Youth Work Introduction

1. Youth work in an educational practice:

• Youth workers and educators have a lot in common. Both teach children valuable life lessons that they will carry with them for the rest of their lives. Youth workers use different settings, conversations, methods, and activities to stimulate a different kind of learning. Youth workers are in place to help them make a better path for themselves to follow for the rest of their lives.

2. Youth work in a social practice:

• This approach is more of a "case-manager/case-worker" approach. This deals with guidance of youth, personal information/building personal relationships, and advice to those in need. I have been working as a Direct-Support Professional at an Arts Based Day-Program for youth and adults with disabilities and I have had to take on this roll quite often. I believe it is very effective because people are always looking for someone to be the "voice of reason" for them. 

3. Youth workers challenge inequality:

• As youth workers it is our job to embrace differences in everyone we work with. It is said in the reading that, "most youth work takes place in the context of social injustice, often with young people and others who are on the margins, excluded by a number of personal, cultural, and structural barriers (Thompson 2006)". Even if you are unable to relate in a general way you must be open minded and make yourself understand any possible oppressions that the individual or group may be facing. 

4. Young people choose to be involved:

• Youth work and after-school activities are the fun part of being a kid. I can remember getting ready for dance after a long day at school and being so excited. Youth participate in activities and groups because they are interested and want to, not necessarily because they have to. Informal education that takes place after the school bell rings, is just as important as sitting at a desk every day.

5. Strengthen and influence voice of youth:

• Giving youth a voice is the most important part of being a youth worker. It shows that you are there for the children in ways that others haven't been able to. You are working with them on self-empowerment, participation within the community, building relationships with others that they did not know they could have.

6. Youth is a welfare practice:

• It is said in the reading that youth workers, "often not always, work with young people experiencing greater needs or in higher deprivation". We will work to solve problems while finding a balance of working towards pre-determined goals and the promotion of informal education with youth. 

7. Holistically working with youth:

• We as youth workers with work and try to find the "underlying issues" that are embedded within the children that we may be working with. Working holistically means treating the person as a whole rather than just fixing the problem at the surface.