monday and Friday.

Free Estonian courses at the A2, B1 and B2 levels are intended to be held regularly until 2020. Organisation of language studies in the same volume is planned to continue so as to ensure that all those who registered for the courses on the Integration Foundation website in 2015 get the chance to undertake Estonian language studies. Those who are not accepted onto the courses starting in 2016 will be contacted by the foundation and provided with information about future language-learning opportunities.

Implementation of the Estonian language studies at the A2, B1 and B2 levels is being financed from the resources of the ‘Activities supporting integration in Estonian society’ project of the European Social Fund.

For further information please contact: Jana Tondi | Director of Language and Cultural Immersion, Integration Foundation | Telephone: 659 9069 | E-mail: jana.tondi@meis.ee

Awards ceremony to be held for Citizens Day quiz and essay competition winners

The Integration Foundation will be recognising the most outstanding participants in the 2015 Citizens Day online quiz and essay competition in a ceremony to be held from 11:00-16:30 on 21 January at the House of the Blackheads in Tallinn. The ceremony will begin with an overview of previous Citizens Day quizzes for the participants and their mentors (their teachers). Musical entertainment will be provided by the Urmas Lattikas Ensemble.

An essay contest was organised for students in grades 7-12 of general education schools and from institutes of vocational education for the fifth time by the Integration Foundation last spring. ‘How can young people be of use to Estonian society?’ was the theme of the 2015 essay. 103 entries were received from 19 schools all over Estonia.

Students from grades 7-9 and 10-12 at general education schools and those from vocational education schools will be awarded individually at the reception at the House of the Blackheads: one 1^st prize, two 2^nd prizes, two 3^rd prizes and an encouragement award for students from general education grades 7-9; one 1^st prize, one 2^nd prize, one 3^rd prize and an encouragement award for students from general education grades 10-12; and the same for students from vocational schools. The two best mentors will also be presented with awards. All of the prize-winning essays will be published in a compendium with the same title as the contest: ‘How can young people be of use to Estonian society?’.

Also receiving awards at the ceremony will be the winners of the Citizens Day online quiz held between 23 November and 4 December 2015. The highest-scoring teams in seven categories will be recognised, as will the schools with the largest number of participants. More than 10,000 students took part in the 2015 quiz: 8648 completed it in full, of whom 2972 indicated Russian as their mother tongue.

The awards for the 13^th Citizens Day quiz will be presented to a total of 21 students, five mentors/teachers and 22 educational institutions. There will be separate awards for students from Grades 5 and 6 at general education schools with Estonian and Russian as the language of instruction and students from Grades 7-12 at general education schools and from vocational education schools with Estonian and Russian as their home language.

The organisation of the Citizens Day essay competition and quiz is financed from the state budget via the Ministry of Education and Research.

For further information please contact: Toivo Sikk | Director of Civic Education, Development Centre | Telephone: 659 9850 | E-mail: toivo.sikk@meis.ee

Russian Sunday school in Narva to organise classes for Estonian-language schools in region

This academic year has seen the launch of cooperation between teachers from the Russian Sunday school in Narva and Estonian-language schools in Ida-Viru County. The aim is for the teachers to promote Russian culture and traditions to the students – and to thereby foster tolerance and understanding – by giving guest lessons at the schools.

The first Sunday school event will be held at the Estonian Upper Secondary School in Narva in early January. “To add something new to the mix in terms of the way they study and learn, we’ll be holding a separate lesson for kids from Grade 10, who are mostly all Sunday school students as well, on the customs of the Russian Christmas and New Year,” explained Alla Matvejeva, one of the teachers from the Sunday school. “We’ll be telling them how people celebrate the winter holidays in Russia, what the most common customs are, and the kinds of songs and games they involve. We’ve also invited Guselki, a folk ensemble, to take part in the lesson. They’ll be presenting traditional folk songs, led by Nadežda Moskaleva and Valentin Terentjev.”

A second lesson will be held in January, this time for younger students at Sinimäe Basic School. They will find out all about the most popular games, contests, songs and dances accompanying Christmas and the Epiphany, which on the Russian Orthodox calendar fall between 7 and 18 January. Music will again be provided during the class by Guselki. “The lesson will give the kids a great opportunity to learn about a variety of Christmas traditions,” said Matvejeva. “Hopefully it will broaden their horizons and foster tolerance as well.”

The guest lessons at the Estonian-language schools will be given by Russian Sunday school teachers Alla Matvejeva and Jelena Kukkur.

The Russian Sunday school in Narva was established in 2004 as part of the Svätogori Association of Slavic Culture, an NPO based in the city. The school focuses on what makes Russian culture unique, with the students being given the opportunity to study history and learn about special days, folklore and traditions. An excursion to Tallinn is planned for the Sunday school’s students in early 2016 during which they will be introduced to some of the greatest figures in Russian culture and places connected to them. They will also meet with students from Sunday schools in the capital.

For further information please contact: Kristina Pirgop | Director of Partnership Relations, Integration Foundation | Telephone: 659 9024 | E-mail: kristina.pirgop@meis.ee.
Alla Matvejeva | Director, Russian Sunday school, Narva | E-mail: alla_matvejeva@mail.ru.

Ukrainian associations arrange trip to Estonia for children of victims of war in Ukraine

The Ukrainian Women’s Association of Estonia, in cooperation with other Ukrainian organisations operating in the country, has organised an excursion to Estonia for children who have lost one or both of their parents in the Ukrainian crisis. The aim of the excursion was to show the children what Estonia is like as well as what Ukrainians do and how they mark their traditions in other countries.

15 Ukrainian children between the ages of 11 and 14 visited Estonia in the first week of January, all of whom have lost one or both of their parents in the fight to restore the territorial integrity of Ukraine. The organisers put together an exciting programme for the children and provided them with accommodation in their own homes and with the families of students from Ukrainian Sunday schools operating in Estonia. The children who made the journey to Estonia were found with the help of a volunteer organisation in Kyiv that deals with children who have lost a parent or become orphaned as a result of the war.

Excursions to Tallinn’s Old Town and the Riigikogu were arranged for the children, as well as to the Seaplane Harbour and to KUMU art museum. They also got to watch the ballet Cinderella at the Estonia National Opera. They were visited by workers from the BLRT Group, with whose help the return flights from Ukraine were purchased for the children and their chaperones. Private donations also helped make the trip possible.

The children also visited Tartu, where they discovered the exciting world of the AHHAA Science Centre through hands-on exhibits and fun activities.

During their visit the children also found out what Ukrainian associations and organisations in Estonia do. They met with students from the Ukrainian Sunday schools in the country on 5 January at the Ukrainian Cultural Centre and on 9 January at the Association of Ukrainian Organisations. The Estonian youngsters they met told them all about what they do and got to practise their Ukrainian with them.

The group visited the Ukrainian Greek Catholic church in Tallinn and the blacksmith, woodwork and paper workshops that operate as part of the Ukrainian Cultural Centre, where they also got to try their hands at calligraphy. At the Association of Ukrainian Organisations the youngsters got to make traditional protective dolls, and the artist Dmytro Dobrovolsky taught them how to paint icons on canvas.

Working with other Ukrainian organisations in the country, the Ukrainian Women’s Association of Estonia would like to continue organising similar trips and supporting those who have suffered in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

For further information please contact: Kristina Pirgop | Director of Partnership Relations, Integration Foundation | Telephone: 659 9024 | E-mail: kristina.pirgop@meis.ee.

Liliya Ivanchenko | Member of the management board, Ukrainian Women’s Association | E-mail: keila.joa@mail.ee.

News from the Integration Foundation’s partners

Child with another mother tongue - supportive web environment for Educators

Author: Ave Härsing

SA Innove has created a new website under the web environment "Child with another mother tongue", which gathers information about the organization of education for newly immigrated and Roma children living in Estonia, who study in schools or kindergartens.  The new environment has been designed especially for teachers and educational workers, but also for parents. The environment was created as a part of the project “Improving the quality of counselling for newly immigrated children and Roma children”.

The environment provides centralized information, helping to improve the counselling of educators teaching children of foreign and Roma origin and to increase the competence of supporting professionals. The aim is to improve the capabilities of schools and to make the necessary information availability at a local level.

The new environment gathers the information concerning possibilities and experience for the education of children with another native tongue It is possible to find science based articles, course works, descriptions of experiences by teachers, compilations, extracts from public media and good practical advice from there. The information also supports the education of Estonian children abroad.

“Children with another mother tongue” is a follow-up of the web page “Tere-tere”, which supported teachers during 2010-2015.

The web environment has been divided to following subtopics:

1. Concerning studies here and away

• Jurisdiction
• School
• Kindergarten
• Estonian children abroad
• Experience from abroad

2. Who's who?

• A children with a native language other than the studying language
• New immigrants
• Returnees
• Romas
• Asylum seekers and applicants of international protection

3. For teachers

• Methodological recommendations
• Study assets
• Teacher to teacher
• Collaboration with parents
• Cultural events: traditions and customs, religion

4. Misc

• Researches
• Links
• Archive

5. nformation
6. News

About the project

The web environment "Child with another mother tongue" is created as a part of the project "Improvement of education counselling for newly immigrated and Roma children”. To improve the quality of the educational counselling and to receive the service at a local level, supervisional seminars, additional schoolings and class observations are being organized, and the exchange of information is enhanced.

The project is carried out by the NGO ProDia, foundation Omanäolise Kooli Arenduskeskus and the Integration and Migration Foundation Our People, during 2014-2016. More information can be found on the project website: http://prodia.ee/projektid/emp.

The project is funded through the opened application round “ Involvement and Interventions in the Education System“ within the European Economic Area (EEA) grants program "Children and Youth at Risk”. The program is jointly conducted by the Ministry of Education and Science, the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Social Affairs. The program is brought to life by the Estonian Youth Work Centre and partnered with regional authorities of Norway and the Union of Regional Authorities. Additional information can be found on the website of the program www.entk.ee/riskilapsedjanoored/ and in Facebook www.facebook.com/RiskilapsedJaNoored.

