Integration Calendar - October 2009

 

 

The annual conference of the language immersion programme will be held at the Radisson SAS hotel in Tallinn on 2 & 3 October 2009 under the aegis of the Integration Foundation. This year’s conference is titled “Advice and assessment – the roads signs for the quality of the language immersion programme”. Up to 200 people from the field of education are expected to attend the event.

 

The ninth programme conference will focus on the internal assessment of the nursery schools and schools that have joined the language immersion programme and on advising teachers as approaches and activities supporting an understanding of the quality of the programme.

 

Representatives of a variety of interest groups will be summarising the conference and the features it highlights related to the quality of the programme, including local governments, directors of schools and nursery schools and parents.

 

The 10^th anniversary of the language immersion programme will be marked on the first night of the conference with a trip down memory lane involving parents, teachers, school and nursery school directors, language immersion centre staff and representatives of local governments and the Ministry of Education and Research. Coordinators will also be announcing the Language Immersion Friend of the Year 2009. Adding to the festive occasion will be a performance of Andrus Kivirähk’s play Sibulad ja šokolaad /Onions and Chocolate/ by teachers from Narva Soldino Secondary School and a concert by the ensemble Tuulelõõtsutajad.

 

Language immersion is a form of teaching enriching bilingual education which is designed to enable children to gain a better grasp of Estonian as a second language. It is implemented in Estonia as a national programme with the funding and support of the Ministry of Education and Research. The aim of language immersion is to provide pupils with equal skills in their native language, Estonian and foreign languages.

 

4204 pupils and 638 teachers are involved in language immersion in 2009. A total of 54 nursery schools and schools throughout Estonia have joined the programme to date.

 

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

 

 

 

 

The Integration Foundation has launched a competition to recruit ASSESSORS to review applications and offers submitted as part of competitions organised from 2009 to 2011.

More detailed information about applying for the position is available on the Integration Foundation website at www.meis.ee/est/toopakkumised.

 

The online application form should be completed and sent to eda.silberg@meis.ee by 12 October 2009.

 

For further information please contact: Eda Silberg, Director of Administration / Telephone:  659 9038 

 

 

 

As a result of the competition, 307,536 kroons has been issued in support of eight different projects. These projects will help to create the right conditions for the Estonian language studies of new immigrant students in preschool institutions with Estonian as the language of instruction and to develop a system for the teaching of Estonian as a second language in nursery schools in which a variety of methodology and contemporary teaching materials will be used.

 

The support was issued to the Väike Pauliine nursery school; the Kannike nursery school in Tartu; the non-profit organisation Agathe; Sverresson OÜ; Anni nursery school; the Mari nursery school in Põltsamaa; the Triinu ja Taavi nursery school in Tartu; and the Rõõmupesa nursery school in Tallinn.

 

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

 

 

 

A series of television and radio programmes was launched and continued in September which was supported as part of the “Promotion of cultures and integration in the media” competition.

 

Four series are being broadcast on the television channel ETV2:

One series is being broadcast on the television channel PBK:

Two series are being broadcast on the radio station Raadio 4:

Two series are also being broadcast on the radio station Raadio 4 which were funded as part of the “Campaigns for the promotion of tolerance and the raising of awareness related to equal opportunities” procurement:

·        ‘Ideepank’ /Ideas Bank/ (Thursdays at 11.05 am, twice monthly) is a talk show. Programmes from the series are available to listen to online.

 

During summer Raadio 4 also broadcast a series examining Estonian culture, history and sights titled ‘Kas tunned maad...’ /Do You Know Your Own Country?/ (programmes from the series are available to listen to online and a series titled ‘Suvemeelespea’ /Reminder of Summer/ looking at fun ways of spending the school holidays in the city.

 

The programmes were financed by the European Fund for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals and the Estonian Ministry of Culture.

 

For further information please contact: Kati Tamm, Coordinator, Civic Education Unit / Telephone: 659 9027 / E-mail: kati.tamm@meis.ee

 

 

 

The handbook was created to help applicants prepare to take the examination of awareness of the constitution and Citizenship Act of the Republic of Estonia. It covers all of the topics applicants are tested on during the examination and includes sample questions from past examinations. The booklet also provides an overview of Estonian history and the country today.

 

The handbook is available online in Estonian, English and Russian from the websites of both the Integration Foundation and the National Examination and Qualification Centre. The Estonian version is also being distributed free of charge on preparatory courses, at pre-examination consultations and at examination points of the National Examination and Qualification Centre.

