The activity locations of the Tartu Youth Work Centre impress with their versatility.

January 3, 2020

Three open youth rooms for young people, youth work camp, excursions, training courses, local and international projects, volunteer work, and support for youth initiatives.

These are the opportunities that the Tartu Youth Work Center offers to young people active in the city of Tartu.

Along with the administrative reform, much has changed for young people, in addition to the city's physical borders. As of this year, Ilmatsalu Youth Center is one of Tartu city's open youth centers, and engaging the local youth there has been a challenge for youth workers. Nevertheless, visitor statistics show a clear interest among local youth in the youth center's activities, and the motivation of youth workers has also brought young people to Ilmatsalu from surrounding areas and the city.

Nevertheless, changes in youth work are daily, and youth workers often find themselves racing against them. Free county-wide transport brings an increasing number of young people to the centers from surrounding municipalities. With the implementation of street youth work and the change of seasons, more and more young people find their way from urban spaces to centers to escape the weather. The interests and desires of young people also change faster than the weather and seasons.

The Tartu Youth Work Centre was established in May 2018 as a sub-institution of the city government, succeeding the former Lille Maja and Anne Youth Centre, and today, the founders of the institution have acknowledged the correctness of their decision. The Centre has successfully established itself, with each activity location finding its own direction, thereby significantly reducing the duplication of activities and competition for numbers.

At Lille Youth Centre, the focus is on youth health, approaching it as holistically as possible through various components: mental, environmental, physical, social, spiritual, and emotional. Anne Youth Centre follows its own path in youth employment, coordinating Tartu's youth work camp. In addition to gaining initial work experience, young people at Anne Youth Centre acquire broader knowledge about career and working life topics. The excellent opportunities for outdoor activities located in the immediate vicinity of Ilmatsalu Youth Centre have greatly provided motivation and opportunities for launching the centre's nature education focus area. Adventurous survival camps, hikes, and daily recreational activities have successfully launched the youth centre with a nature education focus. Thus, each centre, when viewed from the side, follows its own path, yet all centres operate as a unified whole based on teamwork, offering diverse opportunities for young people with different interests.

news:

A mobile youth center will be on the move in Tartu this summer

From June 1 to September 1, the Tartu Youth Work Center is launching the MoNo bus—a youth center on wheels—as part of a pilot project, bringing youth work to young people at their everyday gathering places. It is a specially adapted van designed to provide young people with a safe and supportive environment in areas where youth work services are currently unavailable or where young people cannot easily access them on a daily basis. MoNo

Youth workers from the Tartu Youth Work Center on a study trip to Portugal

From April 19–26, youth workers from the Tartu Youth Work Center participated in a study trip to Lisbon, Portugal, as part of the Erasmus+ program, to learn about local street youth work methods, non-formal education, and ways to support young people in the NEET situation. Study trips give youth workers the opportunity to step outside their usual work environment for a moment, learn about different practices, and bring the knowledge and effective solutions they gain back to their own community (Pavlakias and

Tartu Youth Work Center Study Tour Seminar: Bringing Together Knowledge from Around the World

This spring, the staff of the Tartu Youth Work Center went on two study trips: one to Cologne, Germany, and the other to Lisbon, Portugal. On June 3, from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m., we will gather in the NOKK room on the second floor of the Anne Youth Center (Uus 56, Tartu) for an information seminar on this year’s study trips. We invite all youth workers, activity leaders, and interested city residents from Tartu, Tartu County, and beyond to our information seminar,

“Let’s start a green-thumbed club!”

With the arrival of spring, there’s a growing desire to be outdoors and do something interesting—something that brings joy, excitement, and sparks curiosity. At the Lillekese Youth Center, we’ve found gardening to be the perfect activity for this. We started one Wednesday by weeding the flower bed in front of the Lille House gate. We divided up the tasks on the spot—one person weeds here, another

The Voice of Youth in the Action Plan

Actively involving young people in developing the youth center’s action plan is an important step in fostering their sense of participation and responsibility. Children aged 7–11 are able to successfully express their interests and ideas when provided with a safe and supportive environment. One effective way to do this is through a monthly brainstorming session, during which young people can freely suggest activities and topics. Young people’s opinions matter and have a real impact on the life of the youth center. In addition to the idea generator, it is important to gather ongoing feedback on daily activities to understand what resonates with young people and what needs to be changed. The youth worker’s role here is to guide: to help make ideas more concrete, then link them to an action plan, and involve partners as needed. Even with younger children, simple tools such as voting, drawing, or discussion circles can be used. In a young person’s life, everything changes very quickly: what was relevant two weeks ago

Come work with us this summer – 0.5 FTE mobile youth worker

Mobile Youth Worker (0.5 FTE) For the period June 1 – August 31 Job responsibilities: establishing contact and communicating with young people on the street and in other public places; carrying out youth work activities in the mobile youth work bus; introducing opportunities to young people and supporting them in finding suitable activities; assisting youth workers at the youth center as needed. Requirements for the candidate: higher education (may be in progress); good communication and planning

Students from Annelinna High School visited the Lille Youth Center

The Lille Youth Center, part of the Tartu Youth Work Center, offers young people a wide range of opportunities for participation and personal development. Schools are welcome to visit us for project days or to encourage their students to join our clubs. The clubs operating at the Lille Youth Center include the Hiking Club, Cooking Club, Book Club, Career Club, and the sex education club “Seks vä?”. In addition, we organize city-wide major events, where we welcome young people to actively participate in the organizing teams.