The Russian media holding RIA Novosti was the first participant to be invited to join the European educational project VIA LIGHT, a continuation of the 2010 innovative project LIGHT, which sought to create a basic model of bilingual pre-school and school education in Europe for children of immigrants, including those from Russia and other CIS countries. According to recent data, there are about 25 million people with foreign roots living in the European Union. The EU’s leading bodies believe that the successful integration of immigrants into the societies of EU countries, while allowing them to preserve their national heritage, promotes social, educational and economic development in Europe. The EU has supported both projects to promote multilingual education of children born to immigrant parents.

VIA LIGHT is the second phase of the European educational project for the professional training of teachers of bilingual children and the elaboration of training modules for their professional development. According to Marina Burd (Germany), the head of the VIA LIGHT project, the training courses are based on European-wide theoretical approaches that are employed in practice with due consideration of regional differences. “The project provides for the use of both traditional education methods and online classes for the training of specialists in various regions by experts from partner countries,” she said.

Apart from RIA Novosti, various children’s and pedagogical institutions in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Germany, Estonia, Finland, Latvia and Moldova are taking part in VIA LIGHT. Innovative educational modules will be tested and certified in at least three universities, six bilingual schools and 15 kindergartens in the countries participating in the project.

Designed for 2012 and 2013, VIA LIGHT will be officially launched in Tallinn, Estonia in mid January.