Laura Kiviselg, youth work specialist at Anne Youth Centre, provides an overview of the youth meeting held in Pärnu.
From February 26 to March 1, 2020, a youth meeting titled “We are the ones from whom change begins” took place in cooperation between the Tartu Youth Work Centre and NGO Animus Team. The meeting, held in Pärnu, addressed social, environmental, and self-awareness topics.
Each day of the project focused on a different topic. The first day (February 27) focused on society and civic engagement. We started the day with an introductory round, 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 session and told her story. Together, we discussed the opportunities young people have to have their say, for example at school or in the city, and how to find the motivation to take action. The young people also shared their own experiences of what they have seen, heard, and experienced. In the evening, the young people divided into groups and chose topics for presentations/workshops to introduce to each other.
On the second day (Feb 28), we focused on the environment and its preservation. We started the morning with workshops where young people introduced various topics to each other, such as waste sorting, greenwashing, and recycling. In the second half of the morning, we listened to a summary of the Pärnu Sütevaka Humanitarian Gymnasium's environmental Erasmus+ project 'Sireen'. Afterwards, we visited the Pernova Center, where an environmental sustainability workshop was held, and we explored the possibilities of the nature house. We ended the evening at the Waldhof Center, where we made coat racks.
On the third day (29.03), it was a 'me-day'. We participated in a time management workshop led by Jaana Kokk, a youth worker from Tugila. Young people were able to calculate their weekly plan, free time, and time for hobbies. We also discussed different ways to gain control over one's time. Afterwards, a photo hunt took place, during which young people walked around Pärnu and completed the photo hunt tasks. In the evening, we shared tips on how to cope with stress. We also talked about youth meetings as an opportunity, follow-up activities, and the idea of becoming an Ambassador of Friendliness.
Young people stated that they would primarily use waste sorting tips and time management in the future. We also collectively found that youth meetings are an excellent way to practice different languages, make new friends, and discuss topics not covered in school.
The implementation of the YOUTH MEETINGS program is funded by the Ministry of Education and Research with the support of the Estonian Youth Work Center and the Archimedes Youth Agency Foundation.
