Step up - cross border city in action by South-East Finland - Russia CBC Programmes

STEP UP – CROSS BORDER CITY IN ACTION A cross border project implemented by Lappeenranta, Imatra, Vyborg region, Svetogorsk, Admiraliteiskiy okrug, EKLU, HUMAK and Finnish-Russian School of Eastern Finland 21.5.2011 – 20.5.2014 www.crossbordercity.com

The project is co-founded by the European Union, the Russian Federation and the Republic of Finland

Action group Education Action group Education has continued the co-operation of schools, teachers, pupils and kindergarten by conducting common activities. Practical contacts with Finnish and Russian education specialists have given good experiences for daily work and have supported at the same time the establishing of the network of large group of people. All kind of topics inside the education co-operation programme have founded also new steps on the field of pedagogical issues where will be used all strengths of Russian and Finnish methods. Seminars and workshops have also supported language skills for people which will be used in future co-operation. The co-operation of education field has founded new partners and common people to people co-operation.

Action group Culture Action group Culture has supported the local culture network at project area. Culture actors have been familiarized to working methods and shared good practices at their own seminars and workshops. Culture specialists have learnt to build international co-operation and founded new way to make marketing across the border. Culture activities have founded their stronger position in the field of cross border city co-operation. Cross border city culture actors have supported to set up the common event calendar with useful and actual information which is made public by means of the common calendar for all culture lovers. Step up culture activities have supported all actors to make stronger co-operation with another culture actors and local activities have founded new participants from local area. Common culture activities have strengthened the attraction of our cross border area.

Action group Sport Action group Sport has supported co-operation of local sport actors on the field of sport exchange and physical education. Sport exchange has given opportunities for 22 sport disciplines representatives to meet together and make new steps in the field of international co-operation. Common sport team took part in Baltic Sea Youth Games in Vyborg 2013. In the field of physical education there have been organized seminars on healthy sport and co-operation of the coaches. Exchange of information and experiences has developed know-how of sport actors on both side of the border and given new possibilities to wellness of the people.

Action group Youth Policy Action group Youth Policy has opened co-operation with local youth councils and students organizations. Meetings, discussions and events have given good start to network of future decision makers. Co-operation has given good examples to youth hearing and participation of youth in taking their own life decisions. Co-operation with youth councils has resulted into commin interesting events in the field of tolerance, environmental and new discussion of the youth. Students contacts and co-operation have opened new discussion where have been founded real solutions for future in the field of students and future businessmen and society members. Network has founded new ideas for future, for example FinnishRussian youth Assembly.

City of Lappeenranta City of Lappeenranta has been the lead partner of the Step Up project. Lappeenranta has had long term fruitful co-operation in the field of cross border co-operation and connections with all actors. Lappeenranta has got good support from all partners and participants and has taken care of administration services of project. All action groups have founded successful network with Lappeenranta adminisration departments and another actors from Lappeenranta area. Contacts: City administration: Krista Huovila, krista.huovila@lappeenranta.fi Education: Tuija Willberg, tuija.willberg@lappeenranta.fi Culture: Päivi-Linnea Pötry: paivi-linnea.potry@lappeenranta.fi Sport: Ilkka Oksman, ilkka.oksman@lappeenranta.fi Youth Policy: Kimmo Hölkki, kimmo.holkki@lappeenranta.fi

City of Imatra City of Imatra has been leading the co-operation of Step Up education project. By long term co-operation and experiences Imatra has supported project activities and partners in a successful way. Imatra has also managed to find new actors and new activities to all participants in the field of education. At the same time Imatra has taken part in other action groups’ co-operation. Imatra with good co-operation and effective planning has given nice flow to all partners at all activities of municipalities and NGO-actors. Contacts: City administration: Heikki Laine, heikki.laine@imatra.fi Education: Tuula Salovuori, tuula.salovuori@imatra.fi Culture: Ulla Särkinen, ulla.sarkinen@imatra.fi Sport: Teijo Kytösalmi, teijo.kytosalmi@imatra.fi Youth Policy: Karina Mankki, karina.mankki@imatra.fi

