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Have you ever had a day where you’ve been chatting with friends on Snapchat, Instagram, or Discord all day long, but still feel lonely in the evening? It might seem strange—how can we feel lonely when we’re connected to others almost all the time? Loneliness is a topic that’s being discussed more and more. According to the World Health Organization, about one in six people experience loneliness, and young people experience it the most (WHO, 2025). At the same time, loneliness doesn’t simply mean a lack of friends; rather, it’s a feeling that arises when our relationships don’t meet our needs or expectations (Alberti, 2019). So it can happen that even though we have many friends, we still feel lonely.…

Many 21st-century skills are closely linked to thinking skills. These include, for example, creative and critical thinking, as well as a collaborative and caring mindset. These skills can also be developed in youth work through philosophical discussions with children and young people. Philosophical discussions create more space for deliberation and help participants become more skilled at articulating their opinions, listening to others, making decisions and choices, and solving problems. Through this practical activity, participants can develop their argumentation and analytical skills, critical thinking, and communication skills. This is an activity that does not require the use of the term “philosophy” or the discussion of philosophical theories. Rather, it is important to create a space for questions, reflection and further thought, making connections, and questioning. Such a conversation helps students practice reasoning, drawing conclusions, comparing, …

Today, June 15, Tartu will kick off the 30th summer of the Tartu Youth Work Camp, which will bring together 238 young people this year. The opening event of this anniversary year begins at 4:30 p.m. in the courtyard of the Anne Youth Center and proceeds with a parade to Town Hall Square, where the start of the work camp season will be celebrated with a speech by Mayor Urmas Klaas and the taking of the work camp oath. The opening ceremony will be followed at 7:00 p.m. by an evening of work camp songs in the courtyard of the Tartu City Museum.“This year’s opening of the work camp season is more special than ever before. We are celebrating our 30th anniversary, which gives us the opportunity to look back on the history of the Tartu Youth Work Camp, and at the same time, the evening of work camp songs creates a unique moment where different generations come together to spend time together, share memories, and exchange experiences,” said Margit, director of the Tartu Youth Work Center…

In early June, from June 8 to 14, the Tartu Youth Work Center had the extraordinary honor and pleasure of hosting young people from Ukraine—young people whose lives have been completely turned upside down by the war. The camp was made possible thanks to financial support from the City of Tartu, and the Tartu Youth Work Center wholeheartedly took on the task of organizing the program. The week began on a creative note—in a stenciling workshop, the young people got to experiment with creating patterns using paints and stencils. It was a great start to a week where their hands and eyes were constantly busy.In Setumaa, the young people got a sense of how Estonians used to live—they tasted authentic Estonian food and felt the warmth of the old culture. In the Piusa caves, they learned about Estonian nature and geology, and each young person got to make their own…

The theme of this year’s Child Protection Day was the question: “A young person speaks—are you listening?” The need to be seen, heard, and truly listened to became clear right from the first preparatory meeting, where young volunteers shared the issues they consider important in the daily lives of children and youth. Almost without exception, all participants highlighted today’s fast-paced lifestyle—home, school, friends, relationships, and the information world are spinning at an ever-faster pace. In the midst of it all, however, young people often feel that there is no one who truly pays attention to them or takes the time for them. This is especially true in a situation where high external expectations and mental health concerns make it even more difficult to connect with others. Based on this, the following emerged…

From June 1 to September 1, the Tartu Youth Work Center is launching the MoNo bus—a youth center on wheels—as part of a pilot project, bringing youth services to young people at their everyday gathering places. It is a specially adapted van designed to provide young people with a safe and supportive environment in areas where youth services are currently unavailable or where young people cannot easily access them on a daily basis.The MoNo bus travels through various areas of Tartu and stops at parks, playgrounds, near schools, and other places where young people gather. The bus is open to young people Monday through Sunday from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM. You can find the bus stops on our website’s MoNo subpage and on the MoNo Instagram page @mono.tartu. On and around the MoNo bus, young people can play board games, outdoor games, use game consoles and craft supplies, and spend time…

From April 19–26, youth workers from the Tartu Youth Work Center participated in a study trip to Lisbon, Portugal, as part of the Erasmus+ program, to learn about local street youth work methods, non-formal education, and ways to support young people in the NEET situation. Study trips give youth workers the opportunity to step out of their usual work environment for a moment, familiarize themselves with different practices, and bring the knowledge and effective solutions they gain back to their own community (Pavlakias and Comas, 2025). Such experiences help boost work motivation and strengthen team spirit, while also offering the opportunity to develop professional skills and create a more supportive environment for Estonian youth. The study by Pavlakias and Comas (2025) emphasizes that change and variety help organizations develop, particularly when they are treated as a natural part of professional learning rather than as isolated…

This spring, the staff of the Tartu Youth Work Center went on two study trips: to Cologne, Germany, and Lisbon, Portugal. On June 3, from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m., we will gather in the NOKK room on the second floor of the Anne Youth Center (Uus 56, Tartu) for an information seminar on this year’s study trips.We invite all youth workers, activity leaders, and interested city residents from Tartu, Tartu County, and beyond to our information seminar to share the knowledge and practices we’ve gained with you all. In Cologne, we focused on the theme of inclusion in youth work. We gained an overview of various approaches and practices—we visited organizations working with youth with special needs, LGBTQ youth, and girls and young women. We had the opportunity to see and learn about street-based youth work. We will discuss the study trip to Germany first, from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. In Lisbon, the focus was on mobile youth work…

With the arrival of spring, there’s a growing desire to be outdoors and do something interesting—something that brings joy, excitement, and sparks curiosity. At the Lillekese Youth Center, we’ve found gardening to be the perfect activity for this. We started one Wednesday by weeding the flower bed in front of the Lillekese building. We divided up the tasks on the spot—one person weeded here, another there, the debris went into a bucket, and a third person carried it to the compost bin. After working for about an hour with our backs to the warm sun on Lille Street, it was time for the most exciting part—sowing the flower seeds. We had bought 20 packets of different varieties of flower seeds. Although we had no prior experience in creating a flower bed, we managed to get everything done. It certainly helped…