Mikä on WiNK -hanke?

What is WiNK -project?

WiNK – Work in North Karelia is a province-wide development project that aims to support immigrants' integration, learning Finnish, and access to work or education. The project brings together educational institutions, municipalities, the welfare region, organizations, and companies.

Goals
- Develop a network-like operating model that offers comprehensive services to international experts
- Improves the ability of companies to recruit and host international workers
- Strengthens the cooperation and expertise of actors to support integration
Target audience
- Professionals involved in immigration work (e.g. municipalities, educational institutions, organizations)
- Companies and employers in North Karelia
- International students and professionals who want to settle in the region
Implementors
- Main implementor: North-Karelian ELY-center
- Part-implementors::
  - University of Eastern Finland
  - Karelia University of Applied Sciences
  - Riveria
  - Kitee Evangelical Folk High School
  - Lieksa Christian College
Funding and schedule:
- Funding: European Social Fund (ESF+), specific objective 4.1. Pathways to work
- Schedule: 1.1.2025 – 30.6.2027

Follow the WiNK project on social media:
Links to the wink project channels are being added

Sumppi – Language café activities at folk high schools as part of the WiNK project

Sumppi – A Cup of Finland is part of the Kitee and Lieksa folk high schools' own sub-project. Its aim is to increase inclusion, community spirit and practical language skills through language cafes.

Language cafés are organized in different parts of North Karelia in cooperation with, among others, municipal immigrant coordinators, ELO project employees and associations. Folk high schools support local actors in planning, content and guidance.

The activities are carried out both on-site and online, and both immigrants and native Finns are welcome to participate. The goal is to learn Finnish in practical situations, together with others.

Activities also include:

developing self-study materials (e.g. videos and assignments)
online language cafes are organized
Hybrid Finnish language training will be implemented as pilot courses for different target groups, such as housewives, working people and young people
developing pedagogical models that support learning flexibly

This Sumppi website introduces the language café activities and materials of folk high schools – explore, participate and practice Finnish!