Institute of Baltic Studies to administer pan-European integration site EWSI

Author: Kristjan Kandur

Institute of Baltic Studies is the national coordinator for the European Website on Integration (EWSI) since its launch in 2010. The aim of EWSI is to help improve the effectiveness of integration policies and practices in the EU by sharing successful strategies and supporting collaboration and cooperation between practitioners. EWSI acts as a platform for sharing integration-related news, best practices, legal documents and other materials. By sharing the successful integration practices, EU countries can learn new ideas and solutions that can be put to practice in other member states.

In addition, every year EWSI analyses a topic which is currently relevant in the integration field. In 2015, the analysis focused on volunteers/citizens’ initiatives that support immigrants’ long-term integration and/or are opening the public up to integration matters and diversity. Topics planned for the future are related to the political participation of immigrants and ethnic minorities, highly-skilled migration, innovative solutions for the monitoring of integration etc.

You can subscribe to the monthly EWSI newsletter here. As the login is directed through ECAS (European Commission Authentication Service) site, you first need to make an account there.

For additional information or if you wish to share your integration-related news or good practice via EWSI, please contact the Institute of Baltic Studies: kristjan@ibs.ee. 

Integration Foundation action plan for 2016 covers entire field of integration
Integration Foundation expert group helps develop counselling service
Language café launches separate classes for beginners and advanced language learners
Tallinn University lecturers provide training to national minority Sunday school teachers
Union of National Minorities marks decade of uniting cultural associations in Pärnu County

Integration Foundation action plan for 2016 covers entire field of integration

In 2016 the Integration and Migration Foundation is providing almost 4.7 million euros in support of a wide range of integration projects and activities. The detailed action plan for the year was approved at a meeting of the foundation’s supervisory board on 26 January. The aims of the foundation’s activities in 2016 are primarily based on the ‘Integrating Estonia 2020’ development plan. Its activities are implemented via state budget resources allocated by the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Education and Research and with the support of the European Social Fund.

Dmitri Burnašev, the director of the Integration Foundation, says that in planning all of its activities the foundation is guided by the field of integration as a whole, taking into account people’s primary needs and their desire to feel at home in Estonia whilst giving people the chance to retain their linguistic and cultural identity. “Through our counselling service we’re able to help and support people in dealing with agencies and authorities, we explain to them what their fundamental rights are and we give them an introduction to national laws,” Burnašev explained. “Organising classes for those who registered for Estonian language studies on our website last year remains a priority for us as well. Plus we have language and cultural immersion clubs and training events to get people ready to take the Estonian citizenship exam.” The director added that project competitions enable the Integration Foundation to support the organisation of sports and cultural events for speakers of languages other than Estonian. “We’ve recently acquired some display technology with which we hope theatres and museums will be able to provide more events for non-Estonian speakers,” he said. “And this year the state is continuing to support the preservation of the mother tongues and culture of the national minorities living in Estonia by funding the activities of associations and the work of Sunday schools.”

The Integration Foundation provides its counselling service to less successfully integrated residents of Estonia in Tallinn, Harju County, Narva, Ida-Viru County and elsewhere in the country. It is currently working to develop its information system and to inform the public more broadly of its counselling service.

Among the key activities of the foundation in 2016 is the organisation of the free Estonian language courses at the A1, B1 and B2 levels which commenced last year. The aim is to provide such studies to at least 2000 people all over Estonia this year. The first training events for 700 less successfully integrated residents of Estonia and new immigrants on the Estonian Constitution and the Citizenship Act will also be starting this year, and language and cultural immersion clubs will be opening their doors all over the country.

The financing of the activities of the umbrella organisations of national minority cultural associations and Sunday schools will continue in 2016. This year greater emphasis will be given to promoting and developing the activities of Sunday schools, with a series of open-door days, round tables and training events being organised. New activities will include the provision of display technology for theatres and museums with the aim of helping such establishments attract Russian- and English-speaking audiences.

The Integration Foundation will also be launching project competitions in support of the events of national minority and foreign Estonian cultural associations. Furthermore, for the first time in a number of years the foundation will be organising an international integration-themed conference which will bring together experts in the field from Estonia and abroad.

The schedule of 2016 project competitions and procurements will be published on the website in March.

Integration Foundation expert group helps develop counselling service

The Integration and Migration Foundation has been offering its counselling service to less successfully integrated residents of Estonia since autumn 2014. In moulding the service the foundation has drafted in experts for the development of the services provided and to explain to those living in the country the key topics covered therein.

The development and implementation of the counselling and information system are designed to ensure the availability of the counselling service and information supporting integration to both less successfully integrated residents of Estonia and new immigrants. Existing public services and service providers at the national and local levels were mapped in 2015. The foundation is working on developing the services with all of the ministries and agencies connected to the field of integration, including the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Social Affairs, the Ministry of Education and Research, the Police and Border Guard Board, the Unemployment Insurance Fund and of course local authorities.

Since 2015 the foundation has been supported in developing the counselling and information service by an expert group comprising representatives of ministries, Tallinn and Narva city governments and the Association of Estonian Cities (itself representing local authorities). The group is charged with the task of developing the counselling service and analysing earlier projects and studies related to counselling. The foundation has also established a partner network which includes organisations involved in the provision of public services. Information and experience are exchanged via the network on how to more effectively support less successfully integrated residents and new immigrants in coping and adapting in Estonia.

Following a meeting in January, the expert group has recommended that the Counselling Centre start coordinating the forwarding of partner network news so as to ensure the improved distribution of important information to organisations involved in serving and counselling less successfully integrated people.

The counselling and information system is being developed and maintained as part of the ‘Activities supporting integration in Estonian society’ project of the European Social Fund.

For further information please contact: Kätlin Kõverik | Senior Adviser, Counselling Centre | E-mail: katlin.koverik@meis.ee | Telephone: +372 659 9032

Language café launches separate classes for beginners and advanced language learners

Language cafés supporting Estonian language studies have been held at the Integration Foundation’s Counselling Centre in Narva since spring 2015. Starting this year, separate events are being held for beginners and more advanced language learners.

“The language café isn’t your classic language lesson,” explained Irina Rakova, a counsellor at the centre. “It’s a way of supporting the studies of those who want a chance to speak Estonian, expand their vocabulary and simply chat to others in a stress-free atmosphere. The get-togethers are free of charge – all you need to do is show up on time! We let people know what the theme each week is, and provide any teaching materials we use. And there’s tea and coffee, too!”

There are only two prerequisites for the beginner classes at the language café: motivation; and knowledge of the Estonian alphabet. This year’s get-togethers will focus on basic vocabulary, Estonian customs and traditions, and what to do in order to get by in everyday situations. The basis of teaching work will be the lessons provided in the online Keeleklikk course and the subjects they cover.

The get-togethers for more advanced language learners are open to anyone who already gets by in everyday conversation but would like to broaden their vocabulary and to practise their spoken Estonian more. The basis of these lessons will be Pille ja Lauri lood /Pille and Lauri’s Stories/, a set of teaching materials supporting Estonian language studies. The themes of the get-togethers will be based on the structure of the teaching materials. The students will use worksheets, watch instructive videos and practise vocabulary related to the theme of the day.

Language café get-togethers are held for beginners and more advanced students of Estonian every other Monday from 10:00-11:00 and from 17:00-18:00 in Room 308 at the Integration Foundation’s Counselling Centre on the 3rd floor at Kerese 3, Narva.

The activities of the Counselling Centre are financed as part of the ‘Activities supporting integration in Estonian society’ project of the European Social Fund.

For further information please contact: Integration Foundation Counselling Centre | E-mail: info@integratsiooniinfo.ee | Free information line: +372 800 9999

National minority Sunday school news

Tallinn University lecturers provide training to national minority Sunday school teachers

On the last weekend in January the Integration Foundation organised a two-day in-service training event in Toila for teachers from national minority Sunday schools. The theme of the training was ‘More effective teaching of the mother tongue in Sunday schools’. A total of 32 teachers from all over Estonia took part in the event, which was led by Tallinn University lecturers Irina Moissejenko and Natalia Tšuikina.

Training on developing the mother tongue in Sunday school conditions aimed to help the teachers improve the quality and effectiveness of their mother tongue teaching and to motivate youngsters to learn the language. The teachers were given an overview of basic knowledge on the development of language studies and were introduced to ways of using illustrative and technical resources in language lessons. The lecturers provided the teachers with materials they can use in class and which each school can adapt to the needs of their studies, the age of their students and the level of their language skills. The teachers also got to try practical exercises and to share their own schools’ experience with their peers.

Since students today are more than happy to use the Internet in their studies, the second part of the training event outlined for the teachers how to create and use an online journal, how to support their students’ language studies and how to share teaching materials with students with the help of the Internet.

The teachers can implement the skills and knowledge they obtained at the training event in their Sunday school work so as to make the teaching of the mother tongue more effective and more interesting for students.

The Integration Foundation organises regular in-service training for national minority Sunday school teachers each year. The training is financed from the state budget via the Ministry of Education and Research.

For further information please contact: Kristina Pirgop | Director of Partnership Relations, Integration Foundation | Telephone: 659 9024 | E-mail: kristina.pirgop@meis.ee

National minority cultural association umbrella organisation news

Union of National Minorities marks decade of uniting cultural associations in Pärnu County

The activities of the national minority cultural associations operating in Pärnu, including those with Russian as their mother tongue, have been led by the NPO Raduga – a.k.a. the Union of National Minorities – for more than 10 years. The union brings together 12 such associations, with a total of 380 members. Raduga director Galina Ivanova shares the union’s most important activities and events in recent years with readers of the Integration Foundation newsletter.

“An umbrella organisation, as the body that brings together a large number of associations, needs a definite vision and an action plan,” she says. “To this end we drew up a seven-year development and action plan in 2013 as part of a project called ‘Under One Umbrella’. In 2014 and 2015 we ran a project called ‘The Development Dive of Minority Cultural Associations into the e-State’ through which we showcased for our members e-state solutions and ways of using social media, and we streamlined our member organisations’ paperwork. As part of this project we also published a brochure about what Raduga does, with information in Estonian as well as in the languages of the national minority cultural associations. Plus we put together ‘passports’ for each cultural association, which is to say an introductory portfolio with the association’s statutes and other key documents, overviews of their projects, reports and more.” Ivanova added that the umbrella organisation plans to pursue further joint projects in 2016, as well as to offer the cultural associations the opportunity to learn how to deal with the media and thus the general public as a whole so as to ensure that their activities are visible in society.

