Street based Youth work

Aims & objectives

The main aim of the training was to strengthen youth workers’ competences for planning and implementing street-based youth work.

The objectives were to:

understand the definition and basic principles of street-based youth work;
explore the role of public spaces, young people’s free time and informal gathering places;
understand the different phases of street-based youth work;
explore ethical principles, dilemmas and challenges connected with working with young people in public spaces;
learn from existing street-work practices;
develop methods for approaching and starting interaction with young people;
identify suitable locations and observe the local environment before starting street work;
design “triggers” and activities that can help youth workers establish contact with young people;
plan concrete street-work interventions;
implement street youth work directly in Idrija;
reflect on the experience and identify how participants could transfer the approach to their own organisations.

Target group & international/intercultural composition of the group & team

The target group consisted of youth workers interested in developing their competences in street-based and outreach youth work.

The training was international. Participants introduced themselves by name and country, and the programme also included international evenings as part of the intercultural learning process.

20 international participants came from:
Bulgaria
Greece
Poland
Czechia
Slovenia

Training methods used & main activities

The training was strongly based on non-formal and experiential learning, combining theory, group work, practical exercises and direct street-work experience.

Methods included:

icebreakers and team-building activities;
expectation setting and group agreements;
interactive theoretical inputs;
pair work, small-group work and plenary discussions;
analysis of existing street-work practices;
case-based assignments;
group work on the elements and phases of street youth work;
ethical dilemma exercises and discussions;
observation of public spaces and field mapping;
practical preparation of street-work interventions;
development of “triggers” for approaching and engaging young people;
direct implementation of street-based youth work in Idrija;
peer learning;
daily reflection;
final evaluation.

For example, participants worked in groups to explore the role of public spaces, young people and free-time activities, presented their conclusions and discussed them together. They also worked with the different phases of street youth work and explored ethical principles through practical scenarios and discussion.

Outcomes of the activity

The training enabled participants to develop both theoretical knowledge and practical experience in street-based youth work.

As a result of the activity, participants:

developed a clearer understanding of street-based youth work and its main principles;
became familiar with examples of established street-work practices;
explored the phases and ethical principles of street youth work;
learned how to observe and analyse public spaces before starting an intervention;
developed activities and triggers for approaching young people;
planned concrete street-work activities;
directly interacted with young people at selected locations in Idrija;
gained practical experience in adapting their approach to real situations;
reflected on the challenges and opportunities of street-based youth work;
developed ideas for transferring street-work methods to their own organisations and communities.

One of the main indicators of success was that participants were able to move from theoretical learning to planning and implementing actual street-based youth work during the training itself.

Your tasks and responsibilities within the team

I worked as a trainer throughout the training and was actively involved in both the theoretical and practical parts of the learning process.

My responsibilities included:

facilitating the opening, group-building and expectation-setting process;
introducing street-based youth work and its theoretical foundations;
presenting examples of existing street-work practices;
facilitating sessions on the elements and phases of street youth work;
facilitating discussions about ethical principles, dilemmas and challenges;
supporting participants in analysing public spaces and preparing for field work;
facilitating the development of triggers and activities for approaching young people;
supporting participants in planning their street-work interventions;
preparing participants for direct street youth work in Idrija;
supporting the practical implementation of street-work activities;
facilitating daily reflections throughout the training;
facilitating the final evaluation together with the other trainer;
supporting participants in connecting their learning with future projects and work in their organisations.

I worked on this training for 6 days as a full time trainer.