Blog

Ever since February of this year, I’ve been a volunteer at Tartu Noorsootöö Keskus, TNTK for short under the European Solidarity Corps program of Erasmus+. At this organization, my work has ranged from being a youth worker to an event organizer, to working with really young children or young adults, to being the person in charge of what is happening on a specific day, to helping my co-workers with what they have planned. It’s the kind of work that is different every single day, thus I can’t really say in just a few sentences how was my experience as one…

Due to the learning journey of Tartu Youth Work Centre's youth workers to Iceland from September 27 to October 2, there will be changes in the opening hours of Tartu youth centers.   Anne Youth Centre for the 7-11 age group is open as usual Mon-Fri 12-18. Anne Youth Centre for the 12-19 age group is open Mon-Thu 13-19, Fri 14-21, and will be closed this weekend. From the new week, October 2-7, the center will be on collective leave. Both Ilmatsalu and both Lille youth centers will be closed for this week starting September 27. Lille Youth Centre for the 12-19 age group will reopen on October 2. Ilmatsalu and Lille Youth Centre for the younger target group will reopen on October 3.    A large part of the Tartu Youth Work Centre's staff will be on a study visit to Iceland from September 27 to October 2. They will visit various youth work institutions and learn best practices…

We bring you a look back at a youth initiative that took place at the Ilmatsalu Youth Center. On September 19, two young people wanted to organize a Talent Show at the Ilmatsalu Youth Center, the aim of which, according to them, was to offer all participants the opportunity to perform for others. We started by having the young people fill out a small project form designed for youth, where they write down what and when they want to organize, who it is aimed at, and what participants will gain from the event. Then, under the guidance of a youth worker, a poster for the event was made along with a registration form, after which they immediately went to practice their performance. Next, we determined what needed to be prepared before the show and what roles the organizers needed to divide. A lot of time was also spent on…

It’s hard to realize that my volunteering project is going to the end. Before my coming, I’ve thought that 8 months is quite long period of time. But when I see my schedule for September, my last schedule, I understand that time has run so fast. I had no idea about youth work, about Estonia and even was a bit scared in the beginning. But thinking about the time that I’ve spent here, I know that I made a right decision to come. Each day I learned something new for me, and moments when it was hard the team of…

Hike on the Piusa Primeval Valley hiking trail August 18-19 ~15 km. Youth workers and hike organizers Elisabeth and Liisi, along with young participant Aliise-Gea Vares, share their memories of the hike: We started our hike from Tartu bus station. We waited for the Tartu-Võru bus, which was a little late. Since there were 16 of us, it took time to load our belongings and get on the bus, so our departure from Tartu also took longer. In addition, we found out that we wouldn't make our next or the one after that regional bus connection. When we arrived in Võru, we had to wait half an hour for our next bus, which fortunately had space, and all of us (including regular passengers) fit comfortably. We were…

Youth Summer Camp 2023 has concluded for this year, and in the last days of August, with rain falling outside, it is probably the best time to summarize this eventful summer and look back at everything. Preparations for the Youth Summer Camp began already at the end of last year, but the real momentum for the camp's preparations started in spring as the Youth Summer Camp approached. In spring, we visited various schools in Tartu, introduced the camp life to young people, and invited them to apply for the camp. We finalized agreements with employers, caterers, and accommodation providers, and naturally, the application process for young people also began. This year, the camp's opening event took place in Tartu, Tallinn, and Viljandi on the same day, June 26, and the opening event of the Tartu Youth Work Camp was assisted by…

The long and activity-filled youth work camp summer is now behind us. Traditionally, the youth work camp summer concluded with the 2023 Estonian Student Youth Work Camps gathering, held from August 14-16 at Toosikannu Holiday Center. Youth work camp participants from Tartu, Tallinn, Viljandi municipality and city, and Pärnu met at the gathering. The three-day program was packed, including both competitions and performances. Over the three days, the youth work camp participants competed in volleyball, tug-of-war, relay races, and a surprise event, as well as in a singing competition and poetry recitations, for example. Judges also evaluated the group flags made by the young people, as well as their cohesion and unity. The first day concluded with a performance by the youth band Onkel Jonkel, while on the second day, after a long day of competitions, the youth work camp participants enjoyed an energetic concert by Trad.Attack! From the gathering, Tartu earned 2nd place in the overall standings…

International Youth Day is celebrated on August 12th, and this year, the Lille team decided to organize a festival-style youth day party. At the 3-hour event, there was an opportunity to get glitter face paint, Waf soft-serve ice cream, capture fun photos in a photo booth, participate in a mocktail workshop, and join various competitive games. The aim of the party was to offer young people a free and enjoyable environment where they could enjoy colors, company, music, ice cream, and other beautiful things. Of course, the event also featured a headliner, Maian, and after an impressive balcony concert, DJ Kerttu continued to spin records. This year, the enthusiasm of young people to help organize the event was particularly noticeable. The team must admit that without the young people, this party certainly would not have turned out so well...

In June, our youth workers went on a study trip to Helsinki, Finland, focusing on street youth work and generally getting acquainted with Helsinki's youth work. In the first part of the week, Aseman Lapset provided us with street mediation training. Street mediation is a conflict resolution method based on the principles of Restorative Justice. A certain part of our team had already received this training but acknowledged that the training was a necessary reminder and also provided a lot of new information and food for thought. This conflict resolution method focuses on young people's stories, their feelings, and needs, emphasizing that everyone should be able to tell their story and try to understand the other's perspective. In the second part of the week, we visited various youth centers and services aimed at young people. For example, we got acquainted with a youth café where young people can practice being a barista…