INTEGRATION CALENDAR – AUGUST 2009

 

 

During the 2008-2009 academic year the Integration Foundation worked with a range of higher education institutions to provide additional courses in Estonian as a second language for Russian-speaking students from Estonia and those who obtained their secondary education in the country.

 

The courses were held at the Estonian Maritime Academy, the Estonian Public Service Academy, the Estonian Aviation Academy, Tallinn Health Care College, the Narva College of the University of Tartu, the Estonian Academy of Arts and the Virumaa College of Tallinn University of Technology. Each course differed in length and content according to the fields and language needs of and time available to the particular students.

 

A total of more than 200 students completed the additional courses. The average duration was ca 110 contact hours, which enabled the students to improve their skills in Estonian at the proficiency level they had already obtained (mostly B1 and B2). Reaching a higher level of proficiency generally requires between 450 and 500 hours of studies. The level of proficiency required for successful higher education studies is B2.

 

The additional courses in Estonian as second language for students from higher education institutions were organised as part of the “Language Studies Development 2007-2010” programme financed from the European Social Fund.

 

For further information please contact: Ave Osman, Coordinator, Lifelong Learning Unit / Telephone: +372 659 9030 / E-mail: ave.osman@meis.ee

 

 

 

The two-day 2009 summer school for language immersion programme and upper secondary school counsellors will be held in Laulasmaa on 13 and 14 August.

 

The summer school will be led by Ene Kulasalu, Ene Velström and Koidu Tani-Jürisoo, trainers from the Open Mind Institute. A range of topics will be covered at the event, from supervision of counsellors to finding focus in counselling and group counselling issues.

 

For further information please contact: Kai Võlli, Coordinator, Multicultural Education Unit / Telephone: +372 659 9846 / E-mail: kai.volli@meis.ee

 

 

 

The second session of the methodology training course for the kindergarten language immersion programme will be taking place over three days in Laulasmaa from 13 to 15 August.

 

The course will examine a variety of issues, including the linguistic development of language immersion pupils in kindergarten, the language immersion framework programme and how to start working with language immersion groups. Other topics examined on the course will be planning what to teach, subject teaching and cooperation within the language immersion group. Those attending the course will also find out about ways of enriching vocabulary through physical education and music lessons, and tips will be shared on reading together, the story thread method, working with books and the role of the teacher. The participants will also receive materials useful in observing and evaluating children’s development and providing feedback.

 

The course will be led by language immersion programme trainers Nonna Meltsas, Ene Kurme, Angelika Lall and Hedi Minlibajeva.

 

For further information please contact: Svetlana Belova, Coordinator, Multicultural Education Unit / Telephone: +372 659 9848 / E-mail: svetlana.belova@meis.ee

 

 

 

August will see the commencement of mentor-led, individualised Estonian language studies by around 50 teachers who will be teaching subjects in Estonian at upper secondary school level in schools with Russian as the language of instruction.

 

The studies are designed to improve the quality of Estonian-language subject teaching and to reduce linguistic distance by boosting the proficiency of the teachers to the level that they require for everyday use and in order to cope with their work.

 

The individualised studies will be led by mentors specially trained to provide and implement the knowledge and skills the teachers need. Each ‘pupil’ will produce their own study plan with the help of their mentor. These plans will be based on the interests and learning styles of the teachers, as well as on the time available to them and where they live. They will establish specific linguistic goals and include an analysis of how these goals are achieved.

 

The individual studies will continue until October 2010.

 

For further information please contact: Natalia Reppo, Coordinator, Multicultural Education Unit / Telephone: +372 659 9855 / E-mail: natalia.reppo@meis.ee

 

 

 

The Ministry of Education and Research has produced a new version of the Language Act which has been published on the www.osale.ee website for the public to review and comment on. Opinions can be expressed and proposals made until 17 August 2009.

 

The current act, which was passed in 1995, has become difficult to interpret due to the changes that have been made to it in the intervening years, which is why the Ministry of Education and Research has produced a new version. The new draft Language Act is largely just a clearer, restructured version of the existing act, but some new regulations have also been added to it. Proposals and comments are awaited in regard to these new additions in particular.

 

For further information please contact: Kati Uusmaa, Lawyer, Ministry of Education and Research (Vocational and Adult Education & Language) / Telephone: +372 735 0142 / E-mail: kati.uusmaa@hm.ee

 

 

 

 

 

On 16 July the Integration Foundation launched the simplified procurement “Purchasing conference organisation services for the annual language immersion programme conference 2009”. The deadline for applications is 11.00 am on 6 August.

 

The winner of the procurement will be required to organise the annual language immersion programme conference on 2 and 3 October 2009, which will be attended by approximately 200 people connected to or interested in the programme.

 

The main topics of the conference are counselling and internal assessment. The conference is designed to boost the level of understanding among the members of the language immersion network through presentations and discussions of a variety of aspects of the implementation of the programme, to discuss internal assessment and the programme as a whole, to introduce and promote the language immersion programme and upper secondary teacher counselling which was introduced during the 2008-2009 academic year and to celebrate the 10^th anniversary of the language immersion programme.