Ivanova says that a number of opportunities have been created in the last five years for closer cooperation with Estonian-language NPOs and other organisations. Raduga enjoys a good working relationship with the schools, libraries and museums in Pärnu, as well as with the Estonian Open Air Museum in Tallinn. “An entire page is dedicated to Raduga in the brochure produced by the Pärnu County Business and Development Centre showcasing the county and what goes on here,” she said. “And every year in November we mark our organisation’s birthday with a special seminar. Since 2011 we’ve been presenting the ‘Friend to Raduga’ title at the seminar to someone who’s played an important role for national minority cultural associations.”

Taking part in events, says Ivanova, presents the associations with an excellent opportunity to show themselves and highlight their culture, language, traditions, cuisine and other things that make them special. It also gives them the chance to find out more about other associations and find friends and cooperation partners.

“It’s important in Estonian society that every national group hangs onto and preserves its own cultural heritage, because then people respect other cultures as well,” Ivanova said, underscoring the importance of the work and very existence of national minority cultural associations. “Personal development makes you stronger and teaches you to be more decisive, to take greater responsibility and to make compromises. In that way a person starts to realise that they’re valuable to society.”

The activities of national minority umbrella organisations are supported by the Integration Foundation from the state budget via the Ministry of Culture.

For further information please contact:

Galina Ivanova | Director, Union of National Minorities | Mobile: +372 5800 8847 | E-mail: raduga_parnu@mail.ru
Kristina Pirgop | Director of Partnership Relations, Integration Foundation | Telephone: +372 659 9024 | E-mail: kristina.pirgop@meis.ee

National identity of Estonians and Estonian Russians in a multicultural Estonia
National minority cultural associations work with Estonian cultural associations and students
Find out for yourself what national minority Sunday schools do
National minority Sunday schools organise student get-togethers on special days

Latest survey on national identity

National identity of Estonians and Estonian Russians in a multicultural Estonia

Author: Raivo Vetik

The focus of Riigikogu Toimetised issue 32/2015 is the national identity of Estonians and Russian Estonians, with the subject examined in depth in an article by Raivo Vetik, a professor of political science at Tallinn University.

The article has two aims: to provide a theoretical approach that takes the context of a multicultural society into account in giving meaning to national identity; and to analyse the data of the most recent monitoring of integration in Estonian society in the light of this approach.

The theoretical half of the article outlines why such a study is needed and why it is important to give meaning to national identity, highlighting the principle of the mutual link between the identities of majority and minority groups. The second half of the article is dedicated to an empirical analysis of the national identity of Estonians and Russian Estonians on the basis of the data of the latest integration monitoring, bringing to the fore its connections with demographic aspects and indicators of human and social capital.

Within the integration monitoring the national identity of Russian Estonians was delineated as a social orientation expressing their participation in society which is characterised by the importance given to belonging to the Estonian nation in comparison with being a member of their own nationality, appreciation of the related rights and obligations and acceptance of key symbols of the Estonian nation. An index compromising three components was devised in order to measure these aspects: responses to the questions/statements ‘If you think of yourself as a representative of your nationality and as a representative of the Estonian nation, which group do you consider yourself to belong to?’, ‘The Estonian state protects my rights and provides public benefits’ and ‘I feel proud when I see the Estonian flag  flying’.

Estonians’ national identity was defined in the monitoring as a social orientation expressing their willingness to include minorities which is characterised by their recognition of members of national minorities as an important part of Estonian society, consideration of their interests based on the principle of equality and appreciation for belonging to the Estonian nation in comparison with being a member of their own nationality. The index here also comprised three components – responses to the questions/statements ‘Involving non-Estonians in the running of the Estonian state is beneficial to Estonia’, ‘We should be better aware of the views of non-Estonians and give them more consideration’ and ‘If you think of yourself as a representative of your nationality and as a representative of the Estonian nation, which group do you consider yourself to belong to?’.

Analysis carried out on the basis of the indexes showed that while the weak, average and strong national identity of respondents among Russian Estonians was 17%, 47% and 36% respectively, that of Estonians was 24%, 57% and 19%. If we deem those with at least an average level of national identity to be supporters of a strong core in Estonia as a multicultural society, it can be said that almost 80% of both groups form the two pillars on which the integrity of multicultural Estonian society stands. Given the historical and geopolitical context of relations between our two nations, we are dealing with a sufficiently balanced system. This makes a good starting point from which to plan further integration policy.

The article is available in full (in Estonian) here.

National minority cultural association umbrella organisation news

National minority cultural associations work with Estonian cultural associations and students

During the last 12 months the umbrella organisations of national minority cultural associations have done a lot towards fulfilling new development objectives and have involved Estonian educational and cultural associations and Estonian youngsters in their activities.

A national minority cultural association umbrella organisation is a group which brings together at least five national minority cultural associations, which is to say member organisations. The main goals of the activities of the umbrella organisation are to ensure the preservation of the national minority cultures that fall within their area of oversight, to ensure the effective operations of their member associations and to promote their activities to the public on an ongoing basis.

With the implementation of the new funding model adopted in 2015, expectations have risen regarding the results of the work of both national minority cultural associations and their umbrella organisations. The latter are faced with the challenge of getting young people involved in the activities of cultural associations more broadly than simply taking part in the events they organise. It is important to generate interest among youngsters and a desire to not only join associations, but to continue their activities in the future. Young people are offered a variety of opportunities to contribute to the work of associations, from organising events to drawing up and implementing projects. Efforts are also made to involve the community as a whole in activities and to raise awareness among the leaders of member organisations via a range of events and training sessions.

“National minority cultural associations are more interested in and willing to work more closely with Estonian cultural associations – libraries, community centres and the like,” explained Kristina Pirgop, the director of partnership relations with the Integration Foundation. “It’s great that they’re organising events promoting their own cultures in schools, too, since contact with other cultures is one way young people become more tolerant.”

Previously, support was allocated in order for associations to preserve their language and culture and to promote their cultural heritage in Estonia on a wider scale. Since 2015 the focus has been the development and sustainability of umbrella organisations and their members. Key arguments in obtaining support are the involvement of young people in the activities of organisations, growth in the administrative capabilities of umbrella organisations, prospects in terms of finding additional sources of financing and development of cooperation with Estonian cultural associations.

The funding model of umbrella organisations was also amended in 2015. The round of applications carried out on the basis thereof resulted in support being allocated for periods of up to three years at a time. The total budget for the application round increased by 50,000 euros, enabling larger amounts of support to be allocated to a number of umbrella organisations. The payments are made to organisations to which support has been allocated in two parts every year: 50% at the start of the budgetary year and the remaining 50% six months later.

“National minority cultural associations have been good partners to the Integration Foundation since our early years, but the funding model we were using created a number of problems for them,” Pirgop said. “For example, there was the problem of lacking the financial resources to pay bills before the final payment of the support was received. There was also a complicated situation where the funding period started on 1 February but support was being allocated in May. The new model supports the development of umbrella organisations and enables them to solve these problems.”

If any Estonian cultural associations wish to work with national minority cultural associations, please contact Kristina Pirgop (+372 659 9024 | kristina.pirgop@meis.ee) so that she can pass on your details.

The financing of national minority cultural associations is supported by the Ministry of Culture.

For further information please contact: Kristina Pirgop | Director of Partnership Relations, Integration Foundation | Telephone: +372 659 9024 | E-mail: kristina.pirgop@meis.ee.

National minority Sunday school news

Find out for yourself what national minority Sunday schools do

This year, in association with national minority Sunday schools, the Integration Foundation is launching a brand new series of events – open days at Sunday schools.

During the open days, anyone interested will have the opportunity to attend special lessons and find out what goes on at the schools in more detail. Children between the ages of 3 and 18 (varying from school to school) can study the language and learn about the culture of their forefathers at national minority Sunday schools.

“The open days could well be the first time the schools come into contact with new students,” said Kristina Pirgop, the director of partnership relations with the Integration Foundation. “It’s a great opportunity for kids and their parents to find out what goes on at Sunday schools. They give kids the chance to learn and experience something new. The teachers do everything they can to make what the kids learn as varied and interesting as possible, taking into account the ages of the students and everything that comes with that. In a lot of schools they don’t just study language and culture, but also folk dancing, national cuisine and the like. I really hope anyone interested makes the most of the open days we’ll be running.”

The first event in the series will be held at the Labora school of the Ukrainian Cultural Centre, which will be opening its doors at 10:00 on 19 March 2016. The day will start with a lesson on egg-painting in which participants will find out about the Easter-time culture of painting eggs in Ukraine. Everybody will get the chance to paint their own egg, which they can take home with them. There will also be an excursion around the unique cultural centre, which under one roof houses a museum, a church, a calligraphy classroom and a paper workshop – and which is home to three different-coloured chickens! At the end of the event the attendees will be offered tea or coffee, cookies and baked potatoes. To register for the event, e-mail labora.tallinn@gmail.com.

“Egg-painting forms part of global culture, but for Slavic peoples it means a lot more,” explained Anatoli Ljutjuk, the director of the Ukrainian Cultural Centre’s Sunday school. “Every symbol painted on our eggs has a special meaning. They enjoy almost cult status in Ukrainian culture, particularly Easter eggs. That said, egg-painting is common in everyday life as well, and has been for a long time. For example, in the past, if a young lady was taken with a young man, she would paint an egg and present it to him as a gift.”

The Labora Sunday school aims to provide children with Ukrainian roots with a place in which they are surrounded by their own culture, allowing them to practise their Ukrainian language and customs and reinforce their identity. The school is open to other interested people as well, regardless of their nationality or faith. All traditional practical activities give the children the chance to learn new skills and to express themselves in an individual way, learning more about Ukrainian culture and improving their language skills in the process.

