From June 12 to 13, the tourism and recreation center Taevaskoja in Võru County hosted summer days for young people, with nearly 80 participants aged 10 to 18 years.
The summer days began with the raising of the flag. This honor was given to young people who had participated in the Võru County youth summer days the most number of times.
Young people from Võru County took part in a diverse program during the summer days and participated in workshops focusing on culture, creativity, environment, and cooperation:
- They familiarized themselves with both Võru and Seto culture - guided by Kristi Vals, a cultural specialist from Võru County Development Center;
- They prepared various dishes themselves - guided by Ludmilla Rooberg and Liina Loosaar;
- They learned about fishing and cooked fish together - guided by Tanel Velga;
- They danced different cultural dances - guided by Diana Asur;
- They hiked and learned how to survive in the forest without a phone - guided by Lasse Virolainen;
- They engaged in creative design - guided by Karolin Eks;
- They worked with 3D printing and laser engraving - guided by Urmas Ott.
In addition, the Võrumaa Youth Initiative Fund was introduced to parents, young people, and youth workers, and an interesting and engaging color game took place. The evening was entertained by the Nedsaja village band, with the young people dancing and singing along joyfully. The young people also tested their knowledge of Võru and Seto words, which was won by Victoria Värton, who wrote down the most words with meanings.
The second day of the summer days started with morning exercises led by Asko Saarepuu, the sports coordinator of the Võru Parish Cultural and Youth Center. The movement continued with a fun three-kilometer hike in Taevaskoja led by Asko Saarepuu and hiking guide Taavi Nagel. The theme of the hike was based on the movie "Viimne reliikvia" (The Last Relic), where young people staged and filmed one scene from the movie inspired by the improvisation of Ruutu10. The hike ended with a treasure hunt.
While the young people were hiking with the guides, the youth workers from Võru County attended a training session on trauma-informed and trust-based intervention led by Pille Kriisa.
At the end of the summer days, helpers were thanked and the best participants were recognized. After lowering the flag, the relay baton was handed over to the Rõuge Youth Work Center, which will organize the next year's county youth summer days.
