Meet our volunteer Burak!

February 17, 2025

Hello, I am Burak! I am from Türkiye, 29 years old, and studying for a master’s degree in the humanities in Italy. In my free time, I mostly do drawings or photography with my beloved analog camera. The best advice I could give to my 12-year-old self: “Do not fear speaking up and do not let anyone else set barriers to your dreams or desires…”

Three words that describe me best: Creative, mindful, and solitary.

What inspired me to become a volunteer:

For a long time, I really wanted to do something that could touch the lives of young people in a local environment. When I was younger, I couldn’t find a place to channel my energy outside of school hours, nor did I understand what kind of skills I had. Missing these kinds of experiences in my teenage years, and having the chance to experience them with youth, was another major reason I decided to become a volunteer. Thankfully, my path crossed with beautiful Estonia and the wonderful organization of TNTK, giving me the opportunity to impact the lives of young people.

Previous volunteering: I worked as a content writer for the Istanbul-based urban-hacking platform Onaranlar Kulübü (Fixers’ Club) and participated in urban-hacking installations around Istanbul.

A typical day at the youth center: My work starts around 1 p.m. When the different age groups come to our center in Ilmatsalu, I play board games with them, help them with crafts, and draw pictures together. Every Thursday, we organize cooking clubs, where the young people are the main stars of the activity.

Favorite moment: On my first day at Ilmatsalu, I was greeted with applause and a heart-warming hug from two sisters who regularly attend our youth center. They said, “We already like Burak so much!” When I heard that, I realized I was already touching their hearts.

One message for the youth: Always pursue your desires. It’s better to experience them, even if they don’t have a perfect ending. Having regrets about not doing what you truly wanted is worse than experiencing it, even if the outcome is far from ideal.

If my life were a movie, the director would be Martin Scorsese, and the genre would probably be drama/musical.

news:

Youth Counselor Oksana Knjaz: “None of us has to handle everything on our own!”

Every young person has their own story, questions, and challenges. Sometimes, all it takes to move forward is for someone to help them clarify their thoughts and identify possible solutions. The youth counselors at the Tartu Youth Work Center support young people in precisely these moments, offering them the chance to talk about both everyday worries and more complex issues. Let’s meet Oksana Knjaz, a youth counselor working at our Anne House.

Design socks for the Tartu Youth Work Center!

The Tartu Youth Work Center’s sock design contest is about to begin! Design socks using the provided sock template. You can find the template here or get a paper copy from your youth worker. You can create your design by hand or digitally. Include your name, contact information, and—if you’d like—a brief explanation of your design. Submit your finished work by October 25 at the latest to helene.toomeoks@tartu.ee or give it to your youth worker.

Youth Counselor Kairi Kivaste: “My job is to listen and provide guidance, together with the young person”

There are times in a young person’s life when they don’t have to face their thoughts, worries, or questions alone. The Tartu Youth Work Center employs two youth counselors whom young people can turn to when they need someone to listen, help them make sense of a situation, and work together to find possible solutions. The youth counselors also support youth workers and help them identify and resolve

Tartu, the Youth Capital, Opens a New Playground at the Anne Youth Center

Today, October 2, at 3:00 p.m., a new playground will open in the courtyard of the Anne Youth Center (Uus 56, Tartu), providing younger visitors with more opportunities for active leisure.The playground is part of a comprehensive plan for the Anne Youth Center’s outdoor area, which is being implemented in stages. In the coming years, the plan is to develop the entire outdoor area to create a space that meets the needs of young people of all ages.

Summer Work Camp 2026: Friends, First Paychecks, and Experiences That Last a Lifetime

The summer of 2026 at the Tartu Youth Work Camp offered young people much more than just work experience. Feedback collected at the end of the camp clearly highlighted the things the young people valued most: new friends, their first earned paycheck, special experiences, and shared activities. New friends were the biggest win. Most often, the camp participants highlighted the opportunity to meet new

An interactive adventure game titled “The Lost Trail” is being created at the Ilmatsalu Youth Center based on an idea from young people

What happens when you give young people the chance to think for themselves, experiment, build, and actually bring their ideas to life? An interactive adventure game called “The Lost Trail” is currently taking shape in Ilmatsalu, and local youth have been involved in its creation from start to finish. From an idea to an actual game… It all started when some young people stopped by the youth center and complained that in Ilmatsalu there wasn’t

Tartu, the Youth Capital, Tested a Mobile Youth Work Bus

What if, instead of waiting for young people to come to the youth center, the center went to where the young people actually are? Over the past four years, the Tartu Youth Work Center has been developing mobile youth work in Tartu’s public spaces. This summer, a mobile youth work bus (the MoNo bus) was tested for the first time to see if this kind of solution would help reach young people,