 

The handbook was produced in connection with the changes introduced to the procedure for the conducting of the examination of awareness of the constitution and Citizenship Act of the Republic of Estonia for applicants for citizenship which entered force on 1 March 2009. Publication of the handbook was supported by the Office of the Minister of Population and Ethnic Affairs, the Ministry of Culture, the Integration Foundation and the National Examination and Qualification Centre.

 

For further information please contact: Tea Tammistu, Coordinator, Civic Education Unit / Telephone:  659 9062 / E-mail: tea.tammistu@meis.ee

 

 

 

 

An in-service training course for teachers of social studies titled “Modelling games: what are they and how can they be implemented?” will be held in Tallinn on 16 October and in Rakvere on 30 October. You can register for the courses by e-mailing info@koolituskorraldus.ee.

 

The course is designed to boost the methodology-based knowledge of social studies teachers. It will look at the nature of modelling games, the conditions they require and how they can be used in class. Practice games will also be carried out. One such practice game is titled “Management and power”.

 

The training will be followed by a debriefing session during which the participants will discuss what went on as part of the game. The day-long course is being organised and run for two groups.

 

For further information please contact: Maarja Mänd, Coordinator, Multicultural Education Unit / Telephone:  659 9853 / E-mail: maarja.mand@meis.ee

 

 

 

The Narva College of the University of Tartu is running two free pilot courses during the 2009-2010 academic year designed for both working teachers and teacher training students as part of the “Language Studies Development 2007-2010” programme financed through the European Social Fund. The first course – “Developing skills in the language of instruction during subject lessons” – is scheduled to begin in October.

 

The course will provide an overview of current views on the legitimacy and idiosyncrasies of learning a second language as well as of the methodological principles of integrated subject and language studies. Attention will be focussed on the need for and options available in the development of language skills and linguistic support for students. Teaching materials will be examined on the course, and teachers will also be taught how to produce their own.

 

The course is equivalent to 2 CP: 80 hours, of which 46 are seminar-based work, 28 independent work and 6 teaching observation. The course is designed for working teachers undertaking in-service training and/or teacher training students who teach or are interested in teaching general or specialist subjects in a language other than Estonian and who teach or are interested in teaching in Estonian in schools and vocational education institutions with languages of instruction other than Estonian.

 

The course is free of charge and has been planned for 20 participants. Registration will remain open until 10 October 2009 on the Narva College website.

 

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

 

 

 

Registration is now open for the teacher placement programme for teachers of general and vocational subjects from vocational education institutions. Up to 100 teachers will be able to try their hand at teaching in a working environment with a different language of instruction between now and October 2010.

 

A total of 60 places have been provided for teachers from schools with Russian as the language of instruction to teach in schools with Estonian as the language of instruction. The other 40 places have been provided for teachers who speak Estonian as their native language to teach in schools with Russian as the language of instruction.

 

The teacher placement lasts for 24 days and is free of charge. Cultural, recreational and accommodation expenses are covered in full, and catering costs are partly covered. The teacher on placement is supported at the school they are teaching at by a mentor, whose role is to seek solutions to potential problems and introduce the local school environment.

 

Applications for the programme are being accepted from teachers who completed all four modules of the “In-service training of teachers for the development of Estonian-language teaching in vocational education institutions with other languages of instruction” course which began last year. Training places are still available for the completion of the modules. Those interested should telephone Reilika Paas from BDA Consulting OÜ on  627 4411 or (mobile)  5592 2663 or e-mail bda@kutsekoolid.ee.

 

You can obtain more detailed information about teaching placements and register for them through the foundation’s partners: Linda Kõresaar (mobile:  5194 6492  5194 6492 / e-mail: linda@ehituskool.ee) or Tiiu Orgvee (mobile:  5566 7315 / e-mail: tiiu.orgvee@hariduskeskus.ee).

 

Teacher placement and training activities are being financed by the Ministry of Education and Research and the European Social Fund.

 

For further information please contact: Marje Reimund, Coordinator, Lifelong Learning Unit / Telephone:  +372 659 9063 / E-mail: marje.reimund@meis.ee

 

 

 

An 80-hour in-service training course will run between October 2009 and May 2010 for directors and specialists from vocational education institutions for the development of Estonian-language teaching in vocational study groups with other languages of instruction.

 

The course is designed to develop skills in the integration of subject and language studies in a multicultural learning and living environment, where the emphasis is on intercultural communication, e-learning and the principles and organisation of bilingual education. The course will include both field and study trips.

