The chosen priority of YWIS project is Increasing quality, innovation and recognition of youth work. The project of Youth work in schools, YWIS, developed youth work and its quality in educational environments. The aim was to define the role and opportunities of youth work in schools. Another aim was to incorporate informal education opportunities to formal education and to integrate the objectives of youth work and curricula in order to strengthen the holistic student wellbeing work. YWIS further increased the quality of youth work through four themes: sustainable development, democracy education, student wellbeing work and strengthening the sense of community.
Young people have the weight of expectations on them and the rise of mental health problems has increased in the past years, specifically with COVID-19 having an immense impact on young people and their living conditions. The YWIS project started right after COVID pandemic, and aimed to help shed a light on the support the youth needs. Youth workers are able to support the youth and can create an environment where learning is encouraged but also other, non-formal and informal, learning activities could be realised as an addition. Many children, especially from lower socio-economic levels of society and from disadvantaged families, do not have the privilege of experiencing youth work outside schools. Families often rely on children to do housework or help in other ways to support the family. By bringing youth work to schools, children from disadvantaged families can get increased and more targeted support. The accessibility for and to youth work is increased by bringing youth work into schools, as barriers like getting to youth clubs and paying for transportation are eliminated. Additionally, it would add a positive aspect to daily school life which can be stressful and tedious.