About us

We are the Educational Initiatives Center ry for different groups of people living in Finland, who can use Russian, English or one of Finno-Ugric languages. 

Our mission is to find and develop educational initiatives for the social well-being of the different groups in Finnish society.

Our members are teachers, psychologists, students, job seekers, pensioners, Finno-Ugric activists and other volunteers. Some of us are migrants in Finland, others are Finnish citizens by birth. 

Our goals: 

generating and supporting educational initiatives to improve the skills of immigrants in Finland who already have a pedagogical or other social education and work experience before moving and who can speak English, or Russian, or one of the Finno-Ugric languages (Finnish, Estonian, Karelian, Udmurt, Komi, Mari, etc.);

supporting educational initiatives for better integration of immigrant children and youth in Finland.

The first group for whom we work are migrants in Finland who had a teachers' or other social profession before moving: teachers, educators, social workers, coaches, psychologists, nurses, etc. Many of us were educators in different countries (for example, we had education and work experience in Russian in the USSR or in the republics after its collapse: Udmurtia, Estonia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, etc.), and then moved to Finland. Therefore, we know how to go through the paths of professional recognition of foreigners in Finland.

We help educators go through the path of professional adaptation in a new country, mastering pedagogical Finnish and getting a job in the field of education in Finland. 

Join us if you want to become a teacher in Finland or if you are ready to help newly arrived migrants get a job in the field of education!

We also invite Russian-speaking educators and other professionals who want to have professional development and personal growth in Finland as well as get mental support and reflection in Russian to become our members! 

The third group for whom we work are migrants who moved to Finland recently or many years ago and who want to be more integrated into Finnish society, who want to find new friends and activities in the new country.

We invite students, professionals, job seekers, volunteers who want to learn how the latest methods help migrants integrate in Finland or who want to better integrate into Finnish society to become our members!

We started using LEGO methodology and tools to organize communication between migrants and locals, for intercultural adaptation and integration of migrants into new societies.

We are currently creating the project “It’s Time to Talk”  for moved to Finland from other countries unemployed people who are looking for work in the education sector in the city of Helsinki (teachers, social workers, psychologists, trainers and other helping professionals). We seek to complement the existing training system of preparing them to work in schools and kindergartens and we have plans to support them during their first teaching practice in various educational institutions in Helsinki.

Association of Russian-speaking educators in Finland

We have the “Association of Russian-speaking educators in Finland” for teachers, assistants, school administrations, kindergarten employees, social workers, job seekers, etc. about professional development and personal growth, about new pedagogical methods and tools, include to support and reflection (Balint groups).