Lääne-Virumaa Youth Work Conference

On 12 November, as part of National Youth Work Week, a county-level conference for the youth sector will take place in Rakvere. Everyone who works with young people or is interested in the youth sector is welcome. Since the theme of Youth Work Week in 2026 is “Beside Young People. For Real”, our sessions will also focus on understanding young people, self-care and finding opportunities for cooperation.

Programme:
9:00–12:00, dance hall, 2nd floor: ENLi Youth Participation Flight Academy
9:30–9:50, Chamber Hall: arrival, registration and welcome coffee
9:50: Welcome remarks
10:00–12:00: MTÜ Sa Suudad lecture on young people’s risk behaviour, prevention and intervention
12:00–12:30: Lunch at Võlu café
12:40–14:15: Workshops (topics and facilitators will be announced by the end of October)
14:15–16:00: Merilin Mandel (Sotsiaalmeedikud) on burnout and self-care
16:00–17:00: Open space for discussions and a wrap-up of the day

The organiser reserves the right to make changes to the programme.

Merilin Mandel will speak at the event about burnout and self-care. The self-care training focuses on the basics of mental health and practical self-care. We will explore how to recognise signs of excessive stress and burnout in ourselves and others, and discuss realistic ways to prevent them, both individually and at community level. Throughout the training, we will also examine myths and stigmas related to mental health and discuss what self-care can look like in everyday life.

Britten Kasekamp, head of MTÜ Traumateadlik Eesti, will lead an interactive training workshop on a trauma-informed approach.

Eesti Noorteühenduste Liit invites municipalities to take part in the Youth Participation Flight Academy, a practical, collaborative learning day held as a separate workshop during the event. Its aim is to rapidly and effectively strengthen young people’s voice and participation in the county, based on the region’s actual needs and opportunities. It is intended for everyone who wants to develop youth participation in their area.

We welcome young people, youth workers, municipal officials, youth council members, student council representatives and others involved in the youth sector. Bringing together different perspectives creates the strongest basis for cooperation. Where possible, each participating municipality should be represented by all three target groups: young people, youth workers and municipal representatives. Their shared participation makes it possible to consider the same questions from different perspectives and develop inclusive solutions.

The first part of the programme focuses on good participation in practice. Participants will work together with people from their municipality to address different challenges. This helps them understand what effective youth engagement involves and how to develop solutions that take account of all parties’ opportunities and needs. The workshop lasts three hours and is the first half of the programme. Participants will agree on a follow-up day to complete the rest of the programme.