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What is Open Youth Work?

The common principle that ECYC members have in common is what we call "Open Youth Work".

ECYC believes that the purpose of Open Youth Work is to offer young people, on the basis of their voluntary involvement, developmental and educational experiences which will equip them to play an active part in our democratic society as well as meet their own developmental needs. Open youth work takes place in youth clubs, youth projects, youth centres, youth houses as well as on the street (through detached youth work).

Opportunities for young people through open youth work

ECYC believes that open youth work offers young people opportunities which are:

• Educative

  • Enabling young people to develop the skills, knowledge and attitudes needed to identify, advocate and pursue their rights and responsibilities as individuals and as members of groups and communities locally, nationally and internationally.
  • Designed to promote equality of opportunity through the challenging of oppressions such as racism and sexism and all those which spring from differences of culture, race, language, sexual identity, gender, disability, age, religion and class and through the celebration of the diversity and strength which arise from those differences.

• Participative

  • Through a voluntary relationship with young people in which young people are partners in the learning process and decision making structures which affect their own and other young people's lives, and their environment.

• Empowering

  • Supporting young people to understand and act on the personal, social and political issues which affect their lives, the lives of others and the communities of which they are a part.

Core values of open youth work

ECYC believes that the core values of open youth work recognise that:

• Young people have the right to identify options/choices and choose the most appropriate one for them in any given situation.
• Each young person should be given the support to achieve their full potential in a manner that has regard for the dignity and autonomy of the individual.
• Young people should be supported to develop their own values and attitudes and develop the capacity to analyse critically the world around them and to take action in response.

Characteristics of open youth work

An examination of the above purpose and values of open youth work identifies a number of characteristics which distinguish it from other forms of youth provision. These are:

• Open youth work is a planned systematic educational experience implemented outside of the formal school curriculum usually by voluntary groups and organisations.
• Open youth work promotes an experiential learning model where young people are involved in learning by doing in real life situations and reflecting in a structured manner upon the experiences encountered.
• Open youth work recognises that inequalities of opportunities exist in society and seeks to raise the level of awareness of young people about society and how to act upon it.
• Open youth work involves young people on a voluntary basis and begins with the issues and areas that are of interest and concern to them.
• Open youth work is a mutually beneficial, enjoyable and fun experience for youth workers and young people. Open youth work is a partnership between youth workers and young people involving adults working with young people, in a manner that prioritises the active participation of young people as partners in the process.
• Open youth work provides structures whereby young people participate in decision-making including planning, organising and evaluating.
• Open youth work enables communities to contribute to meeting their own needs.
• Open youth work is accessible to all young people irrespective of their race, culture, religion or belief, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status or disability.