Ivi Lindau - 2019 EFC Scholarship Recipient

Ivi Lindau is one of 7 exceptional Canadian-Estonian youth to be granted a 2019 EFC Scholarship. Ivi is in the second and final year of her Master of Social Work at the University of Toronto, where her interests include child welfare, community violence, youth gang involvement and the impact of trauma on children. Ivi previously completed a Bachelor of Child and Youth Care. Growing up in the Estonian community in Toronto, Ivi attended TES Kindergarten and went to Laulupidu with the Estonian School Choir. She will use the EFC scholarship to help support herself while completing her degree.

On being Estonian:

“The Indigenous community in Canada forcefully lost their land, language and culture. To this day, many are disconnected from their culture and unsure of their roots. This is the driving force of the bigger issues that continue to negatively impact Indigenous communities today. Learning about their loss and struggles made me reflect on how important being Estonian has been to me. Who would I have been without Lasteaed to teach me Estonian? Or without the Toronto Eesti Koolikoor to organize a trip to Eesti so I could feel the emotion of the audience as we sang ‘Mu Isamaa on Minu Arm’ at Laulupidu? I developed a strong sense of identity and pride as I heard stories of my ancestors, ate smoked fish with rye bread, braided Kringel with my vanaema and wore my ema’s old rahvariided…I know that no matter what happens in my life I can lean into my Estonian roots to get me through.”

On the role of EFC:

“The Estonian Foundation of Canada tree logo is a perfect representation of its importance to the community. The roots are our ancestors and those people who currently live in Eesti. The Canadian-Estonian community is the branches, we continue to grow and become further away from our roots. The Estonian Foundation of Canada is the tree trunk that keeps us connected to our history or roots, but also is the pathway for new relationships or partnerships to grow between Canada and Estonia. Without that strong body our community would not flourish as it does today.”


Thanks to the generosity of our donors, Estonian Foundation of Canada has granted over 130 scholarships to Canadian-Estonian youth since 2003. See www.estonianfoundation.ca for details on eligibility and application dates or to make a donation to help support youth in our community.

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The Estonian Foundation of Canada is a registered charity that supports Estonian cultural and heritage initiatives across Canada.

Charitable No. 891452575 RR 0001

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