Press release: The Estonian American National Council Announces Recipients of Travel Stipend for Students Attending International Summer School in Estonia

(For release July 2, 2024) The Estonian American National Council (EANC) – Eesti Rahvuskomitee Ühendriikides (ERKÜ) is pleased to announce the recipients of a new EANC grant in the form of a travel stipend for attendance at the Estonian Institute of Historical Memory’s (EIHM – Eesti Mälu Instituut) Summer School 2024 – The Fateful Year of 1944.  

To introduce the grant, EANC President Mai-Liis Bartling stated: “EANC is continually looking for new and effective ways to keep Estonian American youth connected with their roots and well-versed in Estonian interests and history.” She remarked: “In 2024 we mark 80 years since the momentous historical events and impossible choices that ultimately affected all Estonians, and sadly we see similar events occurring in the world again today. In the context of both history and modern day, it is important to recall and raise awareness about The Mass Flight of 1944.”

„We are glad to have this opportunity to support the travel of these five impressive young Estonian Americans to participate in this important endeavor and look forward to learning more about their experiences and the knowledge they have gained,“ Bartling said.

The EANC Youth Committee has decided to award travel stipends to Katherine Hubschmidt from Pennsylvania, Allena Kelly from Rhode Island, Maiki Müürsepp from Connecticut, Aurora Soosaar from Pennsylvania, and Karl Oskar Söderlund from Texas. These five students of Estonian heritage living in the United States will head to Estonia for the program that runs from August 4 – 9, 2024. They will join others from around the world to learn about 20^th century Estonian history, including the Mass Flight of 1944 during which a reported ~80,000 Estonians fled their homeland to escape Soviet oppression and persecution. This year marks 80 years since that fateful year.

The course will include visits to the cities of Tallinn, Tartu, and Viljandi, and will be a wonderful experience for students to make new friends and learn about their ancestral home.

“We are humbled and inspired to see our Estonian American youth taking a strong interest in learning more about this critical time in Estonian history that has impacted multiple generations,” said youth committee chair Laine Kingo. “This Summer School opportunity is just the first of what we hope will be one of many new and effective ways in supporting and encouraging Estonian American youth to explore and connect with their Estonian roots, ” she added

The Estonian American National Council encourages all Estonian Americans to help increase awareness of Estonian history and the reasons that led up to the Mass Flight of 1944. For more information about EANC supported and other initiatives commemorating this tragic time in Estonian history, please see our website www.estosite.org .

Contacts:

Estonian American National Council: erku@estosite.org

EANC Youth committee: ERKUnoored@estosite.org

Estonian Institute of Historical Memory: konkurss@mnemosyne.ee