Date: 21 January 2025
Location: Kuressaare, Estonia
Host organization: Saaremaa Youth Work Centre (Saaremaa Noorsootöö Keskus)
The Youth Work in Schools (YWIS) project kicked off 2025 with an inspiring local training course titled “Motivaarikas”, held in Kuressaare, Estonia. The event brought together over 60 participants from Saaremaa’s schools, including student council members, youth workers, teachers, principals, and youth welfare specialists.
The main goal of the training was to share good practices from the YWIS Good Practices Handbook and provide practical tools that can be adapted for youth work in schools and other educational environments.
Photo: Renat Ränk
The day began with a warm welcome by Liis Kaal, who introduced the Youth Work in Schools project and its objectives. The opening presentation was followed by Mariliis Oder, an experienced school youth worker, educator, and principal of Kohta-Nõmme School. She spoke about the importance of youth work within schools — highlighting motivation, student initiative, and the role of youth participation in building stronger school communities.
After the introductions, participants divided into six interactive workshops, each focusing on a key YWIS theme:
- 🧠 Youth Well-being – “American Mountains” (led by Eve Aasa)
- 👥 Tasks of the Youth Welfare Specialist and Other Professions (led by Heili)
- 🌱 Sustainability in Fashion (led by Katre & Merilin)
- 🌍 Erasmus+: International Opportunities for Youth (led by Laura & Diana)
- 🏛️ Democracy in School – Inclusive Budgeting (led by Liis)
- 🎶 Community Engagement – Musical Chairs (led by Marie & Merle)
These sessions encouraged active participation, teamwork, and creativity — allowing students and youth workers to explore how non-formal learning methods can be applied in schools.
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Photo: Renat Ränk
After a dynamic afternoon of discussions and collaborative activities, the event concluded with a reflection and feedback session led by Liis Kaal.
💬 Feedback and Results
The workshop received excellent feedback, with 96.6% of respondents rating their overall satisfaction as “good” or “excellent.” Participants praised the engaging content, the quality of materials, and the preparedness of speakers and facilitators.
Favorite workshops included “Musical Chairs” (community engagement), “American Mountains” (well-being), and “Erasmus+ Opportunities”. Many participants highlighted the value of teamwork, friendly atmosphere, and the opportunity to express their opinions and make new friends.
Suggestions for the future included offering more movement-based activities, longer or fewer workshops, and possibly starting the event earlier — though several participants simply said, “Everything was perfect!”
“It was a great pleasure for the Saaremaa Youth Work Centre to organize this training for student council members and their mentors. The enthusiasm and ideas shared show how much potential there is in connecting youth work and education,” said Liis Kaal, project coordinator from Saaremaa Youth Work Centre.
The Motivaarikas training course was another successful step in the YWIS project’s mission to strengthen youth participation, promote non-formal learning, and build bridges between schools and youth work across Europe.