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Due to the emergency situation, Tartu (county) youth centres moved online. Institutions are closed, and all possible signs are displayed to direct people home to avoid public gatherings. So, where do youth workers do their job? The short answer is: Online. Youth work continues even during the emergency situation; for this purpose, the Tartu e-youth centre has been opened on a Discord server. Youth workers always do their work where young people are. The concept of smart youth work may seem situation-driven, but in reality, it is nothing new. The aforementioned e-youth work 'is not a separate activity or method, but rather, it enables young people and youth workers to create innovative solutions based on existing experiences, by seeking new connections and using new tools,' as stated on the website of the Estonian Youth Work Centre…

As of today, there is probably no one in Estonia and many other countries who doesn't know what it means to stay at home for an extended period or adapt to a new situation. Going to the store feels like an event in itself, cleaning seems endless, and various workouts and webinars are popping up like mushrooms after rain. Young people are confined to home schooling, seeing friends has been postponed, and youth centers are closed with signs. Three weeks of working from a home office have created various scenarios in my mind about the future course of life. The situation still feels like a surreal dream at times, making me wonder what is really happening and for how much longer? Is youth work even possible without seeing young people? Is this a new and...

As a child, I dreamed of becoming a teacher. I imagined how kind and caring I would be. I didn't think I would have problems communicating with young people. Come on, I'm young myself and know all the bloggers they follow! But now I had the opportunity to work as a volunteer with young people at Anne Youth Center in Tartu. And "What's going on?" was the main phrase in my head for the first two months. Of course, I was fascinated by the opportunity to be here. I planned activities that interested me: talking to young people, inspiring them, and making the world a better place. In addition, I wanted to participate in various events, meet new people, cook new dishes, dedicate more time to my various hobbies…

Laura Kiviselg, youth work specialist at Anne Youth Centre, provides an overview of the youth meeting held in Pärnu.  From 26.02-01.03.2020, a youth meeting titled "We are the ones from whom change begins" took place in cooperation between Tartu Youth Work Centre and NGO Animus Team. The youth meeting, which took place in Pärnu, addressed social, environmental, and self-awareness topics. Each project day focused on a different theme. On the first project day (27.02), we focused on society and civic activism. We started the day with an introductory circle, followed by team games and the formulation of agreements. In the second half of the day, youth worker and activist Karoliine Aus gave a training and shared her story, discussing with the youth what opportunities they have to participate, for example, in school or in the city, and how to find motivation to act. The youth also shared experiences with each other,…

Due to the state of emergency in the country, the youth centers of the Tartu Youth Work Centre have been closed to visitors since last Friday. However, the provision of youth work services to young people has not been suspended. Thanks to the current situation, youth workers are actively developing their digital competencies to be available to young people through smart youth work. Since the beginning of this week, young people have been able to participate in youth center activities via Instagram (@annenoortekeskus, @ilmatsalunoortekeskus and @lillenoortekeskus). Cookery clubs and an entrepreneurship club have been held via live streams, various quizzes have been solved, juggling has been learned, clothes have been designed, and simply communicating with youth workers has been possible. Starting today, communication will become even more direct as, similar to Valga Open Youth Centre, the Tartu Youth Work Centre is also opening its e-youth center. The e-youth center has been created for free…

To prevent the spread of the coronavirus, the government has decided to declare a state of emergency in Estonia. In connection with this, the youth centers managed by the Tartu Youth Work Center will also be closed starting today. We encourage young people to contact our youth workers through social media channels - they are there for you even when the centers are closed! Also, follow our centers' Instagram accounts to participate in exciting activities and challenges through the digital world! ⤵️ https://www.instagram.com/annenoortekeskus/ https://www.instagram.com/ilmatsalunoortekeskus/ https://www.instagram.com/lillenoortekeskus/

Starting in March, the Lille Youth Centre's Healthy Lifestyles Club will focus on a specific theme each month. So, it was decided with the young people that the club's theme in March would be sleep, in April human relationships, and in May stress. However, this does not mean that if young people are very interested in some other topic during that month, it will be completely ignored. Addressing topics of interest to young people remains one of our core values, and fortunately, the youth centre's schedule is flexible enough to accommodate them. The Lille Youth Centre's Healthy Lifestyles Club is now also available as an event on Facebook, where you can get all the month's information. However, there are still exciting things happening at Lille Youth Centre related to health -...

This week, the President of the Republic Kersti Kaljulaid is visiting organizations and companies in Tartu and Tartu County and also familiarized herself with the Lille Youth Center of the Tartu Youth Work Center. The management of the Tartu Youth Work Center gave the guests an overview of youth work in Tartu: past achievements, future directions and goals, and the specifics of youth work in the city of Tartu compared to other municipalities. Challenges in the field were also discussed. Karl Kraus, who won the title of Tartu's Young Achiever of the Year in 2019, and youth center activist Liisa Veddel introduced the activities and opportunities offered at the Lille Youth Center, talked about why they visit the youth center, and dreamed about what could be even better. The President also participated in the youth center's activities herself and played the WildEst board game with a young person. In a joint discussion with the President, the young people received from the head of state…

Overview of the sports event held in Ilmatsalu by Rando-Kristen Kangro, youth work specialist at Ilmatsalu Youth Center. On February 26, another sports event, "M1N1 Multi-Event," was held at Ilmatsalu Youth Center. As the name suggests, this is not a competition for professional athletes. However, this small initiative has brought excitement to the lives of young people in Ilmatsalu and encouraged them to be active. The concept of the "M1N1 multi-event" is simple: the competition should offer fun and a sense of achievement to boys and girls of all ages. The aim of the M1N1 multi-event is to develop communication between different young people, improve their physical activity, and develop their technical skills, physical dexterity, and overall abilities. For each competition, approximately three to five different areas are selected that could fulfill the stated objectives. All of the above can also be said about this competition, when...