The Sunday school also focuses on preserving, teaching and updating handicraft skills that are tending to become forgotten in today’s modern world.

The Ukrainian Cultural Centre organises egg-painting workshops for anyone interested all year round. Around 500 people participate in its workshops each year. The workshops can also be arranged to take place outside of Tallinn.

The activities of national minority Sunday schools are supported by the Ministry of Education and Research.

For further information please contact: Anatoli Ljutjuk | Director, Ukrainian Cultural Centre Sunday school | E-mail: labora.tallinn@gmail.com.
Kristina Pirgop | Director of Partnership Relations, Integration Foundation | Telephone: +372 659 9024 | E-mail: kristina.pirgop@meis.ee.

National minority Sunday schools organise student get-togethers on special days

Starting from this year, national minority Sunday schools are working with the Integration Foundation to mark special days with events to which students and teachers from other Sunday schools are being invited.

“This is an important initiative that will help students from Sunday schools get to know one another better and learn more about other cultures and traditions,” said Kristina Pirgop, the director of partnership relations with the Integration Foundation. “On the one hand, greater awareness among young people means greater tolerance in regard to other nationalities, while on the other, the students will be more active and more interested in Sunday school studies, since only the best students will be able to take part in the exchange project.”

On 26 March 2016 the Lemminkäinen Sunday school of the Ida-Viru County Association of Ingrian Finns will be hosting visitors from the Russian Sunday school of the Cultural Education Association, the NPO Estonia-Georgia National Society and the NPO Orhan Azerbaijan Hobby School in Tallinn.

The students from these schools will learn about the Easter traditions of the Ingrians and Finns, take part in a language lesson and get the chance to taste traditional Ingrian Finn dishes made at Easter time. Since the Saturday in question falls within Lent, the visitors will be offered a lunch menu of fish soup, Karelian pastries, poppy seed buns, the traditional Finnish dessert mämmi and a delicious tea which was once exported from Ingria to the rest of Europe.

The visitors will be showcasing their own cultures for their hosts through poems, songs and Easter traditions. “For Christians, Easter is the most important holiday of all, but there are differences and similarities between branches of the faith,” explained Roman Ljagu, the director of the Russian Cultural Sunday school in Tallinn. “The students from our school will be presenting special dishes made during Orthodox Easter, such as kulich and pascha, and telling the other students about Orthodox Easter traditions.”

The activities of national minority Sunday schools are financed by the Ministry of Education and Research.

For further information please contact: Maire Petrova | Director, Ida-Viru County Association of Ingrian Finns Sunday school| Mobile: +372 52 60 394 | E-mail: maire2008@gmail.com. 
Kristina Pirgop | Director of Partnership Relations, Integration Foundation | Telephone: +372 659 9024 | E-mail: kristina.pirgop@meis.ee. 

Identificational integration: Conceptualisation and operationalisation on the example of second generation Russians in Estonia
Estonian studies are well underway
Organisers of Estonian language and culture clubs to be announced in May
Who and what is training on the Constitution and Citizenship Act of the Republic of Estonia designed for?
Celebrate Mothers Day with students from the Latvian school in Tallinn
Azeri Sunday school to open its doors on the last day of April
Kabardian Sunday school teaches language and culture through dance

Dissertations covering the field of integration

In recent years a number of important Doctoral dissertations involving the field of integration have been published which we plan to showcase for you in this and subsequent editions of the newsletter.

Identificational integration: Conceptualisation and operationalisation on the example of second generation Russians in Estonia

PhD thesis by Gerli Nimmerfeldt, defended in 2011, focuses on identity and identity building for the minority youth (second generation Russian youth) in Estonia. It does so by focusing on identificational integration which refers to the sense of belonging this group experiences on the national level. This identificational integration is based on the feeling of being at home and being accepted as a member of Estonian society. Feeling at home is important for the creation of social cohesion and unity in the society. For the second generation, it is often assumed that being born and growing up in a country is enough to create an emotional attachment and a sense of belonging to the country and society, however this is not the case. This thesis focuses on the factors that can influence identity, allowing better understanding identification integration.

Ethnic and national identifications are two important dimensions when talking about integration. One way of viewing integration refers to the declining of the ethnic identities and loyalties accompanied by a growing identification with the resident country, the society and mainstream culture. This view implies that only the national or the ethnic identity can be dominant, bordering on assimilation. Another view however does imply that identities can/are multiple and can allow both national and ethnic identification.

Results from the thesis show that among ethnic identity of young Estonian Russians is rather weak, ethnic identification is much stronger among Estonian respondents. 28% of the Russian respondents reported their sense of belonging to Russians to be very strong and 43% evaluated their affiliation to be strong, while 65% of Estonians respondents indicated a very strong sense of belonging to their ethnic group. The feeling of belonging among the Russians was stronger felt with groups on the basis of language (Russian-speakers), citizenship status (Estonian citizens), and groups composed of all people living in Estonia (Estlanders).

According to the second generation Russians, to be an Estonian you have to be born an Estonian. Estonian language is also often mentioned as a determining factor, specifically highlighting that to be accepted by the Estonians as an Estonian, it is required to speak the language as a native Estonian. The Russian youth feels that they can never become Estonians even if they would want to. However when they are outside of Estonia, they are considered to be Estonians.

Low identification with the majority group by the Estonian Russians may be explained by the exclusive nature of the Estonian national identity, constructed as an ethno-cultural group, united by native origin, common culture, history, national traditions, feelings, language, preservation of and pride in their culture and traditions, a deep connection with the Estonian territory and landscape.

If the sense of belonging is measured in a different way, with statements like ‘I love Estonia’ etc, a different picture emerges. 12% of the Russian respondents felt a very strong and 42% a strong connection to Estonia. 35% feel a weak and 11% a very week connection to Estonia.

For further reading go to: http://www.etera.ee/zoom/1963/view?page=3&p=separate&view=0,0,2067,2834.

Information about language and culture studies

Estonian studies are well underway

As at the end of March there were more than 1700 people around the country studying Estonian as part of the courses for which people registered on the Integration Foundation website last summer. The majority of this year’s groups commenced their studies in early spring so as to complete their courses before the summer holiday period.

The courses last for 100 academic hours, which means studies continue for around four months. Placement testing is conducted ahead of the courses, enabling people’s actual language level to be determined before they start studying and their subsequent progress to be measured. Five companies are carrying out this year’s courses: OÜ Keelepisik, OÜ Mitteldorf, the EDUKOOL Foundation, Folkuniversitetet Estonia and the NPO Atlasnet. The courses, which are offered to groups of 16 participants, are being held in Tallinn, Narva, Jõhvi, Kohtla-Järve, Sillamäe, Ahtme, Tartu and Pärnu.

The first courses, involving 540 participants, started in autumn last year and earlier this year and will all be completed by Midsummer.Of those who commenced their studies in 2015, 370 had completed them by the end of March.

Currently, more than 1700 people are attending the Estonian courses. This spring the Integration Foundation will be launching a further procurement to find organisers for the courses for the next 2000 people who registered for the language studies in 2015. These courses are scheduled to commence this coming autumn.

All of those who registered on the Integration Foundation website in 2015 and have not yet taken part in a language course will get the chance to do so this autumn and in early 2017. The organisers will contact those accepted onto the courses personally.

The Estonian language courses at the A2, B1 and B2 levels being provided until 2020 are organised by the Integration and Migration Foundation using the resources of the ‘Activities supporting integration in Estonian society’ project of the European Social Fund.

For further information please contact: Jana Tondi | Director of Language and Cultural Immersion, Integration Foundation | Telephone: +372 659 9069 | E-mail: jana.tondi@meis.ee.

Organisers of Estonian language and culture clubs to be announced in May

Starting in June, the Integration and Migration Foundation will be working with clubs to organise linguistic and cultural immersion in a club format for long-terms residents of Estonia who speak a language other than Estonian as their mother tongue and whose integration to date has been limited. The language and culture clubs are designed primarily for those who speak Estonian at the B2 level as a minimum and who wish to improve or maintain their conversational language skills. Membership of the club will first be offered to those who have applied for Estonian courses at the B2 level via the Integration Foundation website and those who have taken part in B2 courses.

“Almost 600 people are taking part in the B2 courses being organised by the foundation at the moment, and it’s them who’ll be first in line when we start offering membership of the clubs in summer,” said Jana Tondi, the director of language and cultural immersion with the Integration Foundation.“2201 people from all over Estonia registered for B2 studies last summer,  and everyone whose Estonian is good enough and who’s interested will be given the chance to take part in the clubs.”

Tondi explained that up to 60 clubs would be established around the country in 2016 and 2017. “We’ll be focussing mostly on places in Ida-Viru County - Narva, Sillamäe, Kohtla-Järve, Jõhvi and Ahtme - where people get fewer opportunities to speak Estonian and less exposure to Estonian culture,” she said.

The language and culture clubs are designed for people who are native speakers of languages other than Estonian who want to practise the national language and find out more about Estonian culture and what makes it unique. Native speakers of Estonian will be invited to club meetings to offer support in practising the language and to encourage the participants to use it. They will get the chance to talk to these mentors on a range of everyday topics, learning a wide range of phrases and expressions for use in common situations. The club members and leaders will get together at least once a week over a six-month period and take part in at least one cultural event or excursion each month. Each of the clubs will also contribute to a blog which is aimed at getting members to do things together and to share their thoughts and experiences.

Offers to find club leaders and organise activities around the country can be submitted to the Integration Foundation until the end of April.  Information about the procurement can be found on the Integration Foundation website at or in the e-procurement register at https://riigihanked.riik.ee/register/hange/173036.

The activities of the ‘Linguistic and cultural immersion’ sub-programme of the ‘Activities supporting integration in Estonian society’ project are financed from the resources of the European Social Fund. The activities of the language and culture clubs are being financed to a value of 850,002 euros in 2016 and 2017.

For further information please contact: Jana Tondi | Director of Language and Cultural Immersion, Integration Foundation | Telephone: +372 659 9069 | E-mail:  jana.tondi@meis.ee.

Estonian citizenship

Who and what is training on the Constitution and Citizenship Act of the Republic of Estonia designed for?

