30 years of Tartu youth work camps: share your story at the anniversary exhibition

January 8, 2026

In 2026, the Tartu Youth Work Camp celebrates its 30th year of operation.
To mark this anniversary, a jubilee exhibition will open on April 17, 2026, in collaboration with the Tartu City Museum, telling the story of the Tartu Work Camp through people, memories, and objects.

Former youth work camp participants, group leaders,
coordinators, and everyone who has had a connection with the Tartu Youth Work Camp are invited to contribute to the creation of the exhibition. The aim of the exhibition is to record and highlight the role of the youth work camp in the lives of young people and in the history of the City of Tartu more broadly.

The youth work camp is more than just a summer job.

The Tartu Youth Work Camp has not merely been an opportunity to work in the summer. For many, it has been their first job and salary, a place where important
friendships have formed, and skills and experiences have been gained that have accompanied young people throughout their lives. The camp has raised generations – now we are collecting these stories and preserving them through a jubilee exhibition.

We are looking for stories and items for the exhibition.

The exhibition welcomes both personal memories and items that help to reveal different facets and eras of youth work camp life.

Examples include:

memories of youth work camp life and activities
group emblems and stories of their creation
emblems from previous years (1996–2018)
humorous, sentimental or otherwise meaningful items from the youth work camp

Items and stories with personal background or meaning are particularly valued, as they help visitors to the exhibition better understand the diversity and impact of military life.

How to contribute?

Memories and photos of items can be sent until February 6, 2026 by email
to malev.tartu@tartu.ee or by post to Uus 56, Tartu

The exhibition organizers will contact the owners of the stories and items selected for the exhibition. If desired, it is also possible to share your story in an interview format – please indicate this in your letter.

If you doubt whether your story or item is suitable for the exhibition, please contact us anyway. Every memory can be an important part of the history of Tartu Youth work camp.

Privacy and Data Retention

Submitted photos and stories are preserved in the archive of the Tartu Youth Work Centre. The Tartu Youth Work Centre and Tartu City Museum adhere to personal data protection principles, and personal data will not be disclosed upon request.

Contact

Keidi Kald
keidi.kald@tartu.ee | malev.tartu@tartu.ee
phone: +372 5598 5994
address: Uus 56, Tartu

news:

Youth Counselor Oksana Knjaz: “None of us has to handle everything on our own!”

Every young person has their own story, questions, and challenges. Sometimes, all it takes to move forward is for someone to help them clarify their thoughts and identify possible solutions. The youth counselors at the Tartu Youth Work Center support young people in precisely these moments, offering them the chance to talk about both everyday worries and more complex issues. Let’s meet Oksana Knjaz, a youth counselor working at our Anne House.

Design socks for the Tartu Youth Work Center!

The Tartu Youth Work Center’s sock design contest is about to begin! Design socks using the provided sock template. You can find the template here or get a paper copy from your youth worker. You can create your design by hand or digitally. Include your name, contact information, and—if you’d like—a brief explanation of your design. Submit your finished work by October 25 at the latest to helene.toomeoks@tartu.ee or give it to your youth worker.

Youth Counselor Kairi Kivaste: “My job is to listen and provide guidance, together with the young person”

There are times in a young person’s life when they don’t have to face their thoughts, worries, or questions alone. The Tartu Youth Work Center employs two youth counselors whom young people can turn to when they need someone to listen, help them make sense of a situation, and work together to find possible solutions. The youth counselors also support youth workers and help them identify and resolve

Tartu, the Youth Capital, Opens a New Playground at the Anne Youth Center

Today, October 2, at 3:00 p.m., a new playground will open in the courtyard of the Anne Youth Center (Uus 56, Tartu), providing younger visitors with more opportunities for active leisure.The playground is part of a comprehensive plan for the Anne Youth Center’s outdoor area, which is being implemented in stages. In the coming years, the plan is to develop the entire outdoor area to create a space that meets the needs of young people of all ages.

Summer Work Camp 2026: Friends, First Paychecks, and Experiences That Last a Lifetime

The summer of 2026 at the Tartu Youth Work Camp offered young people much more than just work experience. Feedback collected at the end of the camp clearly highlighted the things the young people valued most: new friends, their first earned paycheck, special experiences, and shared activities. New friends were the biggest win. Most often, the camp participants highlighted the opportunity to meet new

An interactive adventure game titled “The Lost Trail” is being created at the Ilmatsalu Youth Center based on an idea from young people

What happens when you give young people the chance to think for themselves, experiment, build, and actually bring their ideas to life? An interactive adventure game called “The Lost Trail” is currently taking shape in Ilmatsalu, and local youth have been involved in its creation from start to finish. From an idea to an actual game… It all started when some young people stopped by the youth center and complained that in Ilmatsalu there wasn’t

Tartu, the Youth Capital, Tested a Mobile Youth Work Bus

What if, instead of waiting for young people to come to the youth center, the center went to where the young people actually are? Over the past four years, the Tartu Youth Work Center has been developing mobile youth work in Tartu’s public spaces. This summer, a mobile youth work bus (the MoNo bus) was tested for the first time to see if this kind of solution would help reach young people,