Youth work story telling workshop

Venue, date, times, etc.

Overall purpose and aims

Through the process of describing and analysing an example of practice, participants will be encouraged to:

reflect critically on if and how this is ‘youth work’;
explore what youth work practice means for them in their current work settings;
consider whether there is a need for an on-going local ‘alliance’ for youth workers;
contribute ideas and suggestions for IDYW’s future role and activity.

Programme Total time: c. 2.5- 3 hours

20 mins Full group

75-90 mins Small groups

TASK

Describe an example of your practice which represents you practising as a youth worker

3-4 participants’ give brief (2-3 minute) outlines of relevant ‘stories’

The group chooses one story for fuller description and analysis

The chosen story is described in detail

The group questions the story-teller to:

– as necessary, provide more information etc;

– clarify key processes, worker’s interventions, dilemmas and uncertainties, possible outcomes, what was ‘unfinished’, etc;

– in relation to the IDYW ‘cornerstones of youth work’ (over) – clarify how/how far this was – and/or was not – distinctively youth work.

15-20 mins Break

60 mins Small groups/full group exercise

Sustaining and developing youth work

– Are you trying to do this?

– If so, how?

Post-its re actions; possibilities; barriers

Key messages from the workshop:

– For individuals

– For IDYW

– For any local collective work

The IDYW ‘cornerstones’ of youth work

The primacy of the voluntary principle; the freedom for young people to enter into and withdraw from Youth Work as they so wish.
A commitment to conversations with young people which start from their concerns … out of which opportunities for new learning and experience can be created.
The importance of association, of fostering supportive relationships, of encouraging the development of autonomous groups and ‘the sharing of a common life’.
A commitment to valuing and attending to the here-and-now of young people’s experience rather than just focusing on ‘transitions’.
An insistence upon a democratic practice, within which every effort is made to ensure that young people play the fullest part in making decisions about anything affecting them.
The continuing necessity of recognising that young people are not a homogeneous group and that issues of class, gender, race, sexuality, disability and faith remain central.
The essential significance of the youth worker themselves, whose outlook, integrity and autonomy is at the heart of fashioning a serious yet humorous, improvisatory yet rehearsed educational practice with young people.