The first training courses on the Constitution and Citizenship Act of the Republic of Estonia commissioned by the Integration Foundation were conducted by the NPO Kodanikukoolitused in February. What impressions did the training leave with those who took part? What does the training involve? And who is the training meant for?

The courses are designed for people who want to know how the Estonian state works and what basic rights, freedoms and responsibilities people have. The training forms useful preparation for those wishing to take the Constitution and Citizenship Act exam. Estonian citizens who have had little exposure to the way the country is run and who want to find out more about it are also welcome to attend the courses.

The first two-day courses were held in Tallinn in February, with a further 10 courses taking place by the end of March not only in the capital but also in Kohtla-Järve and Sillamäe. The training will continue to be organised all over the country until November 2017. Each course ends with an excursion to a significant state institution such as the Bank of Estonia, the Riigikogu (parliament) or the Alarm Centre of the Rescue Services.

Two exams must be taken and passed in order to acquire Estonian citizenship: an Estonian language exam (minimum B1 level) and a citizenship exam. The results of the Constitution and Citizenship Act exam remain valid indefinitely, regardless of whether you take the language exam at the same time or a year or more later. So why not make the most of the opportunity to take and pass the citizenship exam with the help of the course?

One participant - a man with Belarusian roots - said that since he will have been living in Estonia long enough by this coming autumn to apply for citizenship and has already taken and passed the language exam, the citizenship exam is the only requirement he still has to meet. “People kept putting the fear of God into me that the laws were complicated and that the legal language was hard to grasp,” he revealed. “But the course helped me understand the details a lot better, and that makes it a lot simpler to remember everything.”

Another participant, a 65-year-old man, was also taking part in order to prepare for the citizenship exam. “There’s so much to see in the world, and travelling as an Estonian citizen makes that so much easier,” he said. “Now I’ll be able to go on trips with my daughter’s family, since she’s had an Estonian passport for ages already.”

During the training the participants learn, among other things, who the highest authority in the land is, what the role of the government is and who has the right to freedom and what is known as the ‘inviolability of the person’. They also discover a lot of useful information about how things work at the local level, as well as about traditions and customs. Knowledge of the law also engenders self-assurance and emboldens people to make decisions.

The trainers from NPO Kodanikukoolitused - Reet Valing, Anu Kihulane, Nady Vest and Jelena Ohakas - all boast many years of experience.

The courses are free for all participants.

Information on the courses is available in Estonian at http://kodanikukoolitus.edicy.co/kodakondsuskoolitus2016.

Information in Russian is available at http://kodanikukoolitus.edicy.co/grazhdanstvo, by calling Irina Oleinitš on +372 50 69 028 or by e-mailing koolitus@kodanikukoolitus.eu or irina@powertugi.ee.

The training is being conducted with the support of the Integration and Migration Foundation using funds from the ‘Integration training’ sub-activity of the ‘Activities supporting integration in Estonian society’ project of the European Social Fund.

Open-doors day at Sunday schools

Celebrate Mothers Day with students from the Latvian school in Tallinn

Between 10:30 and 13:30 on 7 May the Taurenis Latvian School will be giving a sample lesson at the City Centre Russian Upper Secondary School at F.R. Kreutzwaldi 25 in Tallinn. The theme for the lesson will be Mothers Day. Although marking Mothers Day is a relatively recent tradition, the mother as the main bearer of cultural heritage has been exalted since ancient times.

“During the first half of the lesson we’ll be offering everyone in attendance the chance to take part in a Latvian lesson which will be divided up into two age groups,” explained Dita Lince, the director of Taurenis. “In the second half both groups will get together to learn and take part in two traditional Latvian games. We’ll also be helping the participants make typical Latvian Mothers Day gifts. And since in our culture there’s no party without proper catering, we’ll also be offering traditional Latvian dishes for everyone to try.”

Those wishing to take part in the lesson are asked to register in advance by e-mailing dita@green.ee.

The Latvian school was established in 2008, but only gained its name and official status in 2013. Its objectives are to teach Latvian children living in Estonia the language, culture, traditions and history of their country of origin. Classes are divided into two age groups: a pre-school group (children aged 1-6) whose language and culture studies take place through the medium of games, songs and crafts; and a school-age group (children aged 7+) whose studies are organised as an academic process which integrates Latvian language and literature, folk dance, music, folk art and handicrafts and Latvian history and geography.

For further information please contact: Dita Lince | Director, Taurenis Latvian School | E-mail: dita@green.ee

Kristina Pirgop | Director of Partnership Relations, Integration Foundation | Telephone: +372 659 9024 | E-mail: kristina.pirgop@meis.ee.

Azeri Sunday school to open its doors on the last day of April

The Orhan Azerbaijani School will be hosting an open-doors day in room 307 of Tallinn University from 15:00-17:00 on 30 April. Azeris who want to introduce their children to the activities of the school and all those who are interested in the culture and traditions of Azerbaijan are welcome to attend the event.

Attendees will hear Azeri poetry and songs performed by children from the Sunday school and see a presentation about the amazing country, which is situated in the middle of the mountainous Caucasus region. Participants will find out about a national folk pattern called Buta and can try their hand at embroidering it under the watchful eyes of the teachers. Students from the school will demonstrate how to dance a local folk dance known as “Jally’s story” and everyone attending will have the chance to learn it for themselves. To take part in the event, please register by e-mailing sanam.aliyeva@gmail.com or calling +372 5595 6950.

“The people of Azerbaijan, who are known as Azeris, are renowned for their hospitality,” said Shahsanam Alijeva, the director of the Orhan School. “Sweets have a special place in our national cuisine, and making special treats is something for which every housewife is honoured. We’ll be treating everyone who attends our open-doors day with the best our cuisine has to offer - including, of course, our national cake, baklava.”

The Orhan School was established in 2010. It aims to support the teaching of the language, culture and history of Azerbaijan to children with Azeri roots living in Estonia and to champion the integration of Azeri children into Estonian society. The school provides language, literature, history and culture lessons. There is also a dance group which not only provides entertainment and dance classes but

Kabardian Sunday school teaches language and culture through dance

A sample lesson will be given at the Kabardian Sunday School at Sõle 40-204 in Tallinn at 17:00 on 26 April which everyone interested in Kabardian culture is welcome to attend.

Moscow-based Anzor Shorov, who teaches language through the medium of dance, will be participating in the event. This innovative methodology, which allows people to understand another culture with the help of dance, will be showcased during the lesson. Anyone who wishes to will get the chance to try some Kabardian dances for themselves. Traditional sweets, bread, tea and coffee will be offered to participants.

Those wishing to take part in the open-doors day are asked to register in advance by e-mailing ilona.thagazitova@mail.ee.

“It’s a great honour for us to have Anzor Shorov working with us this academic year,” said Ilona Thagazitova, the director of the Sunday school. “Anzor is a recognised artist, teacher and promoter of the Kabardian language in the Kabardino-Balkar Republic. The kids at our school really enjoy his lessons. They’ve taken to the innovative teaching method he uses like ducks to water! He really cares about the kids and approaches every one of them individually.”

The Kabardian Sunday School was established in 2006.  Its primary task is to preserve and pass on the culture of the peoples living in the Kabardino-Balkar Republic.  Without knowledge of customs, legal norms, history and rules of behaviour, culture cannot be understood, developed and preserved or introduced to others. The school is also charged with the task of language teaching. The Kabardian language is taught using a number of methods, both traditional (using sample texts and primers and compiling dictionaries) and more playful (making handicrafts and learning songs). In staging dance performances, the school introduces its students to folk music, teaches them typical dance steps, showcases costumes and national dress ornaments and teaches movement in Kabardian. Students and alumni of the school dance in the ensemble Terek, which has taken part in international competitions and won a number of prizes.

 For further information please contact: Ilona Thagazitova | Director, Kabardian Sunday School | E-mail: ilona.thagazitova@mail.ee

Kristina Pirgop | Director of Partnership Relations, Integration Foundation | Telephone: +372 659 9024 | E-mail:  kristina.pirgop@meis.ee

lessons on the history of folk dance in Azerbaijan.

For further information please contact: Shahsanam Alijeva | Director, Orhan Azerbaijani School | Mobile: +372 5595 6950 | E-mail: sanam.aliyeva@gmail.com.

Kristina Pirgop | Director of Partnership Relations, Integration Foundation | Telephone: +372 659 9024 | E-mail: kristina.pirgop@meis.ee.
 

Kabardian Sunday school teaches language and culture through dance

A sample lesson will be given at the Kabardian Sunday School at Sõle 40-204 in Tallinn at 17:00 on 26 April which everyone interested in Kabardian culture is welcome to attend.

Moscow-based Anzor Shorov, who teaches language through the medium of dance, will be participating in the event. This innovative methodology, which allows people to understand another culture with the help of dance, will be showcased during the lesson. Anyone who wishes to will get the chance to try some Kabardian dances for themselves. Traditional sweets, bread, tea and coffee will be offered to participants.

Those wishing to take part in the open-doors day are asked to register in advance by e-mailing ilona.thagazitova@mail.ee.

“It’s a great honour for us to have Anzor Shorov working with us this academic year,” said Ilona Thagazitova, the director of the Sunday school. “Anzor is a recognised artist, teacher and promoter of the Kabardian language in the Kabardino-Balkar Republic. The kids at our school really enjoy his lessons. They’ve taken to the innovative teaching method he uses like ducks to water! He really cares about the kids and approaches every one of them individually.”

The Kabardian Sunday School was established in 2006.  Its primary task is to preserve and pass on the culture of the peoples living in the Kabardino-Balkar Republic.  Without knowledge of customs, legal norms, history and rules of behaviour, culture cannot be understood, developed and preserved or introduced to others. The school is also charged with the task of language teaching. The Kabardian language is taught using a number of methods, both traditional (using sample texts and primers and compiling dictionaries) and more playful (making handicrafts and learning songs). In staging dance performances, the school introduces its students to folk music, teaches them typical dance steps, showcases costumes and national dress ornaments and teaches movement in Kabardian. Students and alumni of the school dance in the ensemble Terek, which has taken part in international competitions and won a number of prizes.

