A mobile youth center will be on the move in Tartu this summer

From June 1 to September 1, the Tartu Youth Work Center will launch the MoNo Bus—a mobile youth center—as part of a pilot project, bringing youth services to young people at their everyday hangouts.

This 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 that young people cannot easily reach on a daily basis.

The MoNo bus travels through various areas of Tartu, stopping 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 enjoy board games, outdoor games, video game consoles, and craft supplies, and spend time in cozy seating and social areas. In addition, mobile youth workers offer young people daily support and counseling and, if necessary, help them find appropriate support services.

The MoNo bus supports the City of Tartu’s goal of making youth work accessible to all young people, regardless of where they live or their ability to travel to youth centers. Mobile youth work helps reach young people who do not participate in regular youth center activities and strengthens their sense of belonging and community ties.

“We developed a project to advance mobile youth work, as part of which we are piloting a mobile youth work bus. We observed that in several other countries, a mobile youth work bus is an effective and well-functioning way to reach young people. One of the project’s goals is to determine whether there is a need for such a service in Tartu year-round,” explained Margit Kink, director of the Tartu Youth Work Center.

The Tartu Youth Work Center has been developing mobile youth work since 2020. The results of the pilot project will help determine whether and in what form mobile youth work could continue in Tartu in the future.

The MoNo bus is part of the international Erasmus+ cooperation project“KA2 Youth Work 360° – Mobile, Digital, Inclusive and Accessible,” funded by the European Union.

For more information: Riin Juurma, MoNo Coordinator, Riin.juurma@tartu.ee, +372 5450 2232

news:

Youth workers from the Tartu Youth Work Center on a study trip to Portugal

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 outside their usual work environment for a moment, learn about different practices, and bring the knowledge and effective solutions they gain back to their own community (Pavlakias and

Read more »

Tartu Youth Work Center Study Tour Seminar: Bringing Together Knowledge from Around the World

This spring, the staff of the Tartu Youth Work Center went on two study trips: one to Cologne, Germany, and the other to 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,

Read more »

“Let’s start a green-thumbed club!”

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 Lille House gate. We divided up the tasks on the spot—one person weeds here, another

Read more »

The Voice of Youth in the Action Plan

Actively involving young people in developing the youth center’s action plan is an important step in fostering their sense of participation and responsibility. Children aged 7–11 are able to successfully express their interests and ideas when provided with a safe and supportive environment. One effective way to do this is through a monthly brainstorming session, during which young people can freely suggest activities and topics. Young people’s opinions matter and have a real impact on the life of the youth center. In addition to the idea generator, it is important to gather ongoing feedback on daily activities to understand what resonates with young people and what needs to be changed. The youth worker’s role here is to guide: to help make ideas more concrete, then link them to an action plan, and involve partners as needed. Even with younger children, simple tools such as voting, drawing, or discussion circles can be used. In a young person’s life, everything changes very quickly: what was relevant two weeks ago

Read more »

Come work with us this summer – 0.5 FTE mobile youth worker

Mobile Youth Worker (0.5 FTE) For the period June 1 – August 31 Job responsibilities: establishing contact and communicating with young people on the street and in other public places; carrying out youth work activities in the mobile youth work bus; introducing opportunities to young people and supporting them in finding suitable activities; assisting youth workers at the youth center as needed. Requirements for the candidate: higher education (may be in progress); good communication and planning

Read more »

Students from Annelinna High School visited the Lille Youth Center

The Lille Youth Center, part of the Tartu Youth Work Center, offers young people a wide range of opportunities for participation and personal development. Schools are welcome to visit us for project days or to encourage their students to join our clubs. The clubs operating at the Lille Youth Center include the Hiking Club, Cooking Club, Book Club, Career Club, and the sex education club “Seks vä?”. In addition, we organize city-wide major events, where we welcome young people to actively participate in the organizing teams.

Read more »

Creativity is on the rise in the Youth Capital: Loomehüpe is returning for the third time this year

Tartu, European Youth Capital 2026, invites young people aged 14–26 to apply for the Creative Leap project, which aims to support young people’s creative potential and personal development. Eligible applicants are young people who are registered residents of Tartu and wish to develop their strengths and discover their creative potential through summer projects. Loomehüpe supports projects in the natural and exact sciences, music, art, dance, performing arts, language, literature, and technology

Read more »