Cultural education plan

The aim of the cultural education plan is to provide children and young people in Siilinjärvi with an equal opportunity to get to know the cultural sites of their home town and the surrounding area and to learn cultural skills. The starting point is the local and regional cultural heritage and contents. The cultural education plan also includes links to related websites.

The plan will make the existing cultural content for each year group more visible and easier to access. The aim is to ensure that the pupils´cultural education is systematic and equitable. Cultural education becomes a long-term process in school work, progressing from one grade to the next.

The cultural education plan supports the basic education curriculum in its task of cultural education.

NEW 2026! The municipality of Siilinjärvi has joined the Concert for Every School -system, which is maintained by the Concert Centre. According to the principle in the system, the municipality commits to offering at least one concert annually to every comprehensive school student, varying in music genre.

The first school tour will take place at Siilinjärvi schools from 9 to 13 March 2026, when songwriter, folk musician, multi-instrumentalist and vocal acrobat Tero Pajunen will be our guest. We look forward to this visit!

Materials from the web

Film

School Cinema – Streaming service – A selection of domestic short films and documentaries for schools and municipal cultural services. The School Cinema Streaming Service includes public screening rights with your purchase. Films are subject to a fee. Requires registration.

Film Trail (for primary and secondary school children)
Film Path is the National Audiovisual Institute’s online service for schools, educational institutions, teachers and film educators. It supports film and art education in schools by providing free film samples for educational use. The screenings help to illustrate basic film techniques and open up how audiovisual means can be used to convey emotions and experiences to viewers.

elonet.finna.fi Elonet offers hundreds of domestic films for free viewing for school work and distance learning. The site features key Finnish classics and film adaptations of works by Mika Waltari, Väino Linna and Hella Wuolijoki, among others. Search function.

Yle Arena and Living Archive
Based on an agreement between the Finnish National Board of Education, Kopiosto and APFI, the following channels are authorised to record TV programmes for educational use in education and early childhood education. Domestic television programmes from Yle Arena and the Living Archive can also be shown for educational use. Note! The licence does not apply to films, commercials or foreign continuous series broadcast in cinemas or recordings.

Media

Mediametka website, learning material
The learning material provides ideas and tips for practical media education work and a wide range of perspectives on current media phenomena. The materials are applicable to different age groups, situations and content, from early childhood to adults. Produced by the National Media Education Association; Media Education Centre Metka ry

Media Education Society materials Articles and materials on media education for different ages.

Current news in education! activities related to the hot news of the day.
Published by.

History of Siilinjärvi and the surrounding area

About the prehistory of Siilinjärvi at Pulkka – North Savo Memory. Maintained by Kuopio Museum of Cultural History
Tarinaharju Hospital Museum website, including a virtual tour
Kuopio Museum’s loan and online materials. Published by: Kuopio Museums

Expressive arts

Thank you for being a friend – drama activities help children and young people to develop their interaction and friendship skills and thus prevent bullying situations. The book contains ready-to-use exercises that have been carried out in Kuopio with 5th-8th graders.
Resources for teachers: Thanks to friendship – Handbook for interaction and emotional skills facilitators A. Marin 2017.

Best practices

Library bus “Pikku-Marja”

The library bus operates daily in kindergartens and schools. It reaches practically all children of pre-school and primary school age.

Group dynamics / Expression skills

Group activities to improve the classroom atmosphere and/or prevent potentially harmful group behaviour. Multiple sessions that require the commitment of the teacher. Conducted on request by the school/teacher. Responsible: special youth work in the municipality of Siilinjärvi

Exhibition visits

The Siilinjärvi Main Library has temporary exhibitions throughout the year in the Artsi exhibition space, with free admission. Follow the announcement!

Music

A major school choir event, organised on the initiative of schools when it fits in with their plans. The last Grand Choir event was in 2017.

Musical / Evenings as the school’s own production. Hamula Primary School produced a musical about friendship in 2023 and Toivala Secondary School has produced Evenings in 2023 and 2024.

Performers commissioned by schools themselves, e.g. musicians, theatre performances and other artists.

Annual celebrations

Cooperation with parishes (Easter, Christmas) and cultural activities (e.g. National Veterans Day 27.4., Independence Day 6.12.) Holidays offer good opportunities for meeting e.g. pupils and elderly people.

School food days (e.g. crackers, root vegetables, milk day, festive meals…).

International projects

Erasmus+ and Unesco School projects, which provide schools with a wide range of cultural activities (e.g. clubs, exhibitions, international exchanges)

Campaigns

Newspaper in Education theme weeks

Places to visit and events in Siilinjärvi

• Pöljä Local History Museum and Harjamäki Psychiatric Hospital Museum, 044 740 1318 / kulttuuri@siilinjarvi.fi
• Pöljä stop and Pöljä cultural trail, Pöljä village association
• Sandels monument in Vuorela
• Siilinjärvi Church and Vuorela Church, 017 288 4600 / Siilinjärvi Church
• Vuorela Church, Kuopio Orthodox Church, host: 040 540 1058 / Marja Rissanen
• Siilinjärvi Main Library and art exhibition space Artsi, library car Little-Marja, Vuorela Library
• Siilinjärvi Music Institute monthly concerts, Siilinjärvi Music Institute / Kuopio Conservatory, 050 463 4831 / Mirja Juvonen
• Siilinjärvi railway station and its surroundings
• Pökösenmäki Battery Trail, Ranta-Toivala – maintained by the Uuhimäki Village Committee, the trail circles around the sites of the Finnish War (approx. 5 km), link to Halmejoki nature trail
• Siilifolk Folk Music Festival
• Pikku-Marja Spring and Autumn Events, Siilinjärvi Cultural Office 044 740 1313 / 044 740 1318
• Siilinjärvi municipality events calendar

The page is updated by the Siilinjärvi Cultural Office. Further information: kulttuuri@siilinjarvi.fi