New project to support immigrant families and schools – Kuopio receives over €300 000 in EU funding

The integration of immigrant families and the educational success of their children are key to the future of society as a whole. Now, the Setlementti Puijola Growing Together project is being started in Kuopio to bring a new kind of support to families with an immigrant background and to schools in Kuopio. The project will last two and a half years and will be funded with €337 000, the majority of which will come from the European Union’s AMIF fund. AMIF is the EU’s asylum, migration and integration fund. The project is implemented in cooperation with the City of Kuopio’s Growth and Learning Service Area.

• Cooperation between families and schools is key to children’s well-being and learning. Many immigrant parents are unfamiliar with the Finnish education system, which can make it difficult for their children to attend school. We want to change this,” says Kirsi Soininen, Development Specialist at Setlementti Puijola.

In Kuopio, the number of foreign-language pupils has grown rapidly in recent years. At the same time, schools and family services in the welfare area have recognised the need for better cooperation with immigrant families. The Growing Together project responds to this challenge by creating a new operating model that supports families and schools and increases participation.

City of Kuopio has recognized the need for activities to promote the integration of immigrant families in basic education. In the family club, families who have just immigrated to Finland receive information on school and parenting issues, and get to know the various services offered by our city,” says Alexandra Vikeväinen, coordinator of language and cultural groups in Kuopio’s basic education.

Family clubs and community advisors as bridge-builders

The project will place a community advisor in schools in Kuopio to act as a bridge between families, schools and welfare services. He or she will help parents with issues such as using Wilma, the transition to secondary school and, if necessary, guide families to the right support services.

The project also organises family clubs where migrant families can get support for parenting, information about the education system, as well as peer support and expert guidance. At the same time, children will be able to strengthen their social relationships.

Prevention of bullying and racism

Hanke ei keskity vain kotoutumiseen, vaan sen tavoitteena on myös torjua kouluissa esiintyvää syrjintää ja rasismia. Moni maahanmuuttajataustainen lapsi kokee koulussa ulkopuolisuutta, mikä vaikuttaa heidän hyvinvointiinsa ja oppimismotivaatioonsa.

– On tärkeää, että kaikki lapset tuntevat kuuluvansa kouluyhteisöön. Yhteisöohjaajan läsnäolo ja perheiden tiiviimpi osallistuminen voivat vähentää yksinäisyyttä ja lisätä yhteenkuuluvuutta kouluympäristössä. ”Ketään ei jätetä” on myös YK:n Agenda 2030 keskeinen tavoite, Soininen sanoo.

Towards a permanent model

The aim is to integrate the results of the project into Kuopio’s basic education and welfare area activities, so that cooperation between families and schools and better integration of immigrants will continue after the end of the project.

A control group initiated by the project, which includes a comprehensive representation of actors from the City of Kuopio’s Growth and Learning service area, the welfare area’s family services, Kuopio Parents’ Association and a representative of the project’s target group, will be responsible for rooting the results.