A look back at the youth area of Car-Free Avenue

Grete Sarap

 

From July 9 to August 8, young people had their very own youth area in the Tartu Car-Free Avenue area, where many exciting activities took place every day from Monday to Sunday.

There were activities for every taste: from creative thinking to active sports. In between, there were developmental workshops, city-wide games, scientific discoveries, introductions to music, and more. Of course, young people could also simply relax, play, interact with youth workers, and spend quality time with peers in the youth center area.
The summer activities were favored by pleasantly warm summer weather, which brought many young people daily. Every Thursday, young people could refresh themselves with ice cream and enjoy evening musical performances by various young musicians, bands, and DJs. Many had not heard about the youth center's year-round activities, and naturally, we welcome all new and old friends to the Anne, Lille, and Ilmatsalu youth centers after the summer youth center closes.

For the first ten days, the youth area also hosted the Tõrukiosk, organized by students of Tartu Tamme School, where young people managed the cafe excellently and treated Tartu residents to delicious food and drinks. Running the cafe provided the young people with valuable work and entrepreneurial experience.

The entire Autovabaduse pst youth program and activities were free for participants. The large number of visitors and positive feedback from young people provided encouragement to organize the outdoor youth center in subsequent years as well.

Until then, a pleasant end to summer to everyone, and we'll meet again at next year's summer youth center!

 

Additional information:

Grete Sarap

Tartu Youth Work Center

Director of Tartu Youth Work Centre

grete.sarap@raad.tartu.ee

+372 53 462 889

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.

Read more »

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.

Read more »

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

Read more »

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.

Read more »

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

Read more »

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

Read more »

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,

Read more »