The Daugavpils University Society for Lifelong Learning, Culture and Science Communication “Park of Intellect” has participated in the competition organized by the Latvian state budget-funded program “Cultural Orientation Courses and Integration Activities for Ukrainian Civilians” and received financial support for the project “STRONG TOGETHER – 4. СИЛЬНІ РАЗОМ – 4”, ID No. 2025.LV/UKR_KO/018/L28.
The general aim of the project is to provide cultural orientation courses and activities in cooperation with two Latvian cultural institutions, thereby fostering collaboration between Ukrainian civilians and Latvian society.
The specific aim of the project is to strengthen Ukrainian civilians’ awareness of Latvia’s history, culture, and society, as well as to promote their integration into Latvian society and cooperation with the host community through cultural orientation courses and other socialization and cooperation activities,
Target group – 330 Ukrainian civilians and 86 representatives of the host community.
Implementation locations – Daugavpils, Augšdaugava Municipality, Krāslava Municipality, Preiļi Municipality, Rīga, Jūrmala (for in-person activities); all of Latvia (for online activities).
Implementation period – 01.05.2025 – 31.12.2025.
Project budget – EUR 100,000.
Project manager – Maija Burima.
Activities and results
The knowledge acquired in the cultural orientation courses organized within the project will help Ukrainian civilians better understand Latvia’s statehood, society, and employment opportunities. It will also provide impulses for the transfer of acquired knowledge, thus fostering the target group’s adaptation to Latvian society. The cultural orientation course module “Latvia’s History and the Values of the Latvian Cultural Canon” will be implemented by the project partner – the cultural institution Rainis House in Berķenele. The cultural orientation courses will be implemented in face-to-face, online, and hybrid formats.
The integration event “STRONG TOGETHER” will shape Ukrainian civilians’ awareness of Latvia’s social processes, values, and communication models. Through practical activities during masterclasses, new frameworks and networks of cooperation between Latvian and Ukrainian civilians will be developed, successful small business practices will be shared, and the potential for entrepreneurial initiatives will be identified. The participants of the entrepreneurship initiative hackathon “Promoting Leadership and Cooperation between Ukrainian Civilians and Representatives of Latvian Society” will strengthen their cooperation and leadership skills and develop original business ideas while assessing opportunities to integrate into Latvia’s entrepreneurial landscape. During the implementation of the activities “Poetry Days in Berķenele – 2025” and “Poetry Days at the Writers’ House in Dubulti”, in cooperation with the project partners – two cultural institutions, the Latvian Writers’ Union and Rainis House in Berķenele, closer links will be fostered between Ukrainian civilians and the host community. These activities will enhance the target group’s awareness of Latvia’s cultural values, literary canon, and the role of texts in successful cultural communication, while also developing Ukrainian civilians’ communication and creative skills. Within the framework of the interaction “From Technology to Creativity is Just One Step”, the participants will become acquainted with the emotional expression and stylistic devices of poetic texts, learn about the channels of text circulation in Latvia, and gain awareness of the importance of creative writing in trauma therapy. Through the activity “Under One Sun: Exploring Summer Solstice Traditions”, implemented in cooperation with Rainis House in Berķenele, the integration of Ukrainian civilians into Latvian society will be promoted. The participants will broaden their awareness of the potential of creative industries, as well as of national ethnography, folklore, mythology, and summer solstice traditions.
The project is financially supported by the Society Integration Foundation from the resources allocated by the Latvian state budget.
The content of the project activities is the responsibility of the Daugavpils University Society for Lifelong Learning, Culture and Science Communication “Park of Intellect.”