For further information please contact: Ilona Thagazitova | Director, Kabardian Sunday School | E-mail: ilona.thagazitova@mail.ee.

Kristina Pirgop | Director of Partnership Relations, Integration Foundation | Telephone: +372 659 9024 | E-mail: kristina.pirgop@meis.ee.

Course participants motivated to study Estonian by desire to communicate in the language
Counselling Centre assists more than 1000 residents in 2015
Applications for support for new academic year now open for national minority Sunday schools
Maštots Armenian Sunday school opens its doors to visitors
National culture society events

Information on Estonian language studies

Course participants motivated to study Estonian by desire to communicate in the language

As at the end of April, 1884 people all over the country were taking part in the Estonian language courses being organised by the Integration and Migration Foundation Our People (MISA). Employees from the foundation are dropping in on lessons to share information with the participants, answer any questions they have and to seek their feedback on the courses.

“The language courses have been running since last autumn, and in that time we’ve popped in quite regularly to talk to the students and teachers face to face,” said Jana Tondi, the head of language and cultural immersion at the Integration Foundation. “We’ve asked them why they’re studying Estonian and whether they’d like to use the language more. The majority said they’d signed up for the courses because of their jobs and to be able to communicate more freely with their Estonian colleagues. In the feedback they gave us, quite a few also mentioned that they’d like to make more use of Estonian in their everyday lives – in shops and cafés, talking to Estonian neighbours and people they know, going to the movies, watching Estonian-language shows on TV, listening to the radio and reading newspapers.”

44-year-old Svetlana, who works as an editor, is taking Estonian at the A2 level in Tallinn. She said her studies are helped by watching subtitled programmes on ETV.

55-year-old Tatjana, who is a price and quality controller, is studying the national language at the B1 level in Pärnu. She is studying Estonian in order to be able to use the language at work and in day-to-day life, but added that she would also like to read Estonian books and newspapers and chat more with Estonians.

41-year-old Irina, an assistant in outpatient rehabilitative medicine, uses Estonian at work and in her everyday life quite a lot. She still wants to improve her language skills, however – especially in grammar, which she feels is complicated and needs practice. She added that she would like to make even more use of the national language, including being able to help her child with school work. 

36-year-old IT specialist Vitali has started studying Estonian at the B1 level, since he wants to be able to engage more with his colleagues and make new Estonian-speaking friends.

The Integration Foundation wishes all of the participants in the courses well and hopes they are motivated to see their studies through and make real use of their Estonian skills.

MISA is organising free Estonian courses at the A2, B1 and B2 levels until 2020 as part of the ‘Activities supporting integration in Estonian society’ project of the European Social Fund.

For further information please contact: Jana Tondi | Head of Language and Cultural Immersion, MISA | Telephone: +372 659 9069 | E-mail: jana.tondi@meis.ee

Activities of the Counselling Centre of MISA

Counselling Centre assists more than 1000 residents in 2015

Since autumn 2014, the Integration and Migration Foundation Our People (MISA) has been operating a Counselling Centre which provides information, advice and guidelines on living in Estonia to those of other nationalities residing in the country. It has offices in both Tallinn and Narva, and monthly consultation hours take place in various towns in Ida-Viru and Harju counties.

A total of 1035 people turned to the Counselling Centre’s consultants in 2015, being assisted via e-mail, over the phone and in person. “The main questions people had for our consultants were about citizenship and benefits,” explained Kätlin Kõverik, a senior consultant at the Counselling Centre: “what they need to do in order to apply for Estonian citizenship and the order they need to do it in; whether and on what conditions you can apply for Estonian citizenship for a child born here; what basis you can apply for an Estonian residence permit on for your relatives; what the language requirements are in obtaining citizenship and working in a variety of positions; what kind of financial support is offered to those who are less well-off and to older people; whether and on what conditions pensions are paid to people with residence permits who have only recently started living in Estonia; what the situation is with support services and employment for people with disabilities; what help is offered to newly arrived immigrants in terms of finding a job; and how to go about finding and contact people from the same national or ethnic background.”

Another topic which is regularly discussed during consultations is Estonian language studies and language practice. “Most people want to know what the conditions are for taking Estonian language exams, how they should go about choosing the right teacher and what materials they should use,” said Kõverik. “They also ask how they can practise their Estonian, who can make use of such opportunities and what the conditions are for doing so. Some people ask for advice as well on how to overcome barriers in speaking Estonian.” 

The Counselling Centre is open to anyone seeking information on the way things are run in Estonia and on living and working in the country. Consultants can introduce clients to public services and the social benefits offered by the state, and if requested can provide help in communicating with state and local government institutions.

Consultants can be contacted by e-mailing info@integratsiooniinfo.ee or calling the free information line 800 9999. The Counselling Centre’s offices are located at Lõõtsa 2a (8th floor) in Tallinn and Kerese 3 (room 308, 3rd floor, Kerese Centre) in Narva. Information about consultations in Tallinn and Harju County and Ida-Viru County can be found on the Integration Foundation website.

The operations of the Counselling Centre form part of the ‘Development and implementation of an advisory and information system’ activity of the ‘Activities supporting integration in Estonian society’ project of the European Social Fund.

For further information please contact: Kätlin Kõverik | Senior Consultant, Counselling Centre | E-mail: katlin.koverik@meis.ee | Telephone: +372 659 9032 

Open application rounds

Applications for support for new academic year now open for national minority Sunday schools

The Integration and Migration Foundation Our People (MISA) has launched an application round for base financing for national minority Sunday schools for activities in the 2016/2017 academic year.

“We decided to open up the application round in May so that all Sunday schools have project support agreements in place by the start of the new academic year and can recommence their teaching work straight away in September,” explained Kristina Pirgop, the head of partnership relations with MISA. “We’ve also been arranging open days with national minority Sunday schools since the start of the year to introduce parents and anyone else interested to what goes on at the schools and to raise interest in sending their kids to them. We’ve had four open days so far, all organised in partnership with the schools.”

Sunday schools that apply for financing for the 2016/2017 academic year must be registered in the Estonian Education Information System. The deadline for the submission of applications is 6 June 2016. More information about the application round can be found on the Integration Foundation website.

30 national minority Sunday schools were granted support for activities in the 2015/2016 academic year. These included Ukrainian, Russian, Azeri, Latvian, Georgian, Ingrian-Finnish, Tatar, Uzbek, Belarusian, Kabardian, Korean and Armenian schools.

Sunday schools are open to children and young people from the ages of 3-18. Classes are generally held in two age groups. The Integration Foundation organises in-service training for teachers each year so as to ensure that the studies offered to the students are interesting, educational and of high quality. 

The base financing of national minority Sunday schools is funded from the state budget via the Ministry of Education and Research.

For further information please contact: Kristina Pirgop | Head of Partnership Relations, MISA | Telephone: +372 659 9024 | E-mail: kristina.pirgop@meis.ee  

Sunday school open days

Maštots Armenian Sunday school opens its doors to visitors

From 16:00-18:00 on Saturday 28 May the Maštots Armenian Sunday school will be holding an open-day event on the premises of the ‘Tee Tulevikku’ hobby school on the 3rd floor at Rävala 8 in Tallinn.

“Since the date of the open day coincides with Armenia’s Independence Day, we’ll be talking about Armenian history, its symbols and the most important sights in the country,” explained Džanna Šahbazjan, the director of the Sunday school. “We’ll also be having a music lesson, in which we’ll be singing Armenian songs about spring and mothers. There’ll be a handicraft lesson, too, and in the language class we’ll be revising Armenian words and expressions and learning some new ones. The event will be capped off by a dance class in which anyone interested can learn the steps to a special dance Armenians do on Independence Day.”

Anyone wishing to attend the open day is asked to register in advance by e-mailing mastotsh@gmail.com.

The Maštots Armenian Sunday school was established in Tartu in 2008. It has also been operating in Tallinn since 2013. Students at the school study Armenian and learn about the culture and traditions of the country. The vocal ensemble Dvin, led by Džanna Šahbazjan, is connected to the school and has taken part in a number of international competitions. It also won the ETV singing competition series ‘Perepidu’ in 2012.

For further information please contact: Džanna Šahbazjan | Director, Armenian Sunday school | E-mail: mastotsh@gmail.com
Kristina Pirgop | Head of Partnership Relations, Integration Foundation | Telephone: +372 659 9024 | E-mail: kristina.pirgop@meis.ee

National culture society events

SED ARTE to celebrate 20th anniversary with series of exhibitions

SED ARTE, a non-profit organisation which arranges art exhibitions, is set to mark its 20th anniversary with a series of exhibitions. The first in the series, entitled ‘Dolce Vita’, will be open from 12 May-7 June.

‘Dolce Vita’ will be hosted at Tallinn Portrait Gallery (Suur-Karja 2). It will showcase the latest works of two modern artists: Marina Printseva and Yuri Gorbachev. Printseva lives in St Petersburg, while Gorbachev resides in New York. They are both new-age artists with Estonian roots who look at the world from a similar angle – believing in miracles and a brighter future.

Marina Printseva’s mother is Estonian, and a blend of two cultures can be seen in all of the artist’s work. She introduces the world to Estonian and Russian traditions and their wealth of culture. Her textile compositions emerge from a complex technique that combines embroidery, painting and appliqué. Art specialists have named it ‘knitted painting’.

Juri Gorbachev’s work is characterised by the use of gold, bronze and specialist lacquers and enamels. His art can be seen in 25 museums around the world, including the Louvre and the State Russian Museum in St Petersburg. Last year the artist donated one of his paintings to KUMU.

For further information please contact: Olga Ljubaskina | Director, SED ARTE | Mobile:  +372 50 56 257 | E-mail: sedarte@mail.ru

Slavic culture and literary language days to be held in May

Culture and literary language days of importance to Slavic people have been organised in Estonia for almost 30 years. The Kirill & Meffodi cultural society, in association with the Union of Russian Educational and Charity Associations in Estonia, has taken charge of the event for the past eight years. The 2016 Slavic culture and literary language days will be held at the Russian Cultural Centre in Tallinn (Mere pst 5) from 19-26 May. All events are free of charge.

