Gems of Youth Work

Why you should not drink coffee before recording a podcast and why having a blanket over yourself for better sound does not really work? What should be your “to-do” list before starting an international project and how to even start? Join us in this final episode of "Gems of Youth Work" as we reflect on our Erasmus+ project and share the inside scoop on how we created the podcast series. From the initial idea to the selection of guests, we will take you through the process step by step, sharing our key learnings and insights along the way. Discover the hidden gems that we uncovered throughout our journey and gain valuable knowledge and inspiration for your own youth work projects. Don't miss out on this insightful finale of our podcast series! “Gems of Youth Work” is a project funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Commission through Euroopa Noored by Shokkin Group International, EduEra, Ticket2Europe and #Coobra.

What happens when you let children and young people decide what to do with one million euro? What is the Viennese children and youth strategy? And why is it good to transfer practices between Austria and Australia? Alexandra Beweis, head of “WIENXTRA-Stadtbox”, and Nada Taha Ali Mohamed, project collaborator of „Junges Wien“, have been involved in key positions in the implementation of the Viennese children and youth strategy. They share with us their experiences and lessons lealearned in coordinating children and youth parliaments, participatory co-creation processes, and the provision of a participatory budget directly at the disposition of children and youth. LINKS AND RESOURCES: https://www.wienxtra.at/stadtbox/ https://junges.wien.gv.at/en/ https://junges.wien.gv.at/wp-content/uploads/sites/48/2022/08/Strategie_EN_Download_neuesVW.pdf

Do we still understand street art as vandalism? How much work goes into promoting legal murals? What is the role of youth leaders and young people in moving attitudes towards accepting brighter neighbourhoods? A passionate young street artist and newly emerged youth leader Emilia Sabirova shares her experience coordinating an international youth exchange that brought lots of bright colours into a soviet neighbourhood.

How to strengthen local youth work? What is the role municipalities can play in that, and how to establish good cooperation with them? Why is dialogue always relevant? And how can we use the European Charter on Local Youth Work and the Changemakers Kit to ensure quality in local youth work? Judit Balogh is project coordinator of Europe Goes Local (EGL) at JINT, the Flemish National Agency for ERASMUS+ and the European Solidarity Corps. Europe Goes Local has been incepted in 2016 and is the longest standing strategic cooperation project among National Agencies. Judit has been there since the start and explains what are the offers and benefits of Europe Goes Local for youth work. More info on Europe Goes Local can be found here: website: https://europegoeslocal.eu/ facebook: https://www.facebook.com/europegoeslocal

What if we say that anyone can draw? How many are comfortable with using visuals to create systems and help our brain to understand concepts? How can visuals help us to engage others? Jaanika Siiroja, trainer and visual facilitator in the youth work and education fields, shares her experience in using visuals, symbols, and simple shapes to communicate better.

Why do future car mechanics benefit from learning mobilities and training approaches from youth work? How to combine the best of the worlds of formal and non-formal education for the sake of young people? How to bring sustainability to youth work via cross-sectorial co-operation? Why is it good to establish long-term partnerships with vocational schools? Mariusz Librowski, a Poland-based entrepreneur and youth work manager, founder, and president of SPARK Foundation, shares his experiences of working with all options and sectors of the ERASMUS program, and why his heart stayed with Vocational Education and Training (VET). LINKS AND RESOURCES Fundacja Akcelerator Obywatelski Spark info@fundacjaspark.com www.fundacjaspark.com

What if improvisation is the key to authentic communication? Is there a way to learn about oneself when learning to improvise? How do you invite people to leave the safe space of plans into the unknown of improvisation? In our latest episode, we get to hear about all that from Mafalda Morganti, a trainer in the field of youth work who uses a lot of improvisation and theatre techniques in her work with young people and youth workers.

What is art with a small “a”, and what is art with a big ”A”? What does it mean to take art seriously and still have fun? And what on earth is puppeteering? Dagna Gmitrowicz, a Berlin-based artist and forest therapy guide shares her experiences of applying art in youth work. LINKS AND RESOURCES Dagna Gmitrowicz - art www.dagnaart.com “Colours of feelings and needs” - https://cardsoffeelings.wixsite.com/cards Marionettes in public space (tutorials on how to build marionettes) - https://marionetteinpublic.wixsite.com/project

