Programs

Scholarships

Each year, FFN awards funds for academic scholarships for post-secondary education, and a unique scholarship opportunity for law students in the U.S. and Finland.

P.J.C. Lindfors Law Scholarships

Finnish-American attorney Pertti Lindfors established an annual scholarship fund to encourage cross-cultural study and understanding by law students in Finland and the United States.

Grants

Each year, Finlandia Foundation National awards funds to projects related to Finnish-American and Finnish history, heritage, preservation, research, arts, culture and more.

National Sauna Week

Finlandia Foundation National has declared the last week in February “National Sauna Week” to build awareness and appreciation of this aspect of Finnish and Finnish-American culture.

Performer of the Year

Ida Metsberg is the 2023 Performer of the Year (POY). Finlandia Foundation National launched the POY program in 1996 to assist undiscovered artists and gain exposure for entertaining programs related to Finnish and Finnish-American culture.

Lecturer of the Year

Suzanne Matson is the 2023 Lecturer of the Year (LOY). Finlandia Foundation National launched the LOY program in 2006 to share topics of interest related to Finnish and Finnish-American culture.

(NEW!) Artist of the Year

Finland is internationally recognized for its contributions to the arts and design fields, and that extends to Finnish and Finnish-American designers in the United States. Eric Aho is the inaugural Finlandia Foundation National Artist of the Year.

Soiva Music Camp & Sibelius Academy

FFN hosts a very special opportunity for young people ages 8 to 16 attending FinnFest USA in Duluth, July 2023. Sibelius Academy students will lead a free workshop, “Making Music with Our Bodies” on Friday, July 28 and Saturday, July 29.

“Making Music with Our Bodies” workshops draw from the practices of global pedagogy, which is an immersive way of music making and experiencing music.

In addition, there will be a workshop on the same theme for music and theater instructors on Sunday, July 30. Music and theater students at the college level are also welcome to attend the free session.

Leading the workshops are Sibelius Academy students Artur Uronen and Kata Vuoristo. For their bios and details on the programs click:

NOTE: The annual Soiva summer music camp for American and Finnish students was disrupted due to COVID-19. We plan to resume the international camp in the near future. Please watch for the announcement!

Salolampi Finnish Language Village

Finlandia Foundation, believing that it is important for the Finnish language to continue to be spoken, offers financial support for young people to attend this cultural experience near Bemidji, Minnesota.

Welcome to Finnposium

Embracing the transformative power of the internet, Finlandia Foundation National is excited to bring you a variety of online presentations related to Finland and Finnish culture in the United States.

In Conversation

In this YouTube program, Finlandia Foundation hosts get Finnish and Finnish-American individuals from a variety of fields and areas of interest to talk about their fascinating work and lives.

My American Dream

In this program, Michel Wendell interviews Finnish and Finnish-American entrepreneurs who share their stories as they follow their dreams and paths to success in the United States.

Finnding America

Finlandia Foundation is a proud sponsor of “Finnding America,” a documentary series about Santi “Fox” Hynönen’s quest to learn and share the stories of Finnish-Americans across the U.S.

Oral History Project

The Finlandia Foundation National History Committee is developing an Oral History Program to assist chapters in collecting and preserving Finnish-American stories and experiences for future generations.