The programme includes:

19 May | 18:00 – Belarusian culture day

20 May | 18:00 – Concert of the Russian Philharmonic Society in association with the instrumental studio of the Russian Cultural Centre

21 May | 16:00 – Folklore concert

22 May | 13:00 – Russian culture day featuring performances by collectives of the Union of Russian Educational and Charity Associations in Estonia

23 May | 18:00 – Ukrainian culture day

24 May | 19:00 – Concert of spiritual songs at Aleksander Nevski cathedral

27 May | 19:00 – Vocal music concert featuring performances by special guests Marina Cherkasova and Irina Ishutina (St Petersburg) and Vladimir Ignatov (Tallinn)

The following talks will be held at the Russian Cultural Centre:

23 May | 12:00 – Sergei Minin: ‘Images of Kirill and Meffodi in Russian iconic art and church architecture’

24 May | 12:00 – Literary researcher Vladmir Bragin: ‘The sources of Russian writing and publishing’

26 May | 11:00 – Artist and art specialist Valeri Laur: ‘Orthodox motifs in Russian painted art’

For further information please contact: Tatjana Semenjuk | Member of the Board, Kirill & Meffodi | Mobile: +372 5836 3613 | E-mail: Semjana7@gmail.com

Unique ‘Poems of Music’ concert to be held at Russian Theatre

The ‘Poems of Music’ concert being held on 21 May represents a unique project performance. The music of composers from Estonia, Russia, a variety of other European countries and the United States will be played by the Estonian Defence Forces Orchestra while the works of Russian poets from the Silver Age are recited by actors from Estonia and Russia.

The concert will take place at 18:00 on 21 May at the Russian Theatre.

Led by conductor Peeter Saan, the Estonian Defence Forces Orchestra will perform well-known romances in new arrangements featuring the vocal talents of Estonian opera singers Olga Zaitseva and Maria Kondratjeva. 

Poems by Igor Severyanin, Anna Ahmatova and Marina Tsvetaeva – representatives of the Silver Age in Russia in the early the 20th century – will be recited by Russian theatre and film actor Evklid Kürdzidis, Estonia’s Russian Theatre actress Tatjana Manevskaja, Estonia’s Puppet Theatre actor Evgeni Moissejenko, Viljandi Academy of Culture student Eduard Tee and actors from the Russian Youth Theatre.

The life story of Igor Severyanin, one of the best known authors of the Silver Age, is closely connected to Estonia: he took up residence of Toila in 1921, translating the works of many poets from Estonian into Russian with the help of his Estonian wife, Felissa Kruut. He died in Tallinn and is buried in Aleksander Nevski cemetery. Silver Age poetess Anna Ahmatova is considered to be the soul of Russian literature and the greatest poetess of the Silver Age. The works of Marina Tsvetaeva leave no one unmoved: her love poems and odes to her fatherland have a sombre undertone, reflecting her emotional world and what she went through in her life. 

Tickets are available online from Piletilevi at http://www.piletilevi.ee/rus/tickets/teater/mitmesugust/muusika-luuletused-poezokoncert-ahmatova-cvetaeva-severjanin-178885/.

For further information please contact: Marina Tee | Director, Zlata Educational and Literary Culture Centre | E-mail: marina.tee@mail.ru

Watch the family opera ‘Elephant’ ahead of Child Protection Day

At 12:00 on Sunday 29 May, children and their parents are invited to come along and watch the exciting new Russian choral opera ‘Elephant’. This fun production, based on text by Russian poet David Samilov, is being staged by Oleg Golub (Moscow).

The main character in the opera, which is full of adventure, is an elephant who decides to travel the world, meeting a variety of wild animals and figures from fairytales along the way. 

The music for this unique children’s opera was composed by Vladimir Ignatov. Its colourful sets and props (in Hundertwasser style), the foyer decorations and the costumes were designed by Elena Klyuyeva (Moscow).

The opera will be performed by the Allegro studio choir, Aleksandr Nekrassov, Anastassia Tsubina, Alina Silina and Eduard Tee.

The opera premiered on 16 March 2016. Tickets are available online from Piletilevi at http://www.piletilevi.ee/rus/tickets/kogupere/mitmesugust/elevant-ooper-seiklustega-slonenok-opera-s-prikljuchenijami-slonenok-185063/.
 

For further information please contact: Ljudmila Tee-Veresinina | Director, NPO Noorte Ühing Go-7 | E-mail: Ljudmila.v@gmail.com

Ukrainian folk culture festival to be held in Tallinn from 1-12 June

A Ukrainian folk culture festival is to be organised at the same time as the Tallinn Old Town Days by the Ukrainian Cultural Centre. The main aims of the event, which will run from 1-12 June, are to introduce the culture of Ukrainians – one of the largest ethnic minorities in Estonia – to the public and to further ensure that cultural heritage and traditions are passed on and maintained among the local Ukrainian community.

During the festival, townsfolk and visitors will be able to take part in workshops, attend exhibitions and participate in free excursions in the Cultural Centre. At the woodwork shop (Laboratooriumi 25) visitors will be able to make their own wooden toys, while at the Cultural Centre itself (Laboratooriumi 22) there will be a workshop on decorating traditional Ukrainian Easter eggs. There will also be poetry afternoons at the centre at which visitors will hear poems from the Red Book of Poetry, while the youngest members of the family will enjoy Ukrainian fairytales. Exhibitions will also be open during the festival, showcasing traditional Ukrainian toys, embroidered kerchiefs and folk costumes.

Anyone interested is welcome to attend the events, all of which are free of charge.

The programme and schedule for the festival can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/events/1164988643513270/ and on the website of the Ukrainian Cultural Centre at http://www.ukk.ee/ora/kultuur/festival-2016.

For further information please contact:  Kadri Mägi | Ukrainian Cultural Centre shopkeeper | E-mail: magikadri1@gmail.com

Contemporary Belarusian art on display at Keila-Joa Castle

As part of a series of exhibitions being organised by the non-profit organisation SED ARTE, an exhibition of contemporary Belarusian art entitled ‘Mental World: Dedicated to Chagall’ is being shown at Keila-Joa Castle. It is open from 4 June-4 July 2016.

The exhibition showcases the works of Russian artists Aleksandr Grishkevich, Ilona Kosobukoi and Vladimir Kontsndailov. It is the first time these artists’ works are being shown in Estonia. There will also be meet-and-greets with the artists during which they will outline their painting techniques. A ticket to Keila-Joa Castle is required in order to visit the exhibition.

For further information please contact: Olga Ljubaskina | Director, SED ARTE | Mobile: +372 50 56 257 | E-mail: sedarte@mail.ru

‘Ukrainian Flowers 2016’ concert to bring together Ukrainian youngsters from Estonia and abroad

The Ukrainian Youth Union of Estonia invites everyone to attend the gala concert of the international youth and children’s festival ‘Ukrainian Flowers 2016’. The free concert will be held at 15:00 on 5 June 2016 in the main hall of the Russian Cultural Centre in Tallinn (Mere pst 5).

This annual festival gives Estonia’s Ukrainian community the chance to celebrate its cultural heritage and to promote it to the general public. Audiences can watch and listen to music and songs and folk songs and folk dances that are important to Ukrainians as performed by children and youngsters.

Ukrainian collectives from Estonia and around the world have taken part in the festival over the years. This year’s gala concert will feature children’s and youth music and dance collectives from the Estonian towns and cities of Tallinn, Sillamäe, Valga, Pärnu, Tapa, Maardu and Tartu, with guest performances by Ukrainian youngsters from Poland and Ukraine itself.

For further information please contact: Vladimir Palamar | Director, Ukrainian Youth Union of Estonia | E-mail: ukrainaoae@gmail.com

National cultural association activities are supported by the Integration and Migration Foundation Our People through the national minority cultural association project competition, which is financed from the state budget via the Ministry of Culture.

For further information please contact: Kristina Pirgop | Head of Partnership Relations, Integration Foundation | Telephone: +372 659 9024 | E-mail: kristina.pirgop@meis.ee

Structural integration of young Russian speakers in post-Soviet contexts: attainment of education and transition to the labour market
New member joins Counselling Centre team
Narva opinion festival overturns undetermined citizenship myths
Estonian language studies to continue this summer
Sunday school teachers to travel to their ethnic homelands for in-service training
Estonian language and culture to be studied at youth camps this summer

Dissertations linked to the field of integration

Structural integration of young Russian speakers in post-Soviet contexts: attainment of education and transition to the labour market

This thesis by Kristina Lindemann from 2013 focuses on the performance at school, educational transition and labour market entry (also known as structural integration) of Russian speakers aged 15-35 in Estonia who obtained their education in the post-Soviet era. The data for analysis was taken from four large-scale surveys: PISA (2006); the Estonian TIES survey (2007-2008); the Youth Transition survey in Ukraine (2007); and the Estonian Labour Force Surveys 2002-2011. The important question in this thesis is how ethnicity and language skills can influence an individual’s attainment of education and their labour market outcomes and how these influences depend on such contextual effects as linguistically divided educational systems and linguistic contexts on the labour market. Comparisons are also made between Estonia and Latvia, and Estonia and Ukraine.

The results show that, contrary to other findings in Western European countries, where the gap in education attainment between second-generation immigrants and the ethnic majority compared to their parents’ generation is decreasing, in Estonia the gap between the ethnic majority and minority increased over the generation. According to the PISA test results, students at schools with Russian as the language of instruction achieved lower results, in particular in mathematics, than students in ethnic-majority schools (i.e. with Estonian as the language of instruction). The PISA 2012 results, published after this dissertation was completed, confirm this gap, which has however decreased over time. The socio-economic status of students and of parents in particular tends to play an important role in school achievement, which may in part explain the lower results of schools with Russian as the language of instruction. Another important factor is language proficiency.

This dissertation also shows that Russian speakers are significantly less likely than Estonians to continue their studies at general secondary school so as to pursue higher education, instead obtaining vocational training and moving directly to the labour market. There is a strong belief among Estonia’s ethnic minorities – even those with higher education and good language skills – that ethnicity shapes opportunities on the labour market, which may explain why minority youth do not choose to pursue a more ambitious education pathway (higher education).