How can roleplay games build awareness about climate change? Where do you start from when building edu-larp scenarios? How to keep the whole process safe and sane? In the first episode of our last podcast season, Zbyszek Janczukowicz, founder of Nausika Educational Foundation, shares his passion for educational live action roleplay games. LINKS AND RESOURCES: Nausika Foundation https://www.facebook.com/FundacjaNausika Larp For Climate https://www.facebook.com/LarpForClimate Open source scenario "Fortitude", free and available in Polish, English and Ukrainian: www.nausika.eu/fortitude Open-source, print-and-play larp scenarios online: Larp Library https://library.interactiveliterature.org/ Alexandria https://alexandria.dk/en/ Larp Factory https://larpfactorybookproject.blogspot.com/ Larp Base: http://larpbase.pl/ Good reads: Nordic Larp Wiki (https://nordiclarp.org/) and Larp Design (https://trepo.tuni.fi/handle/10024/136330)

What are the elements and mechanisms of games, and how can we use them to spice up learning and youth work? What are the human needs for autonomy, relatedness, and mastery, and how can satisfying them give us intrinsic motivation and a feeling of being in the flow? Why do grades demotivate us, and why should we all have extra lives when it comes to tests? Our guest Antonis Triantafyllakis from Greece, draws from his experience of applying gamification to youth work and education and shares his insights.

Can you imagine how youth work can be organized without a youth worker? What if young people take ownership of the space, program, and each other's development? And how can they involve adults as mentors or supporters when needed? Alii is balancing studying in two universities simultaneously, working in a kindergarten, and running a youth hub in her hometown of Ploiesti, Romania. For the fourth year, Alii is responsible for managing the youth hub where young people engage in personal development activities through non-formal learning methods, where the main initiators and designers of activities are young people themselves. In the episode, Alii shares her experience of reaching 400 active members in the Youth Hub, re-structuring selection processes, how they involve adults in the youth hub, and what role international youth work activities play in the development of the Youth Hub.

Why is it good to slow down and be present? What is the relation of empathy, mindfulness and body work with non-formal education and youth work? What is the value of watching ants and clouds? Have the pandemic and the war changed the needs of youth work? And is it ok to give a massage to somebody? Our guest Ilze Jēče is a youth work trainer, movement educator and body worker from Latvia, with a demonstrated history of working in the area of sustainability for people and the planet. She has been working in the field of wellness since 2007. Broadly skilled in topics of wellness in personal and professional life. Ilze, with her strong background in wellbeing, organizational management, and psychology, is organizing various courses, workshops, and retreats for personal and professional development. In this episode, Ilze draws from her long standing experience of applying empathy, mindfulness and body work in non-formal education and youth work, both as content and as an approach. LINKS AND RESOURCES https://www.facebook.com/IlzeJeceWellbeing

Tree houses are for kids only, right? But what about building a house 10 meters high from the ground as an approach in youth work? What about putting a classic piano up on a tree platform and organising a music event? Matijs is a PhD student, architect, adventurer, project manager, and tree house building enthusiast from Latvia. Matijs encountered tree house building as a method for community development and teamwork some years ago in the Netherlands. Since then Matijs has been part of several projects that involved creating tree houses and tree platforms around Latvia. In this episode, we touch upon outdoor education and the value it brings to self-development. What tree house building skills can help us in professional development and which transversal skills are nurtured through working together outdoors with the pressure of hosting an exhibition or a concert at the end of the main activity. LINKS AND RESOURCES Tree House Place: https://www.facebook.com/treehouseplace Movement Spontaneous: https://www.facebook.com/letshike.co Adventure Spirit: https://www.facebook.com/Piedzivojumagars

Do we really know our target group(s) and their needs and preferences? How can we break the bubble and reach beyond the usual suspects in our work? What are the main tools in Design-Thinking, what is a user-centred approach, and how can it help us to improve the reach, quality, and impact of our products and services in youth work? And what does all this have to do with youth participation, inclusion, active citizenship, and the shaping of a better tomorrow? Meelika Hirmo is the coordinator at the SALTO Participation and Information Resource Centre located in Estonia. She is a product of youth work herself, one of her defining moments was her European Voluntary Service (EVS) that she performed in Austria in a youth information and youth support centre. In her career in international youth work, Meelika has always been concerned with enabling and empowering true youth participation and information, and with bringing a professional and user-centered management and communication approach to our sector. In this episode of “Gems of Youth Work”, Meelika Hirmo shares her passion and lessons learned of applying Design-Thinking approaches and Customer Journey Mapping tools to youth work and learning mobility programmes. LINKS AND RESOURCES www.participationpool.eu Dive into the Participation Resource Pool to discover useful materials and new trends on Youth Participation, Media and Information Literacy, Communication and Digital Transformation!

