September 1st was an important day for many young people, as a new school year began. For the Tartu Youth Work Centre, however, this day was filled with busy work, because in addition to the Tartu Wisdom Festival, new premises were opened in the Lille and Anne youth centers for a younger target group than before. The second floor of Anne Youth Centre (Uus 56) and the first floor of Lille Youth Centre (Lille 9) now welcome 7–11-year-olds to spend their free time after school. The ground floor of both centers will henceforth be aimed at 12–19-year-olds.
The opening program was more festive than usual, as befits the first day. The official opening of the Lille premises with city government representatives took place at 12 PM, and at Anne at 1 PM. In addition to young people, their parents also came to explore the premises. In both centers, visitors could eat cake, take photos and make scrapbooks, play Just Dance, and craft their own soaps. At Anne, in addition to the aforementioned activities, oatmeal cookies were made, while at Lille, young people could try their hand at making bead necklaces.
Feedback from young people and parents who visited the new centres on the first day was positive, and they were pleased with the new premises. Helen Siska, Head of Youth Work at Tartu City Government, who also visited the centres on the opening day, pointed out: “The new premises are innovative, spacious, and have a good vibe. Upon entering, I found myself thinking that I was welcome and that diverse spaces have been created for young people where they can conduct interest clubs, socialize, cook together, and even do schoolwork with friends.”
Siska added: “I believe that expanding the target group of youth centers to include 7–11-year-olds will significantly enhance the quality of youth work in Tartu. While various youth work activities were previously available to this age group, we can now experience operating within a unified information framework and system. It is gratifying to see that with the completion of the new premises, youth work opportunities are more accessible to young people. There is clear interest in the service, and many families visited the opening to learn more. This demonstrates that information about the service changes has reached our target audience, and youth centers are working daily to ensure even more young people are aware of these services.”
Anne and Lille youth centers for the younger target group are open Monday to Friday from 12 PM to 6 PM.
