FOCUS: Learning

JUGEND für Europa (JfE) - the German, Jaunatnes starptautisko programmu aģentūra (JSPA) - the Latvian, Agenzia nazionale per i giovani (ANG) - the Italian and Léargas - the Irish National Agency of Erasmus+: YOUTH in close cooperation with SALTO Training & Cooperation Resource Centre invite colleagues involved in youth worker training and education to participate in the dissemination conference FOCUS: Learning - Concepts and practices in youth work education and training!

A team of writers/trainers in cooperation with experts and university representatives have produced a publication on learning in youth work. This has been developed into an online platform with easy to access and use audio-visual and downloadable resources (podcasts, videos, flash cards/presentations, leaflets and posters). Each of these resources explores further the concept and practice of learning in youth work and provides a unique perspective on learning in youth work as developed over the last years at European level.  Each chapter explores a different aspect to learning in youth work, describing the role of the youth worker, different concepts and practises in youth work and how learning is transferred from concept to practice.

FOCUS: Learning will be of primary interest to trainers, educators and lecturers involved in the education and training of youth workers – be it in NGOs, institutions, universities... It is also of relevance to the wider community of practice who are connected to youth worker trainers, including youth workers, youth work managers, policy makers, researchers, institutional representatives and so on.

The aim of FOCUS: Learning is to promote and explore the concept of learning in youth work in its collective and individual dimension.

With the conference the organisers intend to… 

• promote and explore youth work practice where the facilitation of learning is a fundamental principle,
• explore the idea of youth workers as facilitators of learning,
• seek for complementarity between sectors and facilitate dialogue with different perspectives on the concept of learning in youth work, and
• reflect on how this material and audio-visual tools can be applied in the education and training of youth workers across Europe and beyond.

FOCUS: Learning will take place on 2-3 September 2021 in the online Zoom environment, and it will bring together colleagues from different youth work education and training contexts coming from European and neighbouring partner countries. 

Programme (planned): 

Thursday, 2 September 2021: 

10 – 13 h CET: Background and framework of the project

14.30 – 16 h CET: Open session

Friday, 3 September 2021: 

10 – 13 h CET: Focus on how the materials can be used

Background: The DE, LV, IT and IE NAs and SALTO T&C RC have been cooperating for several years in projects around the recognition of non-formal and informal learning and providing quality training and resources: YOCOMO, Level up and Time to show off. In these training opportunities,  youth workers have been trained based on the concepts of recognising learning and facilitating the learning processes of young people and youth workers based on competence models. FOCUS: Learning is another milestone in bringing together different perspectives on learning and the facilitation of learning.

Attention: Please note an online follow-up FOCUS: Learning conference is already planned for the 20 and 21 December 2021. During this second conference there will be more space to deepen knowledge and experience with learning processes and the potential use of the materials and resources.