 

For further information please contact: Made Pandis, Coordinator, Multicultural Education Unit / Telephone: +372 659 9843 / E-mail: made.pandis@meis.ee

 

 

 

The deadline for applications for the second round of the “Let’s do it together” project competition is 4.00 pm on 18 August 2009. The information day for the competition will be held at 11.00 am on 5 August 2009 at the Integration Foundation’s offices at Liimi 1, Tallinn.

 

The competition is designed to increase the civic activity of and contact and communication between citizens of Estonia and the European Union and third countries within Europe and Estonian residents with undefined citizenship.

 

The competition will support cooperative activities lasting more than three months, campaigns, discussion forums and other citizens association activities involving citizens of Estonia and the European Union and other countries in Europe and Estonian residents with undefined citizenship of at least 18 years of age.

 

Applications for support can be submitted by the agencies managed by local governments, non-profit organisations and foundations that will carry out the activities.

 

The competition is being financed from the budgetary resources of the Ministry of Culture and the European Fund for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals, which was established as part of the general European Union programme ‘Solidarity and management of migratory flows’, on the basis of the implementation plan of the Estonian Integration Programme 2008–2013.

 

For further information please contact: Iris Järv, Coordinator, Culture and Youth Work Unit / Telephone: +372 659 9029 / E-mail: iris.jarv@meis.ee

 

 

 

The “New immigrants in Estonian pre-school institutions” project competition was launched recently. The aim of this competition, which will close on 31 August, is to support the Estonian language studies in pre-school institutions of new immigrant children.

 

The competition will support projects whose activities involve the children of citizens of third countries and/or citizens with undetermined citizenship, as well as the children of citizens of other European Union member states.

 

Applications for support can be submitted by pre-school institutions (state, municipal and private education institutions). The activities of these institutions, the acquisition of teaching materials and equipment and the in-service training of teachers will be supported as part of the competition.

 

The competition is being financed by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Estonia and the European Fund for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals, which was established as part of the general European Union programme ‘Solidarity and management of migratory flows’.

 

For further information please contact: Ave Härsing, Coordinator, Multicultural Education Unit / Telephone: +372 659 9037 / E-mail: ave.harsing@meis.ee

 

 

 

Applications for the recently launched public project competition “Promoting a common cultural space through cooperative activities” can be submitted until 4.00 pm on 15 September. The information day for the competition will be held at 1.00 pm on 5 August 2009 at the Integration Foundation’s offices at Liimi 1, Tallinn.

 

The competition is designed to support the cooperative activities of performing arts institutions between citizens of Estonia and third countries within Europe to foster a common cultural space and to boost the integration process within Estonian society.

 

The competition will support activities which contribute to the implementation of its goals – joint performances by performing arts institutions, themed workshops taking place as part of preparations for performances, public discussions following performances, festivals and more, involving citizens of Estonia, other member states of the European Union and third countries who are residents of Estonia.

 

Applications for support from state agencies, agencies managed by local governments and non-profit organisations and foundations can be submitted by performing arts institutions whose everyday activities, according to their articles of association, are performances and/or the organisation of theatre festivals.

 

The competition is being financed from the budgetary resources of the Ministry of Culture and the European Fund for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals, which was established as part of the general European Union programme ‘Solidarity and management of migratory flows’, on the basis of the implementation plan of the Estonian Integration Programme 2008–2013.

 

For further information please contact: Iris Järv, Coordinator, Culture and Youth Work Unit / Telephone: +372 659 9029 / E-mail: iris.jarv@meis.ee

 

 

 

 

 

In August the Integration Foundation will be launching the second round of applications for the “Our Estonia” public project competition.

 

The competition is designed to provide representatives of the different nationalities living in Estonia – including citizens of third countries and those with undetermined citizenship – with practical knowledge of Estonian society and history. The target group of the competition is students between the ages of 12 and 23.

 

Contacts and dialogue between Estonian youth and young people with other mother tongues and cultural backgrounds are planned to be created and promoted as part of the competition in order to boost tolerance, equal opportunities and cultural awareness.

 

The competition will support the following activities, which are designed for students from basic and upper secondary schools and vocational education institutions enabling studies on the basis of basic education:

 

 

Applications for support can only be accepted for activities involving the participation of citizens of Estonia, other member states of the European Union and third countries within Europe and those with undetermined citizenship between the ages of 12 and 23. At least 20% of the target group must comprise citizens of third countries or residents of Estonia with undetermined citizenship.

 

The competition is being financed from the state budget and the European Fund for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals, which was established as part of the general European Union programme ‘Solidarity and management of migratory flows’, on the basis of the implementation plan of the Estonian Integration Programme 2008–2013.

 

For further information please contact: Toivo Sikk, Coordinator, Multicultural Education Unit / Telephone: +372 659 9850 / E-mail: toivo.sikk@meis.ee