International House Lahti annually distributes operational grants to associations in Lahti that work with immigrants. Our primary aim is to support the teaching and learning of the Finnish language, though projects related to the preservation of native languages and cultures are also eligible for funding. Grants are applied for annually, and decisions regarding allocations are made within the city administration.
Registered associations actively operating in Lahti and working with immigrants and foreign-language speakers may apply for funding. We emphasise good governance and continuity. Such associations include various cultural associations representing different languages, organisations focused on teaching Finnish, and groups promoting employment opportunities for immigrants.
We met with representatives of associations that have received grants and discussed the application process for 2025, the reporting requirements for the use of 2024 grants, and general updates. It was a pleasure to hear how Lempeä teatteri performances are usually sold out and how they are planning their own poetry event. We also learned how the Luetaan yhdessä network reaches a large number of enthusiastic Finnish language learners and how the books purchased with our funding support their learning.
The 2025 operational grants will be available for application in early summer. We will provide more information when the time comes.
In the photo, participants of the meeting:
• Juha Valta, International House Lahti
• Eeva Honkasalo, Luetaan yhdessä
• Mirjami Tiainen, Luetaan yhdessä
• Irina Medovnikova, Lempeä teatteri
• Maksim Gladostuk, Lahden Ukrainan ystävät ry.
• Svetlana Elyakina, Lempeä Teatteri
• Evgenia Lazarenko, International House Lahti