 

To register for the course, please contact the organiser: Merly Org, BDA Consulting OÜ, e-mail bda@kutsekoolid.ee or call  627 4414 or (mobile) 52 67 384 .

 

The training is being financed by the Ministry of Education and Research and the European Social Fund.

 

For further information please contact: Marje Reimund, Coordinator, Lifelong Learning Unit / Telephone:  659 9063 / E-mail: marje.reimund@meis.ee

 

 

 

In-service training on integrated subject and language teaching methodology for upper secondary-level teachers from educational institutions with Russian as the language of instruction is scheduled to begin in October. Registration is open on the Narva College website of the University of Tartu.

 

The training will focus on integrated language and subject-teaching methodology. Its overall goal is to contribute to the transition of upper secondary schools with Russian as the language of instruction to Estonian-language studies. The 72-hour courses will take place in cycles in Narva, Tallinn and Tartu.

 

The training is being supported by the Ministry of Education and Research as part of an agreement entered into with the Integration Foundation.

 

For further information please contact: Maarja Mänd, Coordinator, Multicultural Education Unit / Telephone:  659 9853 / E-mail: maarja.mand@meis.ee

 

 

 

 

 

On 11 September the Integration Foundation launched the Experience trains us project competition, which will provide training for local government officials and teachers from preschool education institutions. The deadline for applications is 4.00 pm on 12 October 2009.

 

The competition is designed to find an organiser for in-service training and study trips for local government education officials and teachers from preschool education institutions.

 

The course and the study drips are designed to prepare the education workers to accept pupils who are third-country nationals into the Estonian education system.

 

The competition will support the organisation of in-service training and study trips for up to 25 education workers and the development of methodology-based materials. Applications can be submitted by private and public legal entities registered in Estonia and municipal and state agencies.

 

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 on the basis of the implementation plan of the Estonian Integration Programme 2008–2013.

 

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

 

 

 

On 11 September the Integration Foundation launched the In Estonian at an Estonian-language school project competition, which aims to develop Estonian language teaching and support materials for pupils who are third-country nationals and new immigrant pupils.The deadline for applications is 4.00 pm on 21 October 2009.

 

The aim of the competition is to support the studies of pupils whose native language or home language is a language other than Estonian in general education institutions in Estonia.To this end, additional materials will be developed and issued (including interactive learning and visual materials) for both Estonian-language teaching and teaching of Estonian in schools with pupils who are third-country nationals.

The development and publication of the materials, their introduction to teachers and their distribution to the target group will be supported as part of the competition.

 

Applications for support can be submitted by private and public legal entities registered in Estonia and municipal and state agencies.

 

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 on the basis of the implementation plan of the Estonian Integration Programme 2008–2013.

 

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

 

 

 

The “Local government informational materials” public project competition has been launched and applications can be submitted until 1.00 pm on 26 October 2009.

 

The competition is designed to boost the awareness of citizens of third countries in Europe – including Estonian residents with undetermined citizenship – of the services provided by the public sector within local government areas.

 

The updating of websites or the publication of informational materials (booklets, brochures, handbooks et al) which are designed for third-country citizens residing in Estonia and Estonian residents with undetermined citizenship will be supported as part of the project.

 

Applications for support can be submitted by local governments and agencies and institutions managed by local governments (with the exception of schools and nursery schools).

 

The competition is being financed from the budgetary resources of the Ministry of Culture (25%) and the European Fund for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals (75%) on the basis of the implementation plan of the Estonian Integration Programme 2008–2013.

 

For further information please contact: Ruslan Prohhorenko, Coordinator, Civic Education Unit / Telephone:  659 9035 / E-mail: ruslan.prohhorenko@meis.ee

 

 

 

As part of the “Language Studies Development 2007-2010” programme of the European Social Fund, the Integration Foundation is once again awaiting proposals from institutions of vocational education in regard to the organisation of additional language studies.

 

The aim is to ensure that as many vocational education institutions as possible are able to develop their teaching of Estonian in different ways based on the needs of and options open to their students. The Integration Foundation has already successfully implemented a similar form of cooperation with a number of schools, who have had the chance to offer their students not only additional language lessons, but also preparatory courses, exchange programmes and additional practice. They have also published additional teaching materials and are implementing the principles of integrated subject and language teaching.

