Blog

As 2022 is the Year of Libraries, Ilmatsalu Youth Centre has made it a priority to collaborate even more closely with the Ilmatsalu branch of the Tartu O. Lutsu City Library. The aim of this cooperation is to develop a sense of community among young people and residents of the area. At the first meeting, we planned activities for the entire year 2022. However, we will start by organizing an information day for the community on crisis preparedness at the Ilmatsalu Library on April 21. We invited a safety expert from the Tartu district of Naiskodukaitse to speak about this topical issue. It became clear that, given the current situation, people are still unclear about how to act if there is no electricity for an extended period, what household crisis supplies should be, or more broadly – what is generally meant by a crisis. Other activities related to the Year of Libraries focus on…

Starting April 1, 2022, a change will take effect whereby the Tartu Youth Center will shift its focus from young people to young animals. The center will be renamed the Tartu Young Animals Center. The idea to take a new direction arose in connection with the nature-oriented Ilmatsalu Youth Center. Similar to the current situation, each center will have a specific theme. The Lille Youth Center, with its focus on health, will become a center for comfort animals, while the Ilmatsalu Youth Center, with its focus on nature, will welcome various birds from the surrounding bird population, and the Anne Youth Center, with its focus on labor and entrepreneurship, will welcome working animals. Job titles at the institution will also change. Youth workers will become young animal handlers, and street youth workers will become young animal walkers. The minimum qualification requirement for each caretaker is a fourth-level certificate in young animal care. Applications for the certificate are coordinated by the Estonian Association of Young Animal Caretakers. You can also get a new...

When a great opportunity arises to spend time with friends in a creative environment and at the same time do good in the local community, it must be seized. And this is exactly what the young people of the Tartu Youth Work Centre decided to do. When Dragana (from Serbia), our European Solidarity Corps volunteer, presented an idea to the youth that was at that moment only an idea in her head, 6 young people immediately jumped on board and wanted to participate in this project. Together, they expanded the idea and turned it into something amazing – thus the 'Cat in a Bag' project began. The main idea behind this initiative is to create a safe environment for young people to gather, brainstorm together, think, and plan. Young people have all...

Last Saturday, March 19, the Tartu Youth Party, organized for the first time by the Tartu Youth Work Center, took place, with nearly 250 young people participating from both within and outside Tartu. The party, hosted by Kristjan Lüüs, an actor dearly loved by young people, was made possible thanks to the Tartu Youth Work Center and the young people of the Tartu 2024 Extended youth program. The youth party, which took place in the former dental clinic and current Tartu 2024 premises, kicked off with the Estonian Deaf Youth Organization's play 'The Letter,' which talked about what happens when young people don't listen to their parents. Their performance was followed by a set from the Youth DJ School, thanks to which the rhythms played by DJ Peeter Taimi got many in the audience tapping their feet. The young people continued to elevate the party atmosphere...

The Tartu Youth Work Camp is looking for employers who would like to offer young people a great summer work experience. The aim of the Youth Work Camp is to offer school students aged 13-19 the opportunity to spend their summer holidays in a developmental way. Youth camp participants work in groups for a period of 1-3 weeks, assisting with garden and farm work, maintenance, in shops, landscaping, and many other positions. This year, we also offer work experience to young people who have arrived in Estonia from Ukraine. In addition, there are plans to create a youth camp group for young people with special needs, where the supervisor would be a person with the necessary knowledge and skills. But why should you hire young people? Precisely because young people are our future and current employers, entrepreneurs, taxpayers, and active members of society. If we start early with youth work education, they will become…

Dear young person, Do you feel that school days are tiring and stressful? Or do you miss organized creative activities? Or perhaps you've been looking for a place to go after school where you can feel safe and be yourself? If you answered yes to at least one question, then the following offer is for you! Grete Kull x Tartu Youth Work Center are joining forces, and starting March 28th, we are launching a mental health club for young people, offering a chance to relieve stress through creative activities. We will learn about ourselves and our needs, play, hike, invite guests, craft and paint, and do everything the heart and body desires! We give young people the opportunity to be in a stress-free and safe environment. The club…

What does survival in nature mean? Do you have a survival kit packed when going on a hike? But have you considered that you also need to survive when a snowstorm has paralyzed life in cities... How do you act then if there's no water, heating, electricity, and shops are closed? Ilmatsalu Youth Center offers classes the opportunity to learn nature education and survival in a non-formal way. Through practical skills, students learn about hiking wisdom, nature, behavior in nature, and overcoming challenges. It is also important to know how to survive in the city if you are caught in a snowstorm, if there is no electricity, no water, etc. The lesson topics are structured according to the season and experiences gained from previous teachings. There are topics that concern...

You've heard the word "project" but don't know what it truly means. Are you interested in how a project is written? Would you like to organize something fun in your school or community but don't know where to get funding for it? Don't worry – the educational workshop "Idea as a Seed of Success" offered by Anne Youth Center helps find answers to project-related questions. At the beginning of the year, the workshop "Idea as a Seed of Success" has actively restarted, offering young people aged 11-19 an introduction to the world of projects. During the workshop, young people will learn what a project is and how to identify one, practice brainstorming, and go through writing a sample project. Thus, by the end of the workshop, from the initial...

Have you recently felt overwhelmed by schoolwork and unable to make it to training, even though you really want to? Are you often sick, do your emotions constantly fluctuate, and are your relationships with loved ones strained? Yes, that's a pretty familiar feeling, right... but believe that it's possible to cope with all of this if you change your attitude! We visited Kivilinna School, and the president of the school's student council, Lisete Laur, says the following about the workshop: "The educational workshop 'The Most Correct Me' was a very interesting and eye-opening experience. Your team managed to create a good atmosphere and a free and pleasant environment. The workshop was informative and made us all look within ourselves and think about..."