Country Office Estonia

Who we are and what we do

The Estonian country office of DBJW works diligently to promote cultural and social exchange between Germany, Latvia and Lithuania, with the German language being our common denominator. We organize our unique monthly event "Digi Breakfast", which combines a delicious breakfast with interesting lectures from people from very different backgrounds. The word "Digi" means that participants can join the event via Zoom, no matter where they are. We also work with the Erasmus+ program to support them in implementing their projects.

Kirsti Sinivee

Head

Hi! My name is Kirsti, and I currently lead the DBJW country office in Estonia. I hold a degree in German Philology from the University of Tartu and have spent many years working in the field of education. Over time, I’ve gained extensive experience with Erasmus projects and international cooperation, which continues to shape my work today. At DBJW, I initiated the Erasmus Solidarity Project "Socialising Unites Us!", which was dedicated to providing meaningful leisure activities for Ukrainian youth. I am passionate about working with young people and for young people — and that’s exactly why I’m proud to be part of DBJW!

k.sinivee.dbjw@deutsch-balten.de

Katrin Deren

Deputy Head

Hi, my name is Katrin. I teach German in rural schools in Estonia and am passionate about opening doors for young people through language and culture. I believe learning German connects students to new opportunities, and I enjoy creating projects and events that bring the language to life in our community.

k.deren.dbjw@deutsch-balten.de

Karin Kõiv

Employee

Hi, my name is Karin. I have a bachelor's degree in germanistics and am a germanistics master's student at the University of Tartu. Living in one of the Baltic countries and attaining higher education in germanistics has grown my interest in the international and Baltic-German landscapes as well as it's history. I am excited to not only learn more about it, but also play a role in giving like-minded young people the opportunity to as well.

k.koeiv.dbjw@deutsch-balten.de

Our projects & events

solidarity project ‘Socialising Unites Us!’ received funding! The feedback from the evaluators and the Estonian National Agency on our application was very positive: ‘The aim of the project is excellent, very noble, and a successful project will better integrate the young people involved in Ukraine into society. As a first-time applicant, the project is very well elaborated.

What is this project about? The project enables Ukrainians living in Estonia to feel better integrated into Estonian society. For 9 months (August 2024-April 2025) we want to offer leisure activities once a month for young Ukrainians to make new acquaintances, make friends, learn/practise Estonian and English and get to know Estonia and its culture.

Our goals:

Gain experience in project management in the core project group

The project team has the opportunity to realise its ideas
The youth group will plan and implement the project and analyse the results.
The project team plans the project and implements it
The project team gains important professional experience as individuals and as a team (each member has their own area of responsibility).
The members of the youth group get to know and understand different cultures (Ukrainian, Russian, Estonian).
The participants of the project team are motivated by the results achieved, new experiences in project management, new acquaintances and contacts. The DBJW also motivates the young people by giving the team the opportunity to continue taking part in other DBJW events in the Baltic states and in Germany.

Better involvement of young Ukrainians into the local community and society

The young Ukrainians take part in the project together with their Ukrainian compatriots and young people of other nationalities, which leads to mutual understanding and tolerance between the young people.

About the project team:

The project team consists of five young people from Tallinna Saksa Gümnaasium (Hannes Tamm, Jeteli Kaasik, Lauren Lee Kurvits) and the Estonian Academy of Arts (Marianne Lapin and Kert Väljak). They planned and wrote the application together with the head of the Estonian national office, Kirsti Sinivee, who is also the coach of this project.

Event overview:

19 November 2024: Museum visit

06 December 2024: Christmas event

15 January 2025: Winter sports event

08 February 2025: Escape room

13 March 2025: Cooking event

05 April 2025: Tartu Event

Details and registration opportunities will be announced a few weeks before each event! If you are interested or have any suggestions, you are welcome to contact us in advance!