Youth workers need …

to create an enabling and trustful environment that is actively inclusive, empowering and socially engaging, creative and safe, fun and serious, playful and planned.

If young people should want to engage and take responsibility, there needs to be a vivid and inspiring environment filled with positive energy. An environment that is open for testing various activities and initiatives and where they feel comfortable in investing time and energy, knowing that it is the spirit, not the actual results, that count.

Do you agree on what this means in practice?
Do you agree on to what degree youth work meets this bullet point?
Here you find the questions you need to discuss to find out!

If you think that this is something you need to work on, click the “Add to development agenda” button below. You will then find your agenda on your personal page and be able to start a development process.

Please note!
If you start a development process related to this bullet point you will find the below questions also under the page “Discuss and assess”. There you will also be able to take notes.

Questions to discuss

Is there a local vivid and open-minded youth work atmosphere where young people can and feel welcome to explore, initiate and engage in various types of activities in various ways?
Is local youth work flexible and ready to adjust its organisation and practice to new ideas and interests of young people?
What are the risks if youth work is not having all these various characteristics?

References & tips

”In order to facilitate these outcomes, youth work should create an enabling environment that is actively inclusive and socially engaging, creative and safe, fun and serious, playful and planned. It should be characterised by accessibility, openness and flexibility and at the same time promote dialogue between young people and the rest of society. It should focus on young people and create spaces for association and bridges to support transition to adulthood and autonomy.”
Council of Europe, Recommendation CM/Rec(2017)4 of the Committee of Ministers to member States on youth work, 2017