What if you gather an international group of young people in a city far away from home with a mission to create a youth-friendly travel map? What can you learn from the process and how not to lose motivation in a project that doesn't seem to reach its goal? The guest of this episode is Filip Gabor, a youth worker, coordinator, and trainer in the field of non-formal learning. Filip is a true Czechoslovak, born in Slovakia, while residing and working in Czechia. Now Filip supports European Solidarity Corps as part of the Czech NA's pool of trainers. But before training volunteers Filip gained his own volunteering experience working on an ambitious volunteering project in Tbilisi, Georgia. This episode shares a perspective of a young coordinator in a role of a volunteer working on understanding a new city & culture like a local in order to authentically promote it. In the episode, we learn what obstacles volunteers face, how we can overcome these, and what is the feeling of accomplishment even if it takes a bit longer than planned. LINKS AND RESOURCES USE-IT: https://www.use-it.travel/home USE-IT Tbilisi: https://www.use-it.travel/cities/detail/tbilisi/

Can grassroot youth work influence policy making? What is a White Paper? How can you bring different stakeholders to the table and make them passionate for a common cause? What time does it take to reach changes in systems, structures and policies, and what scope and role is realistic for youth work in such processes? Our guest Carmen Marcu is a facilitator in policy making from Romania. She is passionate about fostering co-operation between civil society, academia, policy makers and the private sector. In this episode of our podcast, Carmen shares her insights and experiences of embedding youth work in research, policy making and advocacy for the cause of targeting the issue of youth homelessness in Romania. LINKS AND RESOURCES https://www.younginitiative.org/carta-alba-homelessness/

Have you ever heard the phrase “stop playing and go do something useful”? Well, what if we say that playing might be one of the most useful things you have been doing and that we all should play more ourselves and encourage play? Being a true non-formal educator, trainer, Waldorf pedagogy teacher, and president of Asociación PROMESAS, Javi Quilez is passionate about creating learning environments; game-based learning, and personal development. Javi was involved in numerous projects exploring different types of games in education and youth work. In Spain, where he is based, he often uses educational board games in youth work, education, and teacher training. In this episode, we discuss the benefits of game-based learning and what we should not forget when working with youth and learning. Javi shares what is important when creating educational board games and what to keep in mind when doing it internationally. LINKS AND RESOURCES BB Games: https://bb-games.eu/

Have you ever wondered if political debates would be hosted by passionate young people and if young people would step up as watchdogs to make politicians accountable for their promises and actions? Our guest Aušrinė Diržinskaitė is a passionate youth participation activist and coordinator of the “Learn before you vote” initiative from Lithuania. Aušrinė has been passionate about politics since kindergarten, and she managed to contribute to creating a shift in the interest of young people towards politics and assist in creating hundreds of political debates fueled by the passion of young people. This episode gives us insights into how you can change the idea of boring politics into something attractive, what can happen with young people who take up the challenge of organizing high-end political debates and what watchdog initiatives bring to society, and what future ambitions does the network have. LINKS AND RESOURCES Gems of Youth Work: https://shokkin.org/gems-of-youth-work/ About Learn Before You Vote: https://innovationinpolitics.eu/showroom/project/learn-before-you-vote/ Learn Before You Vote website: https://www.zinaukarenku.lt/

Despite all the achievements of civilization, what has humanity lost in the last 10.000 years? How can we re-establish healthy relations between the individual, our communities, and nature? And how does all this relate to youth work? Our guest Lorenzo Nava is a consultant, author, journalist, and youth worker from Italy. One of his biggest passions is the relatively young field of ecopsychology, which he applies in youth work and coaching. In our newest episode, Lorenzo shares his insights and lessons learned of pioneering an ecopsychologic approach in order to contribute to a shift of perspective and paradigm in youth work and coaching, and equip future generations for the global challenges to come. LINKS AND RESOURCES Gems of Youth Work: https://shokkin.org/gems-of-youth-work/ www.rescogita.academy

Ucha Burduli, a product of international youth work, a trainer with a strong passion for outdoor education and with long-standing experience in project management is in the spotlight of this episode. Even though now Ucha is all about outdoor education and experiential learning in nature, he coordinated several youth exchange projects that focused on music and providing an urban stage for young musicians from across Europe in Tbilisi and Batumi. In this new episode, Ucha looks back to his early project years remembering how it was to gather musicians of different genres, experience levels and from different countries to pull off open air concerts in the streets of Georgia. Valuable tips on working with young creatives, warnings against possible mistakes and stories of the uniting power of music are all in this gem. LINKS AND RESOURCES Gems of Youth Work: https://shokkin.org/gems-of-youth-work/ Street Music Day Georgia: https://www.facebook.com/QuchisMusikisDge/ Street Musicians Day: https://www.facebook.com/StreetMusiciansDay/

