This summer, the Integration Foundation will launch support for the teaching of native language and culture in hobby schools of national minorities. The basis for the support is the regulation of the Minister of Education and Research ‘Terms and conditions of and procedure for granting support for language and culture education of national minorities in hobby schools’, which entered into force on 27 April 2025 and which transfers the distribution of support from the Ministry of Education and Research to our foundation.
The aim of the support is to help children and young people with a mother tongue other than Estonian learn and preserve their native language and learn about their national culture. The grant will be used to teach children and young people in hobby schools of national minorities their mother tongue, i.e. the language and culture of the specific minority. The aim is to keep the cultural traditions of national minorities alive among children and young people and to get young people more involved in the activities of their own cultural associations.
Ethnic minorities living in Estonia are guaranteed opportunities to preserve their language and cultural specificities, in particular for children and young people through the learning of their native language and culture. Preserving the languages and cultures of ethnic minorities enriches the society, helps to preserve cultural heritage and develop young people with strong identities.
The Integration Foundation has been supporting hobby schools of national minorities and the native language education they provide since 2003. In 2018–2024, the allocation of grants was transferred to the Ministry of Education and Research, and from this year onwards, our foundation will take over again.
In addition to studies, the grants have been used to organise visits to museums and exhibitions, attend performances, celebrate national holidays, buy teaching materials and folk costumes, and much more.
In 2024, 33 hobby schools of national minorities received state support.
A call for applications is also open on our website until 2 June.
