Salolampi Finnish Language Village

04/02/2026

Did you know? The Salolampi Foundation offers guaranteed scholarships for Finnish Family Week — no application required.

All you have to do is check the scholarship box during registration to opt in (deadline: April 15). It’s quick, easy, and ensures you receive at least $100 per participant, with the potential for up to $200 if additional funds are available.

Join us for family week this June 15-20!

04/01/2026

March in Minnesota is a season of contrasts — winter lingering just a little longer, but signs of spring beginning to peek through. It’s the perfect time to gather, celebrate, and find joy in community.

In this month’s newsletter, we’re celebrating St. Urho’s Day, a uniquely Finnish-American tradition full of humor and heritage, and taking a closer look at why Finland continues to be named the happiest country in the world. You’ll also find important reminders about upcoming programs, including the final call to register for Salolampi’s Spring Adult Week, a preview of summer 2026, and ways to make camp more accessible through scholarships.

Plus, we’re bringing a taste of the season to your kitchen with a comforting Finnish-American recipe to help carry you into spring.

📖 Read the March newsletter here: https://loom.ly/IYnc_Z0

💌 Want future stories delivered to your inbox? Sign up for the newsletter here: https://loom.ly/RVjE9rA

March in Minnesota is a season of contrasts — winter lingering just a little longer, but signs of spring beginning to peek through. It’s the perfect time to gather, celebrate, and find joy in community.

03/30/2026

At Concordia Language Villages, language isn’t just something you study — it’s something you live. From shared meals to daily traditions, everything is designed to create immersive, cultural experiences that help young people grow into courageous global citizens.

We’re hiring year-round team members who make that mission possible. If you’re looking for a collaborative, purpose-driven role (or know someone who is), we’d love to connect. Please apply or share this post.

Open positions:

✨ Health Services Coordinator: https://loom.ly/qxHuUd4
✨ Associate Program Director: https://loom.ly/TkK__kg
✨ Sous-Chef: https://loom.ly/KR0euTc
✨ HR and Operations Assistant: https://loom.ly/XIBus6Y
✨ Housekeeping: https://loom.ly/HR5OpqM

03/19/2026

Join Tiina and friends at Salolampi adult week this May 11-17! Spend time learning and speaking Finnish, experiencing Finnish culture, and soaking in the sauna. Tervetuloa!

03/16/2026

🇫🇮 Finnish Spring Adult Week at Salolampi | May 11–17 🇫🇮

Ready to spend a week living in Finnish? Join us for Salolampi Spring Adult Week, an immersive experience designed for adult learners who want to deepen their language skills while enjoying Finnish culture in the beautiful northwoods of Minnesota.

During the week, participants will dive into intensive Finnish language learning alongside cultural experiences like traditional food, music, sauna, crafts, and games — all while building friendships with a welcoming community of lifelong learners.

Whether you're continuing your Finnish journey or reconnecting with your heritage, this is a week full of language, laughter, and learning.

💸 Scholarship opportunity: Participants in adult/family sessions are guaranteed at least $100 in scholarship support, with up to $200 available if funds allow. Be sure to opt in during registration by checking the scholarship box.

⏰ Register by March 16 to guarantee the scholarship: https://loom.ly/XygZ_pw

Come experience a week of language, culture, and community. Tervetuloa (welcome)!

03/11/2026

There’s nothing like the sound of birdsong and the musicality of the Finnish language — and they’re best combined at Salolampi!

03/06/2026

"I was never a villager and started on staff after taking Finnish in college, so I had some time to deliberate on a name before deciding. I remember looking through name lists and wanting something that didn’t sound like a name in English and wanting a name with an ä or ö. Once I came across Säde and found out it wasn’t a common name at all at Salolampi, I knew that would be it! Realizing the meaning was “a ray of sunshine” made me love it more, and I could never imagine having a different Finnish name. ☀️"

✍️ Nametag Day may be over, but it's not too late to share your CLV name story! Comment, DM us, or share via this form: https://loom.ly/sJlYF_U

03/05/2026

Happy Nametag Day from Salolampi!

