Estonian native culture camp brings together young Estonians from around the world

This year, a total of 46 young people with Estonian roots from 13 different countries are taking part in a summer camp Lõimeleer which dedicated to Estonian native culture.

University of Tartu Viljandi Culture Academy is organizing this kind of camp week for the second year and the interest was twice as high compared to last year, therefor the group was divided into two. The camps are located in Tääksi village and Abja parish, Viljandi County.

Anett Männiste, the Project Manager, said: "The participants are 10- to 16-year-olds and come from from. There are youths from the United States and Kyrgyzstan, but most of them still come from European countries such as Romania, the Czech Republic, Italy and Luxembourg.“

Instructors in the camps are UT Viljandi Cultural Academy’s students, several lecturers and specialists in their fields. The 7-day prgogram consist of different workshops, introduction to Estonian culture and cuisine, folk tales, dances and games. Participants also have the opportunity to interact with children living in Estonia.

"Lõimeleer helps Estonian youths strengthen their ties with their homeland, connect with their roots, learn something new and develop Estonian language skills through playful activities," said Priit-Kalev Parts, a creator of the camp.

The miller is in cooperation with NGO Noor-Abja. The project is funded by the Cultural Endowment of Estonian and the Folk Culture Centre.

Additional information: Anett Männiste, + 372 514 5775, anett.manniste@ut.ee