Tead?Fest brings a diverse program and exciting activities to downtown Tartu

From August 15–21, the Erasmus+ learning mobility program for youth workers, “Exit Burnout & Recharge,” took place in Latvia, with the participation of professionals working with youth from Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Greece, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, Spain, and Cyprus. Helene, our development manager from the Tartu Youth Work Center, participated in the learning exchange. The focus of the learning exchange was on the well-being of youth workers and the prevention of burnout. Throughout the week, discussions centered on burnout, stress, and self-care, and

In the second half of April, the Ilmatsalu and Elva Youth Centers held a collaborative project called “Spring Awakening,” which offered young people the opportunity to visit youth centers in two different regions and meet local youth.   On April 22, the first meeting took place at the Ilmatsalu Youth Center, where the main focus was on working together. One of the activities was a photo scavenger hunt, which encouraged the young people to observe nature more closely. They looked for details that people usually just walk right past, and it was surprisingly exciting to see how each team tackled the tasks in their own unique way. Some focused on creativity, others looked for funny solutions, and

On August 12, we celebrate World Youth Day, which the city of Tartu also marked this year in collaboration with the Tartu Youth Work Center. You can find a more detailed overview of the Youth Day event we organized here. I spoke with one of the youngest members of the Youth Day organizing team—Robin—who got to try his hand at both event planning and emceeing during the day. Who are you and where are you from? I’m Robin, and I

On August 12, 2026, an event celebrating Youth Day—Tartu Youth Day—took place as part of the “Tartu Sumina” festival in Tartu’s Old Town. The event was held on Rüütli Street near St. John’s Church, began at 12:00 p.m., and lasted until 9:15 p.m. In previous years, Youth Day in Tartu has been celebrated on a smaller scale in the courtyard of the Lille Youth Center. This year, however, the city of Tartu is the Youth Capital of Estonia, and

Learning Estonian is often discussed from the perspective of adults, but young people themselves are asked much less frequently what actually motivates them to learn the language and what makes this journey worthwhile. I spoke with four young people aged 14–17 who live in Tartu and whose native language is not Estonian. Although their language proficiency varies, several common themes emerged from their responses.