SHORT SUMMARY:
Chief Specialist in Youth Work and Hobby Education in Municipality of Saaremaa gave her opinion about the youth school work in Saaremaa. She highlights all important aspects of school youth work and she gives an overview of what she thinks makes school youth work special in Saaremaa.
Involving young people in school life has a positive effect on the development of young
people, the acquisition of various skills, supports young people’s initiative and enables them
to realize their ideas. In the schools of the Saaremaa municipality, there are the school’s youth
workers, whose role is to form a meaningful action plan from all possible initiatives and
events. This requires competences in very different areas, as they organize various events,
organize the work of hobby education, student representatives, projects and programs
(including international cooperation). Hobby education leaders started in Estonian schools in
the 1990s after the restoration of Estonia’s independence.
It is important that formal education and non-formal education reach out to each other and
step on the same foot, because cooperation starts from integration. Youth work has a lot to
offer to the school, and in their daily work, school`s youth workers focus on organizing youth
work based on the needs and possibilities of the school.
Youth information reaching young people through the school’s information channels also
plays an important role, so that young people get timely and relevant reliable information that
interests them, in order to navigate between different options and make better and more
informed decisions. In this way, young people get to know their interests, career and study
opportunities and get the best social backpack from school.
In the schools of Saaremaa municipality, young people have the opportunity to participate in
extracurricular work, i.e. various hobby education options are operating at the schools – be it
music, art, culture, science and technology, sports, dance and exercise or. All hobby
education options in our municipality are gathered in a register, so that all interested parties
have an overview of what options are offered in the municipality.
School youth workers and youth workers of open youth centers cooperate a lot – every year
there are many traditional as well as new student events where young people get involved –
drama days, acting and singing competitions, conferences, participation cafe and motivational
events. In addition to all of these, schools have many international cooperation projects that
diversify and enrich school life. In the municipality of Saaremaa, a common calendar plan,
which reflects all the important events, projects and initiatives of the school life of our
municipality, assists specialists working with young people to plan their work.
Student councils are an important part of school youth work, which stand up for the interests
of students and promote cooperation between students, teachers and school management.
Through the student council, students can express their opinion and actively participate in school life, thus we cultivate a democratic way of thinking, encourage discussion and create
opportunities to make everyday school life interesting.
Students participate as volunteers in the organization of various events and activities.
Voluntary contribution provides a good foundation for independent life and entering the labor
market, but the greatest value is still that it raises positive, caring and inspiring leaders for
young people.
In conclusion, it can be said that the school’s youth work and hobby education leader have a
key role to connect the community through school events and to shape the school culture
through the involvement of young people. The well-being and satisfaction of young people is
certain if the school’s youth work is based on the principles of youth work, to do youth work
with young people and for young people.
Lindia Lallo
Chief Specialist in Youth Work and Hobby Education
Municipality of Saaremaa
Estonia