What is a community? What community impact can we observe in learning mobility projects? What is the difference between intended and unintended impact? Is all impact good? How can we measure and provide evidence for impact? What good practices are there for planning and ensuring impact? Our guest Susie Nicodemi, a youth worker, consultant and author from UK, was involved in the creation of the “Practical Guide to Community Impact” in learning mobility projects. In our podcast she shares with us some of the insights and highlights of the guide and the research behind it, and why it makes sense to change people's lives one by one. LINKS AND RESOURCES Gems of Youth Work: https://shokkin.org/gems-of-youth-work/ Visual Practical Guide to Community Impact The Practical Guide aims to be hands-on, explaining some of the basics so that more and more people (especially practitioners) can feel confident in exploring the concept. The PDF version of the contents (including references and bibliography) is also available on that page. https://pjp-eu.coe.int/en/web/youth-partnership/community-impact-of-learning-mobility Impact Tool from Dutch National Agency. What exactly does impact mean for your project? How can you ensure that a project has the largest impact possible? Leading you step by step, helping you question and improve your approach. https://www.erasmusplus.nl/en/impacttool-mobility Q! App. Improving the quality of learning mobility projects. Find resources and lift the quality of your project, including some tips and practical ideas on how to improve community impact. Also, create and rate projects together with your partners. https://www.qualitymobility.app/

“The Connecting Power of Storytelling” with Fouad Lakbir Can telling stories unite different groups of people and what impact can opening up and sharing personal experiences with others make? Fouad Lakbir, the guest of the episode, is a passionate storyteller, storytelling coach, and initiator of many community projects, like the Cultural Centre MAQAM in Amsterdam (The Netherlands). In this “gem”, Fouad shares how storytelling has helped him open up, learn to accept differences, and how he uses the power of stories to work with diverse communities creating a safe environment for groups and individuals to open up. LINKS AND RESOURCES Gems of Youth Work: https://shokkin.org/gems-of-youth-work/ Reading suggestion: The Hero with a Thousand Faces (The Collected Works of Joseph Campbell) About MAQAM: https://www.foam.org/about/collaborative-projects/maqam

“Learning Experience Design” with Anita Silva Ever wondered how to empower young people by playing “spin the bottle” with time-traveling robots? And no, LXD is not an awareness enhancing drug, but a great technique to design deep learning experiences … Our guest Anita Silva is a trainer, youth worker, and consultant from Portugal, with a specialisation in creativity and innovation. She uses Learning Experience Design (LXD): a process of creating vibrant, engaging, and meaningful learning experiences adapted to the needs and preferences of young people, where the learner is at the core of the journey and the path is defined by learning goals. In our new episode, Anita shares her insights and experiences with this technique and gives tips and tricks for educators and youth workers who want to try it out for themselves to improve the quality and impact of their work. LINKS AND RESOURCES Gems of Youth Work: https://shokkin.org/gems-of-youth-work/ Design2Learn project website: https://www.design2learn.info/

“Escape Rooms as a Tool for Change” with Pasquale Lanni Ever thought how being stuck in a room full of locks and puzzles can be educational, or how to design such an experience for social change? Our guest Pasquale Lanni, a coordinator, youth worker, trainer and game designer from Turin (Italy) shares insights into experimenting with educational escape rooms for social change before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Strengths and weaknesses of using escape rooms, design tricks and tips for onboarding stakeholders as well as reflection on the search to re-gain motivation is what the episode is holding for you. LINKS AND RESOURCES Gems of Youth Work: https://shokkin.org/gems-of-youth-work/ Website of EUFEMIA: https://www.eufemia.eu/ Website of Escape4change: https://escape4change.com/en/

What is an Open Youth Centre? Why are they needed, and how can you start one? What stakeholders do you need on board to make it successful? Our guest Anna Yeghoyan, a youth worker, trainer, artist, and author from Gyumri (Armenia), shares with us her story and insights of establishing the first Open Youth Centres in Armenia, the obstacles and successes along the way, the lessons learnt, and the impact on young people and the communities she observed. LINKS AND RESOURCES Gems of Youth Work: https://shokkin.org/gems-of-youth-work/ Website of Youth Initiative Centre (YIC): https://yic.am/en/ Web-pages of Gyumri Youth House and Spitak Youth House: https://yic.am/youth-house/ https://yic.am/youth-house/syh/