Essence of youth work with vulnerable youth

We define "highly vulnerable" youth as those facing at least two major life challenges, with at least one being chronic, systemic, or particularly difficult to overcome—such as extreme poverty, abuse, or family instability. 

Through this training, participants will:

• Gain a clearer understanding of what "highly vulnerable youth" means
• Work directly with young people living in the nearby village and learn from hands-on experience
• Learn how to effectively engage highly vulnerable youth in their programs
• Use experiential learning tools, group activities, and volunteering as methods for inclusion
• Desing and facilitate meaningful learning experiences for young people
• Incorporate volunteering as a tool for working with vulnerable youth
• Facilitate learning through volunteering and explore topics related to active citizenship and democratic values
• Promote active citizenship among youth workers and learn how to address this with young people

Objectives

• Raise awareness of the impact of negative childhood experiences
• Understand how youth work can be a protective factor for those coping with difficult experiences
• Develop a basic understanding of trauma-informed approach and apply it in youth work
• Explore what builds resilience in youth workers themselves
• Clarify the roles, responsibilities, boundaries, and limitations of youth workers' competencies when supporting highly vulnerable youth.
• Identify the organizational and systemic support needed for working with this target group
• Learn the basics of safeguarding and risk management in youth programs
• Explore topics related to volunteering, active citizenship, and democratic values
• Reflect on youth workers' competencies using the ETS Competence Framework

Participant profile

• Youth workers, social workers, and other professionals—whether paid or voluntary—who have an ongoing relationship with young people.
• This includes those working in youth centers, foster homes, youth welfare services, out-of-school education programs, and similar initiatives.
• Participants should have a good level of English and be able to engage in discussions about the course topics.
• Ideally, but not necessarily, they work with vulnerable youth.

Pre-Condition for participation

1. This training is designed to help youth workers learn how to support highly vulnerable young people. While it includes professional reflection, it is not a therapy or counseling program, and it is not intended to help participants with their own mental health challenges. Instead, the focus is on developing professional skills for working with vulnerable youth.

2. Because of the sensitive topics covered, we encourage participation from professionals who feel emotionally and mentally stable enough to engage with these themes.