What is Youth Work?

Youth work is an educational practice:

What this means is that youth work is non-traditional learning opportunities outside of the classroom. Through different clubs, activities, and programs, youth workers work with youth using different techniques and in a variety of settings to help youth learn and grow.

Youth work is a social practice:

Youth workers often work in group settings to help nurture social interaction and involvement with peers, families, and communities. Since many youth work programs or opportunities have smaller groups,and socialization is encouraged among youth, youth have more opportunities to get to know others through various activities and icebreakers.

Youth workers actively challenge inequality and work towards social justice:

I think what this means is that it is so important as a youth worker to be mindful of inequality among youth and to do everything you can to provide equal opportunities among all youth through various programs.

Where possible, young people choose to be involved:

Unlike traditional school settings, youth have more of a choice to what kind of youth work programs they would like to be involved in. I believe this gives youth more of an opportunity to pursue their passions and have more freedom to express themselves and be creative.

Youth work seeks to strengthen the voice and influence of young people:

I related this point to the work that we did in YDEV 250 with TALL U. Youth were always given an opportunity to express themselves and their feelings through a variety of mediums, such as dance or a play. Social issues that affected the TALL U students were discussed and they got involved in the community to voice their opinions, such as going to the state house to speak out about gun control and police brutality.

Youth work is a welfare practice:

Youth work is often a way to provide services and opportunities that may not be available in a school setting. Giving youth another space to learn, socialize, and have youth workers to talk with or confide in is important to the welfare of youth.

Youth work work with young people holistically:

In many of my social work courses we discuss a "strengths based perspective". It is important as a youth worker to know the youth you work with, and to recognize their strengths and get to know them. Focusing only on the issues they may be dealing with can make them feel alienated and misunderstood, and could have a negative impact on them.