Ilmatsalu Youth Center looks ahead to the new year

December 30, 2021

Before we look ahead to the new year, let's take a moment to look back.

In the second half of 2021, specifically on July 29, August 28, September 29, November 17, and December 18, our youth centre hosted joint planning and discussions. On these days, young people, together with youth worker(s), planned potential activities for the centre. Many of their ideas have since been implemented, ranging from kayaking trips and outdoor sports like orienteering to team tasks promoting nature education, or learning and trying the basics of fishing, among other things. Furthermore, it's important to note that everyone at the youth centre was encouraged to dream big (!) and suggest places to visit or people to invite. The author of this text also wishes to indulge in a bit of dreaming and look forward to the new year together.

Since July, despite the coronavirus restrictions, the young people of Ilmatsalu have been dreaming boldly. In August, we worked hard to make Ilmatsalu Family Day a success once again, and in September, we held our joint planning and discussion meetings online and in person for the first time. A digital platform was created via Instagram, where young people could vote interactively and send their answers to questions. On site, we used a whiteboard where young people could write down their dreams, where they could go or who they could invite to visit. They could also vote and answer questions there. Both methods showed that YouTubers are still popular. Unfortunately, no common candidate was found to invite. However, we can still stick to this idea and start voting by offering choices.

Since September, our dream has been that one day another cool YouTuber will visit us (previously we have been visited by Martti Hallik, Liina Ariadne Pedanik, representatives of “Kreedtrepp”, Hele-Liis Tamm, for example). We dream that in 2022 we will be able to visit Tartu Health Care College, Sarapiku Tore farm, which has a life-sized corn maze, and Tallinn's Super Skypark trampoline and play center.

During the mini-hike on November 17, several ideas related to winter sports emerged from a few young people. By December, it was clear that there was a desire to organize a fun multi-sport competition outdoors, provided there were good snow conditions. The plan has been sketched out on paper by the young people. A sled jump track has also been built for this, and our foreign volunteer has been enlisted to conduct interviews with the young people before and during the event, where they can share their favorite winter activities. It's nice to think that perhaps the young people were inspired by the M1N1 multi-sport competition that took place earlier in Ilmatsalu? 😉
We are grateful that despite the raging coronavirus pandemic, the young people of Ilmatsalu dare to dream big.

CONTACT:
Rando-Kristen Kangro
rando-kristen.kangro@raad.tartu.ee
+372 58 803 271

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