Results of “Integration Monitoring 2008” study presented on 10 November
Sociologists from Tallinn University and the University of Tartu carried out monitoring of integration processes in April 2008 at the behest of the Office of the Minister of Population Affairs and the Integration Foundation in order to ascertain the attitudes of people of different national backgrounds and the changes that have taken place in their attitudes towards integration. The results of the monitoring have been published on the website of the Office of the Minister of Population Affairs at
Summaries of the results are available in Estonian and Russian at the following links:
For further information please contact: Tea Tammistu, Citizens Education Unit
New professional Estonian language teaching materials to be produced
The Integration Foundation has launched cooperation with the Institute of Estonian Language and Culture of Tallinn University to produce professional Estonian language training materials, glossaries and training programmes. The materials will help adults who do not have a sufficient grasp of Estonian to prepare for Level I professional exams held in the language.
A total of three sets of training materials, glossaries and training programmes for five professions will be developed as part of the project, covering sales assistants, hairdressers, beauticians, chefs and wait staff.
The chief author of the training materials is Mare Kitsnik, while the group of co-authors includes professional subject teachers from vocational schools. An expert from each field will be involved in the production of each set of materials, taking part in the compilation of the glossaries, giving advice on the selection of texts and tasks and editing the material.
The training materials are due to be completed by May 2009. Training for Level I professional examinations in Estonian will commence in autumn 2009.
For further information please contact: Merlin Mägi, Lifelong Learning Unit
Advisors to support teachers from schools with Russian as the language of instruction in launching Estonian-language studies
A monitoring and advisory system for Estonian-language secondary school studies is to be launched through four regional advisory centres (in Tartu, Narva, Kohtla-Järve and Tallinn). The pilot project will run from November 2008 to the end of May 2009.
At the opening of the centres in early December the monitoring and advisory system will be introduced along with the work of the centres, the regional advisors and the book Lõimitud aine- ja keeleõpe /Integrated Subject and Language Studies/. Publication of the Estonian-language book was supported by the European Social Fund, the Integration Foundation and the Ministry of Education and Research.
A special ceremony will be held to mark the opening of the Tallinn and Harju County regional advisory centre on 10 December. The work of the centre will be coordinated by the Language Immersion Centre of the Integration Foundation.
For further information please contact: Kai Võlli, Language Immersion Centre
Language immersion programme teachers learn new skills
The 4th session of the 80-hour language immersion methodology training course for subject teachers at the 2nd and 3rd stages of study will be held in Toila on 3 and 4 December. Providing the training will be Ane Kloren, Maire Kebbinau, Anna Sele and Liina Norit from the Language Immersion Centre of the Integration Foundation.
A training course for kindergarten teachers titled “Reading together and working with books in language immersion groups” will be held in Jõhvi on 4 and 5 December. The course will be led by Angelika Lall, Hedi Minlibajeva and Nonna Meltsas.
The “Parent-teacher meetings with parents of language immersion group pupils” training course will be held in Jõhvi on 6 December. The course will be given by Hedi Minlibajeva and Nonna Meltsas.
Training on supportive immediate feedback – the 5-minute review method is coming to an end: both the Tallinn and Narva training groups will complete their courses in December.
On 15 and 16 December language immersion teachers will be developing their skills in producing teaching materials. They will also be examining the principles behind producing lesson plans. The materials produced by the teachers will be made available on the website of the Language Immersion Centre.
For further information please contact: Made Pandis and Svetlana Belova, Language Immersion Centre
Youth group members come together in Tallinn
The “One Step Closer” conference will be held in Tallinn on 5 and 6 December for members of regional youth groups. A range of organisations will be promoting their inclusion activities at the two-day event, which will feature of variety of interesting activities designed for young people. Members of youth groups will also have the chance to get to know one another.
Attendees will be issued with the Estonian National Youth Council’s Inclusion Anthology, reprinted with the support of the European Social Fund.
The event is being held as part of the “Language Studies Development 2007-2010” programme.
For further information please contact: Lianne Ristikivi, Culture and Youth Work Unit
COMPETITIONS
Simplified public tender for “Additional training for youth workers in a multicultural environment”
The aim of this procurement is to provide basic competence in intercultural study methods to youth workers who work with young people in multicultural working environments (i.e. people with different cultural and linguistic backgrounds) so as to facilitate the integration of young people – including those with third-country citizenship – into society and increase intercultural contact and trust between young people. The tender will result in the organisation of additional training designed to improve competence related to intercultural studies and a study trip for 40 youth workers and 40 youth work students (a total of 4 groups).
The procurement is being financed through the European Fund for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals.
The tender competition is open until 17 December.
The guidelines for the competition are available by e-mailing the project manager at silver.pramann@meis.ee.
For further information please contact: Silver Pramann, Culture and Youth Work Unit
Estonian language camp project competition
The project competition for the organisation of the 2009 language camps will be launched in December. This round of applications will form the first part of a two-part competition. The second part will be launched in spring 2009 along with the project competition for the organisation of family studies. Organisations who arrange youth camp exchanges and project camps are being invited to take part in the competition. Programme-based projects as part of which camp activities can be conducted all year round will be preferred. Organisations supported in the first round will not be able to take part in the second round (in spring 2009).
The competition is being financed by the State Chancellery.
The competition guidelines will be available from the Integration Foundation website or from the project manager at lianne.ristikivi@meis.ee once the competition has been launched.
For further information please contact: Lianne Ristikivi, Culture and Youth Work Unit
“Open competition” project competition
A competition will be launched in December which is designed to ensure that all of Estonia’s citizens, regardless of their nationality or native language, are able to participate in the social life and politics of the country equally, as prescribed in legislation; to involve third-country citizens residing in Estonia more in the activities of civic associations; and to inform them of what is going on in society in the European Union, including Estonia.
Activities which contribute to an increase in tolerance and the raising of awareness will be supported as part of the competition: joint events, campaigns, discussion forums et al for third-country citizens with the involvement of citizens of the European Union, primarily Estonia.
The competition is being financed from the state budget and through the European Fund for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals.
For further information please contact: Iris Järv, Culture and Youth Work Unit
Project competition in support of activities promoting cooperation between Estonian and Russian-speaking young people
This competition supporting activities that get Estonian and Russian-speaking young people working together in youth groups, youth centres, youth work institutions and local governments will be launched in December.
The competition is being financed from the state budget and through the European Fund for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals.
The competition guidelines will be available from the Integration Foundation website at www.meis.ee or from the project manager at silver.pramann@meis.ee once the competition has been launched.
For further information please contact: Silver Pramann, Culture and Youth Work Unit
