Inclusion Indicators

Description of the tool

Inclusion is currently a hot topic in the European youth sector, but what does the word "inclusion" actually mean? Discussions on inclusion can sometimes be vague and theoretical. What does inclusion lok like in practice? Are there different kinds of inclusion? Why actually has the power to include?

The exercise consists of three phases: individual work, small group work, and a final debriefing in plenary. In the first phase, participants work individually and try to answer the following questions:

1. In your work / in your organisation, when do you consider a young person to be successfully "included"? Name 3 concrete indicators that show a young person has been included.
2. Describe the process and the steps you use to help your young people reach this includion (describe the process you use).

Each person should record their answers on a flipchart. When everyone is ready, the participants are divided into small groups of 2 or 3 persons to share and compare their results. (The more diverse the group, the more nteresting this phase will be.) In the final phase, the participants are brought together again in the plenary where the results are presented and the group is given the chance to react on the outcomes.

The exercise shows that inclusion is not only a vague concept. Inclusion can be tangible and it can be recognised IF the goal to be reached is properly defined. It is important to remember that "inclusion" takes different forms depending on our local situation and the needs of the individual young person. Inclusion does not always take the form of high achievements (e.g. successfully beating an addition). Inclusion can be just as powerful in other forms (e.g. a young perosn takes a bus across the ity, attends a week of school, pays their own way, or even just decides to smile).