Vyborg Region Vyborg Region is the big and experienced partner for all cross border city actors in our area. Active organization for many Step Up project events has familiarized another partners to Vyborg city as the centre of Vyborg Region. All action groups have taken part in activities in Vyborg and contacts have been shared to all actors. Special attention for Vyborg has been given at summer 2013 when Vyborg hosted international sport and culture event of youth - Baltic Sea Youth Games. Contacts: City administration: Vladimir Vasiljev, Vladimir.Vasilyev@vbgregion.ru Education: Elena Omutova, dovyborg@mail.ru Culture: Galina Tsvetkova, agon3 agon3@mail.ru Sport: Irina Shertsneva, sherstneva1@mail.ru Youth Policy: Dimitry Babenko, babenkoda@gmail.com

City of Svetogorsk City of Svetogorsk has taken part in all Step Up action lines and hosted many good seminars and project activities. By long term co-operation people of Svetogorsk have given lot of opportunities for future to every actor in the field of cross border area. Position of Svetogorsk City is perfect to future co-operation. Contacts: City administration: Lubov Sergeeva, slyuba2@mail.ru

Admiraliteskiy okrug Admiraliteskiy okrug from St.Petersburg has continued cooperation with South Karelia in the field of education and youth policy. Contacts have included nice hosted events in St.Peterburg and participation in other events in Finland. The space of metropolitan activities and life style have opened new way of thinking for all connected partners. Contacts: City Administration: Zinaida Dimitrieva, zinaida.dmitrieva@gmail.com

EKLU (South Karelian Sport Association) EKLU (South Karelian Sport Association) has hosted Step Up Sport seminars and it is the right contact for all needs and invitations in the field of sport co-operation. All information and contacts for sport clubs and healthy sport specialists can be founded there. Contacts: Reijo Rinkinen, reijo.rinkinen@eklu.fi

HUMAK (University of Applied Sciences, Imatra) HUMAK (University of Applied Sciences, Imatra) has hosted and leaded Step Up culture activities. They have made useful and practical seminars for all partners and managed to find new actors to cross border city culture activities. HUMAK has good contacts to all cultural actors in South Karelia and they will help you to find culture partners in another parts of Finland as well. Contacts: Juha Iso-aho, juha.iso-aho@humak.fi

Finnish-Russia School of Eastern Finland Finnish-Russia School of Eastern Finland is the special actor for Finnish – Russian school contacts. Schools in Lappeenranta and Imatra have connected with Russian schools and given good practices to all education actors in the field of cross border co-operation. Finnish-Russian schools have managed to develop very active flow to Russian language studying in South Karelia. Contacts: Petri Kyyrä, petri.kyyra@itasuomenkoulu.fi

Step Up – Cross Border City in Action Step Up – Cross Border City in Action wants to thank all partners, actors, clubs, associations, schools, kinder gardens, companies, universities, South Karelian Council and especially individual persons who have taken part in our activities. All our activities have been built by you and only for you. This network which has been foundation for cross border city co-operation, answers the needs of people who are open and ready to co-operation and development and there are hundreds of members. We hope that this experiences what we managed to do together, will help us to go on for the development of future possibilities and solving the challenges in the field of cross border co-operation. We trust that we have now good start and intention to continue because of the impact of everybody. Let´s do it together also in future!

Information of coming projects and supporting of cross border co-operation Regional Council of South Karelia Address:

ETELÄ-KARJALAN LIITTO Kauppakatu 40 D, 53100 Lappeenranta

Website:

http://www.southeastfinrusnpi.fi/fi/

Contacts: Päivi Ilves, Programme director paivi.ilves@ekarjala.fi

The project is co-founded by the European Union, the Russian Federation and the Republic of Finland