We’ve been inviting villagers and staff to share their Salolampi name stories, and one community member shared:

“I chose the name Alina because it was my grandmother’s middle name. She was the one who introduced me to camp and was my connection to Finnish culture and language. Every year it took no time to feel like my own name.”

At Salolampi, choosing a Finnish name is part of stepping into community. For many villagers, it becomes a piece of their identity that lasts far beyond the summer.

It’s Nametag Day, and it’s not too late to share your story.

🇫🇮 What was your Salolampi name?
🇫🇮 Why did you choose it?
🇫🇮 Do you still use it — or keep your nametag?

Share in the comments — and submit your story here so we can feature you: https://loom.ly/XhtulFo

03/04/2026

"My first year as a villager (1987) was in the era before Salolampi villagers chose their own names! I arrived on a crowded villager bus, and at the customs table, villagers were presented with rectangular wooden tags pre-painted with names chosen before our arrival. Mine read 'Susanna,' in yellow cursive script on a bright red background. I didn't question my new name for a second. All the girls living in my cabin that 2-week session had this same color scheme for their name tags. (The very next summer, villagers could choose their own name and create their own name tag. Was this the case at any other village in the 1980s?)

I've made only 3 or 4 additional Susanna name tags for myself in these last 39 years, and was given a special sauna-inspired woodburned one by a staff member friend. I've been on Salolampi's staff since 1990, working in the summer, at adult weeks, and at the winter family weekends. I keep one Susanna nametag in my car at all times, and display the other ones proudly at home, a daily reminder of Salolampi, my home away from home."

✍️ We’re collecting stories about CLV names and what they’ve meant over time in the lead up to Nametag Day.

Have one to share? We’d love to hear it! Comment, DM us, or share via this form: https://loom.ly/sJlYF_U

02/28/2026

"Oh, the stories this name could tell! My Salolampi name, Linnea, is very near and dear to my heart. Linnea is the name of my Finnish grandfather's sister, who died young. I decided I wanted to carry her namesake forward with me so that some version of 'Linnea' could continue to speak Finnish.

Over the many years I was a camper, and now the many years I have been on staff, the name Linnea went from a torch I chose to bear to a crown I choose to wear. It doesn't just FEEL like me, it IS me! My name gives me joy every morning when I choose my nimilappu (name tag) for the day. Each one reflects a piece of me: a new craft skill I learned, a place I have lived, or a silly conversation starter I can't wait to tell you about.

On the topic of name tags, I have quite a few! I have one name tag for each year that I have been at Salolampi. The ones at the bottom are from my camper years. The middle row are the first set of years I spent as summer staff (plus a name tag a friend made, after knowing me as 'peruna' or 'potato'... if you know, you KNOW!). The top row are the last three years, where I have been both adult week and summer staff.

And yes, the one in the top middle really is a piece of Finnish bread!"

✍️ We’re collecting stories about CLV names and what they’ve meant over time in the lead up to Nametag Day.

Have one to share? We’d love to hear it! Comment, DM us, or share via this form: https://loom.ly/sJlYF_U

02/26/2026

February may still feel wintry, but at Salolampi this season is full of warmth.

In this month’s newsletter, we’re celebrating Ystävänpäivä (Friendship Day), reliving the joy of family weekend, looking ahead to Nametag Day, and heating things up for National Sauna Week — with a once-in-a-lifetime chance to experience sauna in Finland.

📖 Read the February newsletter here: https://mailchi.mp/cord/january-2026-newsletter-finnish-4883365

💌 Want future Salolampi newsletters delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up here: https://concordialanguagevillages.us11.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=ad93af8d214c1b519f329ba44&id=3635ddd81e

In this month’s newsletter, we’re celebrating Ystävänpäivä (Friendship Day), reliving the joy of family weekend, looking ahead to Nametag Day, and heating things up for National Sauna Week — with a once-in-a-lifetime chance to experience sauna in Finland.