The study also shows that compared to young Estonians, second-generation Russians are less successful upon entering the labour market and have lower prospects of being promoted. Estonian language proficiency plays a very important role, and the study shows that the importance of ethnicity differs by region, with ethnic differentiation being significantly smaller in regions with a small minority population (regions outside of Tallinn and north-eastern Estonia). In Tallinn, for example, young Russian-speakers with good Estonian language skills experience longer periods of unemployment and secure jobs of lower quality than Estonians. Social capital and communication networks seem to be important factors in this respect, which in regions with a large minority population and high ethnic segmentation may be lacking among Russian-speaking youth.

The conclusions from the study suggest that greater inclusion by the ethnic majority group, stronger inter-ethnic contact and Estonian language proficiency promote the educational success of young Russian speakers as well as their entry to the labour market.

Further reading: http://www.etera.ee/zoom/2041/view?page=3&p=separate&view=0,0,2067,2834.

Integration Foundation activities

New member joins Counselling Centre team

Joining the Integration and Migration Foundation Our People (MISA) Counselling Centre in April was Olga Žukova. Olga will be in charge of organising events as well as helping out at them by offering technical support and advising residents.

Olga previously spent many years consulting clients in the tourism field. Thanks to her understanding of people she is able to quickly resolve problems and answer any questions that residents have. She also has experience of marketing and event management. She is very thorough in everything she does, thinking things through to the smallest detail to ensure that an event is a success.

Olga’s contact details can be found on the MISA website at http://www.meis.ee/tootajate-kontaktandmed.

Narva opinion festival overturns undetermined citizenship myths

An opinion festival was held for the second time in Narva on 21 May at which integration topics came up for discussion. During this debate, which was organised by the Integration and Migration Foundation Our People (MISA), those involved looked at the future of people with undetermined citizenship in Estonia, the misconceptions that are prevalent in society in regard to them and their actual situation.

Discussing the topic ‘The future of people with undetermined citizenship: myths and reality’ on the festival’s partners’ stage were migration expert and Estonian Academy of Security Sciences Centre for Migration Studies project manager Eva-Maria Asari, Police and Border Guard board Eastern prefecture Jõhvi police department senior officer Thea Roots, journalist and activist Roman Vikulin, former union leader Vladimir Aleksejev and Integration Foundation director Dmitri Burnašev. The discussion was led by the foundation’s Narva-based counsellor Natalja Vovdenko, who shone the spotlight on myths that are prevalent among residents.

In raising the topic, MISA sought to overturn myths and misunderstandings surrounding people with undetermined citizenship. During the debate the participants shared information and explanations on what the lives of such people are like in Estonia and what has been done to reduce the number of people without defined citizenship.

The participants emphasised a number of times that there is no point speculating whether people with undetermined citizenship have made a decision regarding which country they consider to be their homeland. Roman Vikulin and Vladimir Aleksejev remarked that a large proportion of people without defined citizenship have invested themselves in Estonia and do hold strong, positive feelings towards the country. They nevertheless admitted that on certain issues there are differences of opinion – for example, what bothers people with undetermined citizenship most of all is the fact that the ‘grey passports’ they carry bear the English title “Alien’s passport”, which can of course suggest not only foreigners but also ‘strangers’ or indeed ‘aliens’.

The biggest obstacle in applying for Estonian citizenship is considered to be the requirement to be able to speak Estonian. In some cases, decisions in this regard are also purely pragmatic, since undetermined citizenship makes travelling to Russia much easier.

At the same time, those taking part in the discussion conceded that the issue of undetermined citizenship is no longer as topical as it once was or as problematic among young people: just 3% of those without defined citizenship in Estonia are below the age of 25. Also very important is the change in law which came into effect on 1 January this year which now means that any child born in Estonia to a parent with undetermined citizenship is automatically granted Estonian citizenship.

In summarising their discussion, the participants came to the conclusion that explaining the myths surrounding people with undetermined citizenship and their actual situation and raising the issue in society is necessary in order to overturn misconceptions and bring those with conflicting opinions together. 

Information on Estonian language studies

Estonian language studies to continue this summer

As at the end of May a total of 1984 people had joined the Estonian language courses at the A2, B1 and B2 levels being organised by the Integration and Migration Foundation Our People (MISA), divided up into 124 groups. The majority of these people will complete their courses before the high season for summer holidays begins.

1167 people had already completed their studies by the end of May. Of those, 938 (80.38%) completed the courses successfully. “We consider anyone who’s attended at least 80% of their lessons to have completed their course successfully,” explained Jana Tondi, the head of language and cultural immersion with the Integration and Migration Foundation Our People. “229 people withdrew from the courses or only managed to attend less than 80% of their classes.”

As at 31 May there were 817 people on Estonian language courses, divided between 51 groups in Tallinn, Narva, Jõhvi, Kohtla-Järve, Sillamäe, Ahtme, Tartu and Pärnu. All of these groups will complete their studies by Midsummer or 1 September.

Courses for two groups in Tallinn will be starting in early July, one of which will be studying Estonian on the basis of English and the other on the basis of Russian. A further 528 people will then commence studies in August and September in 33 groups which will be put together in June.

The Estonian language courses are being run until 30 November this year by Keelepisik, the Edukool foundation and Folkuniversitetet Estonia. The courses run by two other training companies – Mitteldorf and the NPO Atlasnet – will come to an end by September.

A new procurement will be launched in June with the aim of finding organisers for language courses for the 2520 people who registered for Estonian studies on MISA website last summer.

The Integration and Migration Foundation Our People is organising free Estonian courses at the A2, B1 and B2 levels until 2020 as part of the ‘Activities supporting integration in Estonian society’ project of the European Social Fund.

For further information please contact: Jana Tondi | Head of language and cultural immersion, MISA | Telephone: +372 659 9069 | E-mail: jana.tondi@meis.ee

Results of project competitions

Sunday school teachers to travel to their ethnic homelands for in-service training

The month of May saw the end of a project competition organised by the Integration and Migration Foundation Our People (MISA) to support the in-service training of national minority Sunday school teachers in their ethnic homelands. 10 applications were received from teachers, of whom eight will get the chance to return to their historical homelands this summer to broaden their knowledge.

“Taking part in in-service training – especially in the countries whose languages and cultures the teachers are teaching – is very much needed from the point of view of high-quality studies,” said Kristina Pirgop, the head of partnership relations with the Integration and Migration Foundation Our People. “In order for the teachers to be able to offer their students appropriate and contemporary studies of their mother tongue and culture, the teachers have to constantly educate themselves as well. It goes without saying that the best and most up-to-date information they’re going to get is in the country itself whose language and culture they’re teaching.” Pirgop explained that the Sunday schools were applying for the financial means to cover the study, travel and accommodation costs of the teachers in order for them to be able to take part in training on their mother tongue. “A number of the courses that are offered in the relevant countries are free for the teachers,” she added. “For example, Sunday school teachers can take part in the studies being offered at the summer school in Armenia completely free of charge.”

Aided by the competition, teachers will be taking part in in-service training this summer in Ukraine, Russia, Armenia and Tatarstan.

In-service training for national minority Sunday school teachers in their ethnic homelands is financed from the state budget via the Ministry of Education and Research.

For further information please contact: Kristina Pirgop | Head of partnership relations, MISA | Telephone: +372 659 9024 | E-mail: kristina.pirgop@meis.ee

Estonian language and culture to be studied at youth camps this summer

The long-awaited summer holidays are here, and what could be more fun for kids than spending part of them at a camp – somewhere they can talk to people their own age, play sports, go hiking, make new friends and have lots of fun? The Integration and Migration Foundation Our People (MISA) is contributing to the success of such summer camps this year by supporting the implementation of activities showcasing Estonian language and culture at ongoing camps, the promotion of Estonian language and culture at project camps and Estonian language and culture studies as part of family stays.

Both camp activities and family studies give youngsters the chance to discover Estonian cultural space – the country, its history and important sights and places – as well as to hone their language skills by communicating with Estonians their own age. “Based on the feedback we’ve got from participants in previous years, taking part in the camps and the family studies has really given these kids the courage to speak Estonian, and they’ve also discovered some exciting places around the country and made new friends they keep in touch with afterwards,” said Jana Tondi, the head of language and cultural immersion with the Integration and Migration Foundation Our People. “It’s important to us that the projects we support offer the kids a range of activities that encourage spontaneous communication in Estonian – real dialogue on everyday issues that young people identify with.”

Studies of Estonian language and culture at a camp or while staying with a family are designed for young people aged 7-19 who live in Estonia but whose mother tongue is a language other than Estonian, as well as for Estonians of the same age who speak the language as their mother tongue to provide support to other camp-goers. This year MISA is supporting the participation of 1408 youngsters in the Estonian language and culture programmes of ongoing camps. 100 young people will also get to take part in an Estonian language project camp, while a further 34 will be practising their Estonian as part of family stays. The language and culture camp projects will be taking place from June to October.

The activities showcasing Estonian language and culture at ongoing camps are being carried out this year by three organisations: Lastekaitse Liidu Lastelaagrite OÜ, Optimum Semper OÜ and Valgemetsa Puhkeküla OÜ.

Project camps promoting Estonian language and culture are being organised for young people by Narva School no. 6 and Keila Municipal Government. Estonian language and culture studies in families are being organised for 34 youngsters at five different times during summer by the NPO Veeda Vaheaeg Võrumaal.

Groups have been or will be put together by the organisers of the camps and family studies. The contact details of the organisers receiving support in 2016 can be found on MISA website.

Estonian language and culture studies at project camps are being supported to a value of 11,400 euros, Estonian language and culture studies in families to a value of 12,240 euros and the implementation of Estonian language and culture programmes at ongoing camps to a value of 17,772 euros.

The organisation of such studies within families and at camps is financed from the state budget by the Ministry of Culture.

For further information please contact: Jana Tondi |Head of language and cultural immersion, MISA | Telephone: +372 659 9069 | E-mail: jana.tondi@meis.ee