 

All proposals are welcome. What is important is that they comply with the aims of the “Language Studies Development 2007-2010” programme and the description of the activity designed for students from vocational schools. The amount indicated in the budget is not transferred to the school’s budget: the Integration Foundation itself orders the required services.

The deadline for submission of proposals is 30 October 2009. One school may submit a number of proposals. We would ask that cooperation proposals be submitted on the form provided and that these be forwarded to us by e-mail by the due date. The form can be found on the Integration Foundation website.

 

We recommend that you submit your proposals during this round, because the current European Social Fund programme will come to an end in 2010. This means that only the spring round will remain after this round of proposals, which will place restrictions on the duration of language teaching activities (since they can only last until the end of 2010).

 

For further information please contact: Edydt Johanson, Coordinator, Lifelong Learning Unit / Telephone:  659 9842 / E-mail: edydt.johanson@meis.ee

 

 

 

 

 

 

The “Integration via the Internet” project competition will be launched in October.

 

The overall aim of the competition is to promote integration through the Internet as a two-way process involving Estonian citizens and third-country nationals alike. It is also designed to increase the role that third-country nationals play in Estonian society.

 

The production, customisation and distribution of Internet-based informational materials (including electronic newsletters) and the development of communication environments will be supported as part of the competition.

 

Applications for support can be submitted by non-profit organisation and foundations operating in the public interest.

 

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 on the basis of the implementation plan of the Estonian Integration Programme 2008–2013.

 

For further information please contact: Kati Tamm, Coordinator, Civic Education Unit / Telephone:  659 9027 / E-mail: kati.tamm@meis.ee

 

 

 

A public project competition will be launched in October for the development of a training programme and the training of state and local government officials in the area of intercultural communication.

 

The aim of the competition is to create an environment at the state and local government levels for third-country nationals which supports integration by increasing the competence of state and local government officials in the area of intercultural communication.

 

The competition will support the development and organisation of the training programme for state and local government officials.

 

Applications can be submitted by private and public legal entities registered in Estonia and municipal and state agencies.

 

The competition is being financed from the budgetary resources of the Ministry of Culture (25%) and the European Fund for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals (75%) on the basis of the implementation plan of the Estonian Integration Programme 2008–2013.

 

For further information please contact: Ruslan Prohhorenko, Coordinator, Civic Education Unit / Telephone:  659 9035 / E-mail: ruslan.prohhorenko@meis.ee

 

 

 

November 2009 will see the launch of a 160-hour course for advisers which will last until May 2010. The training is designed for people with a background in teaching and/or psychology who are motivated to work in the field of vocational education (preferably directors or specialists) and will be provided to a total of 20 people.

 

Its aim is to boost knowledge and skills related to advising and to provide the information, principles and experience required for the development of a multicultural teaching system through training and teaching and study trips.

 

The training is being financed by the Ministry of Education and Research and the European Social Fund. The Integration Foundation will provide information about registration in due course.

 

For further information please contact: Marje Reimund, Coordinator, Lifelong Learning Unit / Telephone:  659 9063 / E-mail: marje.reimund@meis.ee

 

 

 

November 2009 will see the launch of an 80-hour course for teachers teaching general skills subjects to students with native languages other than Estonian which will last until August 2010. A total of 150 teachers are being invited to take part (1 or 2 teachers per school).

 

The course is designed to develop integrated specialty subject and language teaching on the basis of general skills subjects and to create the required methodology materials.

 

The training is being financed by the Ministry of Education and Research and the European Social Fund. The Integration Foundation will provide information about registration in due course.

 

For further information please contact: Marje Reimund, Coordinator, Lifelong Learning Unit / Telephone:  659 9063 / E-mail: marje.reimund@meis.ee

 

 

 

In October the Integration Foundation will be launching the “Debate of nationalities – a more successful Estonia!” project competition.

 

The competition is designed to develop dialogue between citizens of the European Union and third-country nationals residing in the European Union (including Estonian residents with undetermined citizenship) on important social issues.

 

The competition will support public debates designed for citizens of the European Union and third-country nationals residing in Estonia. Applications for support can be submitted by non-profit organisations and foundations operating in the public interest.

 

The competition is being financed from the budgetary resources of the Ministry of Culture (25%) and the European Fund for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals (75%) on the basis of the implementation plan of the Estonian Integration Programme 2008–2013.

 

For further information please contact: Kersti Peterson, Coordinator, Civic Education Unit / Telephone:  659 9034 / E-mail: kersti.peterson@meis.ee