Språkkraft celebrates 10 years: a decade of impact on refugee language integration
On December 8, 2025, Språkkraft, our nonprofit organization, celebrated its 10th anniversary. This milestone represents more than just a decade of existence. It marks ten years of dedication to helping refugees and migrants integrate linguistically and culturally across the Nordic countries.
Over the past ten years, Språkkraft has achieved remarkable success. We have reached over one million refugees and migrants across the Nordic countries, helping them learn Swedish and other languages through innovative digital immersion and media-based programs. Our initiatives have complemented formal education by offering cost-effective, flexible and engaging learning opportunities. Through our programs, countless individuals have gained language skills, confidence and tools to integrate more fully into their new communities.
The 10-year anniversary celebration started with a two hour event, where Språkkraft Chairman Henrik Melin and Co-Founder Niss Jonas Carlsson shared the story of Språkkraft, which began with the idea of helping refugees and migrants in Sweden learn the language and culture through media. The Swedish Association of Unaccompanied Minors played a crucial role in helping us understand the needs of young migrants, while our founding partners, TNG and Studiefrämjandet, provided modest but essential financial support.
The event also featured inspiring presentations:
- Rakhat Zholdoshalieva, Team Lead at UNESCO’s Quality Learning Ecosystems program, discussed how emerging technologies are enhancing literacy and learning opportunities for migrants worldwide.
- Maarit Jaakola, Senior Lecturer at the University of Gothenburg, spoke about the role of media in supporting multilingualism.
- Fanny Lundell, Professor at Stockholm University, presented research on second-language learning, with examples drawn from media consumption.
- Johan Sköld, teacher and Guldäpplet Award recipient, shared insights on digital support for language learning in multilingual classrooms.
The highlight of the evening was hearing directly from our users. Gbemi Allwell-Brown, Neslin, and Burak Gültekin shared their personal experiences, gratitude and sorrow over the closure of SVT Språkplay, recognized by UNESCO as a successful literacy and learning service for refugees. Are Nundal sent a video from Svalbard, emphasizing how Språkplay was “at the heart of public service” and Erik Hedin was recognized for his role in creating SVT Språkplay.
A film showcased Lucy Zaitseva and Viktoria Posieva from Beredskapslyftet, sharing how the Språkkraft Reading Coach program helped them learn Swedish after fleeing Ukraine. Språkkraft’s principal donor, Dušan Stojanović, founder of True Global Ventures, sent a video from Singapore thanking the organization for giving Ukrainian refugees the opportunity to learn multiple languages.
Finally, Språkkraft launched its impact report “Språkkraft - The First Ten Years”. The report highlights the efficiency of our programs, showing that formal language instruction costs 3.5 times more per hour than the digital immersive learning offered by Språkkraft.
As we celebrate this milestone, we want to extend our heartfelt thanks to all our users, partners, donors and supporters, whether near or far, who have contributed in any way to Språkkraft’s success. Your commitment, encouragement and belief in our mission have made this journey possible.
As we look forward to the next decade, Språkkraft’s board of directors remains committed to guiding the organisation safely and effectively:
Anders Lundkvist, Mardin Baban, Henrik Melin, Maarit Jaakkola, Johan Pålsson.
