By implementing the project, we wanted to raise awareness among youth workers and youth leaders about self development and reflection in youth work and thereby contribute to improving the quality of youth work in all partner countries. Specifically, we aimed to map existing opportunities for self development and self reflection in youth work, increase awareness of the importance of reflective practice, and develop a tangible and practical self development workbook for youth workers and youth leaders.
We applied for this project because we identified a clear need to strengthen self development and reflection practices in youth work across the partner countries. The project responds to the lack of awareness, skills, and practical tools for self analysis among youth workers and youth leaders, despite reflection being recognised as an important competence in youth work at both European and national levels. Research and policy documents highlight that youth work contributes significantly to personal development, yet the sector struggles with insufficient evaluation practices and limited use of existing self analysis tools. Surveys and partner experiences revealed that professional standards related to reflection are often not taken seriously and available support materials are underused, while many youth workers feel they lack concrete guidance on how to reflect on their practice. This project addresses these needs by raising awareness, mapping existing practices, and developing a practical self development workbook that supports reflection and improves the overall quality of youth work