SanaSkaba – Finnish Language Competition, Autumn 2025

An inspiring new pilot for international talents

Are you an international talent living in North Savo who wants to improve your Finnish skills while also having fun?
In Kuopio, a new initiative is being piloted to encourage international residents in North Savo to network and study Finnish in an engaging way. The event aims to inspire daily use of the Finnish language, support integration, and boost the confidence to speak Finnish.

Join SanaSkaba, organized by Talent First, Kuhoga Insights, and Maira Asif! Register here.

Who can participate?

The competition is open to all international residents living in the North Savo region. Those who have lived in Finland for more than two years must demonstrate that they have studied Finnish within the past two years.

The semi-final and final are also open to the public – save the date and come cheer for the future Finnish speakers!

Schedule:

  • 18–29 August 2025: Registration and submission of application videos. In the video, applicants freely talk about one of the given topics ((Minun tarinani Suomessa, Lempipaikkani kaupungissa, Kulttuurierot ja kokemukseni, Päivä elämässäni or Unelmani ja tavoitteeni)). The video length should be 3–5 minutes. See detailed instructions and topics here.
  • 25 September 2025, 15:00–18:00: Semi-final / Snellmania lobby. 20 contestants selected from the video round will give a short speech (max. 5 minutes) on a given topic.
  • 6 October 2025, 15:00–19:00: Final / Kuopio City Hall Banquet Hall. 10 contestants will compete for the Sanaskaba victory.
    At all stages, a jury will score the performances according to pre-agreed criteria. In addition to language fluency, the evaluation will emphasize creativity, originality, and the ability to fully engage with the topic. See the evaluation criteria here.

Prizes:

All participants will receive a prize, and the winners will compete for the following awards:
1st place: €500
2nd place: €300
3rd place: €100
All other finalists: €50 each.

Registration:

Register for the competition by 29 August here.

Want to get involved in organizing?

Sanaskaba is an event built together! Would you like to join as a partner or a volunteer? We need people to help with event arrangements, jury work, marketing, and more.
Register as a volunteer here. If you are interested in joining as a partner, please get in touch – contact information below.

Organizers and partners

The main organizer/producer of Sanaskaba is Talent First, in collaboration with Kuhoga Insights and Maira Asif.
Confirmed partners: Talent Hub Eastern Finland, Vamos Kuopio, Sudipta Chatterjee, and Anastasiia Pietikäinen. More partners will be announced during the autumn.

More information & inquiries:

Email: sanaskaba2025@gmail.com; ezekiel_kuhoga@outlook.com; henna.halmetvaara@kuopio.fi
Phone: Ezekiel Kuhoga: +358 41 757 8763, Henna Halmetvaara: +358 44 718 2076