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While in school, classmates Anneli Virts and Mira Eveliina Ralli ran the school newspaper. After graduation, they faced challenges navigating the "adult world": university systems, job applications, taxes, making new friends, and more. They also wondered how to integrate into Estonian-speaking society after attending a Russian-language school. To help themselves and others overcome these challenges, the two friends decided to create a new media project. As the project grew, they brought together a small team of like-minded people who shared their vision and helped shape SHUM into what it is today. The project became a source of information about various aspects of life in Estonia and a platform for gaining experience in journalism, design, photography, podcasting, and other creative pursuits. SHUM also aims to help Russian-speaking youth integrate and better understand Estonian-speaking society, bridging the gap between the two communities.
“Mom, I’m an Adult Already” is an educational project in the format of a series of lectures and practical workshops for young people taking their first steps into adult life. The format combines lectures and interactive meetings aimed at providing useful knowledge and skills for the transition to independence.
- To equip young people with practical skills and information useful in “adult” life.
- To create a safe space for questions and peer-to-peer exchange.
- To attract a young audience to regular educational activities organised by SHUM.
The project is being implemented as a series of offline lectures. The first lecture has already taken place — the topic was healthcare. A medical expert was invited to give an introduction to the Estonian healthcare system and to answer participants’ questions.
“Where Am I?” is a project presenting interviews and stories about the experiences of people in emigration and related social topics. SHUM was invited as one of the speakers and content creators for this initiative.
- To highlight personal, often overlooked, stories of emigration in Estonia.
- To support the integration of newcomers into the Estonian-language educational system.
A publication was created about the challenges of education in a non-native language. Additionally, we organised an online meeting with the project’s audience, where we discussed digital safety and online wellbeing.
An intensive two-day programme followed by online feedback sessions.
Objectives: to create a highly interactive camp aimed at enhancing media literacy and digital literacy among young people.
Methods: lectures, hands-on assignments, games, discussions, polls, group work, and a Telegram chat for interactive exercises and ongoing communication.
- Day 1: introduction and icebreakers; lectures on digital and news literacy; group exercises identifying AI-generated content; analysis of fake news; training in media analysis.
- Day 2: lectures on social media, algorithms, and privacy; discussions on toxic online comments; fundamentals of digital content creation; group work on participants’ own media ideas and projects.
Participants highly valued the intensive format, interactive activities, and relevance of topics (particularly the impact of AI on media). Many noted the welcoming atmosphere and the opportunity to make new friends and useful contacts.
In addition to the key projects, SHUM continued to publish regular media content:
- Collaborative projects with other NGOs (such as “Where Am I?” and Q-space).
- Monthly posts highlighting key cultural and social events.
- Thematic materials on culture, science, and everyday life in Estonia.
