1. ADULT EDUCATION CENTRES IN FINLAND (Civic institutions or workers institutes) about 240 centres are working in every municipality in Finland oldest is Tampereen työväenopisto (workers institute) founded in 1899 c. 650 000 students every year (Finland has some 5,5 m. inhabitants) The Centres promotes cultural and educational equality by offering everyone opportunities for learning civic skills and developing their personality The Centres leading concepts are lifelong and lifewide learning The task is to offer citizens opportunities to develop their general education and vocational skills Bringing learning closer to home is one of the key values

2. VANAJAVESI ADULT EDUCATION CENTRE (VAEC) Vanajaveden Opisto (VOP) www.vanajavedenopisto.fi VAEC is founded in 1.1.2000. There used to be 4 adult education centres in the area before. The oldest of them was in Hämeenlinna, founded 1927. VAEC is jointly owned by eight local communities in the district of Hämeenlinna. There are some 90 000 inhabitants in the district, some 13 % of them take advantage of the lessons offered by the VAEC. (Hämeenlinna has about 48 000 inhabitants).

3. THE VALUES AND LEADING PRINCIPLES equality in culture and society humanism personal fulfilment social integration and cohesion

4. SERVICES adult education courses and programs for all those who want to come to study on one´s own initiative the education of children and young people in arts and practical skills in- service education made by order projects for developing the services financed by e.g. EU or the minister of education international activity: courses, international teachers, projects

5. COURSES Over 1000 courses in a year and about 40 000 lessons in a year. Courses study: once or twice a week in the evenings daytime courses weekend courses short courses (about 1-5 studyevenings or days), e-learning possibilities (languages, information technology, arts, handicrafts etc.) we are running about 15 elearning courses in the school year 2007-2008

6. SUBJECTS arts and crafts (music, visual arts, handicrafts, drama and literature) languages information technology mixed subjects health and fysical training

7. MAIN SUBJECTS handicraft 20 % music 15 % languages 15 % visual arts 13 % health and fysical training 10 % information technology 7 % dance courses 7 % social subjects, lectures etc.

8. ARTS AND CRAFTS handicrafts, visual art, sculpture, literature, music, dance, drama, creative writing 2-3 -year ambition programs teaching of arts to adults: visual arts (3 year) dance (2 year) music (singing, 2 year) the school of arts for children (6-16 year old) teaching for children in some local in music, dance and crafts

9. OPEN UNIVERSITY courses in social and educational subjects, visual arts, music in co-operation with various universities and especially with the Summer University of Häme courses lead to valid university degrees mostly taught through a 'multiform system': students make up their own programme of study according to what they need, sometime partly e-leaning

10. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY a wide range of courses in basic and complementary computer use and dataprocessing some 600 tests for the computer driving licences yearly (@-, A- and AB licences) further training for the teachers of other schools and for peerinstructors in-service education made by order

11. LANGUAGES 14 different languages at elementary, intermediate and advanced level preparatory courses lead to international certificates in english in co-operation with senior high school courses in French, Italian, Russian and Spanish in-service education made by order

12. MIXED SUBJECTS interactive studies 'everyman's skills foreign cultures the civic skills health and fysical training open lectures

13. THE EDUCATION OF CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE IN ARTS AND PRACTICAL SKILLS The School of Visual Arts for Children and Young People about 200 students, aged between 5 and 16 years. We implement the curriculum in basic art education. Ballet and dance groups About 150 pupils make up the children's ballet and dance groups Music groups: 100 musicians and singers The School of Textiles and Handicrafts for Children in Hattula: 30 children

14. STAFF The Adult Education Centre employs On permanent basis principal assistant principal education and project manager 11 departmental head teachers office manager 6 secretaries 1 caretakers On temporary basis 300 teachers and lecturers yearly

15. PREMISES the central Vaec building is situated in Hämeenlinna, Verkatehdas (offices and 11 classrooms) regional offices in Hattula, Janakkala and Lammi lessons are held in about 130 locations in the area (mainly schools)

16. FINANCIAL RESOURCES The funding The Ministry of Education finances 47 % Course fees 22 % The local communities 16 % The income of training service and project funding 15 % The budget in 2006 2 600 000

17. COURSE FEES The fees vary between 23-195 depending on the length of the courses and the expenses of the courses. e.g. languages, 50 lessons 50 computer driving licence, start course and the tests170 art courses, 80 lessons 70 textile handicraft courses, 75 lessons 70-90 technical handicrafts, 100 lessons 115 visual art, 3-year program, 200 lessons/year 220 / year dance, 2-year program, 300 lessons/year 300 / year The School of Visual Arts for Children and Young, 72 lessons 106 / year

18. VERKATEHDAS (previous textile factory) is in the centre of Hämeenlinna

20. LOCAL RADIO HÄME is in Verkatehdas

21. THE CULTURE CENTRUM FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE (ARX) is in Verkatehdas

22. HÄMEENLINNA ART MUSEUM is in Verkatehdas

23. old VERKATEHDAS VAEC´s old premises in Verkatehdas (1-2 floor) New music and congress hall has been built in the backyard

24. old VERKATEHDAS VAEC´s old premises from the south, 1-2 floor

25. old VERKATEHDAS our future premises will be on the 3 th floor

26. VERKATEHDAS, Arts&Congress Centre ~ the sketch of the architect at the planning stage in 2005

27. new VERKATEHDAS

28. new VERKATEHDAS the rusty steel covered box-like new building in the background is the new music and congress hall

29. new VERKATEHDAS

31. new VERKATEHDAS, glass-covered inner room the music and congress hall is on the right

32. Our temporary premises in Hämeenlinna 2005-2007