OPEN YOUTHWORK FOR OPEN SOCIETY
Give a chance to Informal Youth Centres

OPEN YOUTH WORK FOR OPEN SOCIETY – Give a chance to Informal youth centres is an international project launched in 2019 to raise awareness and support for youth work. The project brings together five partners from Romania, Serbia, Germany, Slovenia, and Italy, who collaborated to create a comprehensive dossier aimed at advocating for open youth work.

Project goals

The project seeks to promote the concept of open youth work and foster a broader conversation involving different perspectives from young people, youth workers, and social scientists. Through interviews with youth workers, a youth-centered survey, and a youth exchange in Romania, the project generates valuable insights to stimulate dialogue on the definition, methods, tools, and future directions of open youth work. Key outcomes include a collection of successful open youth work activities, various youth center models, young people’s ideas on how open youth work should function, and empirical studies that support the approach. The project demonstrates how open youth work enhances young people’s skills, encouraging them to actively engage in both personal and community development.

Partners

The partners in this project are:

• Strauss APS (Mussomeli, Italy)
• Asociația Curba de Cultură (Izvoarele, Romania)
• Narandžasti (Pančevo, Serbia)
• Ris, raziskovalno izobraževalno središče Dvorec Rakičan (Rakičan, Slovenia)
• Roter Baum Berlin (Berlin, Germany)

Dream Youth Centre – Imagining the Ideal Space

To conceptualize the ideal youth center, the voices of young people—the primary users of these spaces—were essential. What do young people want when they step into a youth center?

Open Youth Work Essentials – Key Features of a Youth Centre

Defining the fundamental components that make a youth center effective and accessible for young people.

Recommendation Tools for Open Youth Work

This section offers practical tools for implementing, recognizing, and supporting open youth work.
– Facilities, resources, space, time, and conditions
– Youth Workers for Open Youth Work
– Defining the profile of a youth worker
– What is Open Youth Work – A detailed description of the approach
– Benefits of Supporting Open Youth Work – Exploring the opportunities and impact

Database of Youth Centre Models and Activities in Europe

A comprehensive collection of different youth center models, activities, and best practices from across Europe.

Responsive Recommendation Tools for Policymakers

Tools and guidelines for policymakers to help recognize, support, and fund open youth work.

Handbook