Overall Goal: To enhance the wellbeing and resilience of youth workers through crafting activities. Youth workers, particularly those engaged in international contexts, navigate a unique and demanding professional landscape. They are required to master a diverse range of competences, from management and facilitating individual and group learning to effective communication, financial reporting, and the development of evaluative practices. Their role also encompasses language proficiency, intercultural competence, networking, advocacy, project writing, and educational program design. Additionally, youth workers must excel in resource organization, team collaboration, and most importantly, supporting young people in their personal development with empathy and understanding, especially those with fewer opportunities. Despite these extensive responsibilities, youth workers often face significant challenges. In many countries, there is no formal curriculum, recognition, or professional framework for their role. They must carve out their own unique career paths in a field with limited opportunities and constant job insecurity, often reliant on project funding. The demands of frequent travel, lack of a stable daily routine, and being on call for emergencies concerning youth abroad or in host situations add further strain. This project, Craft Your Wellbeing, aims to address these challenges by equipping youth workers with the tools to sustain their well-being and effectively cope with stress and anxiety in this demanding profession. Specific Objectives: - Increase awareness: Raise awareness among youth workers about the prevalence of anxiety and its impact on their professional and personal lives. - Develop coping mechanisms: Equip youth workers with practical crafting techniques and mindfulness strategies to manage stress and anxiety. - Foster a supportive community: Create a supportive network among youth workers where they can share experiences, learn from each other, and build resilience together. - Enhance work performance: Improve youth workers' job satisfaction, engagement, and overall work performance by addressing their wellbeing needs. - Promote self-care: Encourage youth workers to prioritize self-care as an essential component of their professional role. - Develop transferable skills for young people: Build transferable skills among youth workers, such as creativity, problem-solving, and perseverance, through crafting activities. - Create a positive work environment: Contribute to a more positive and supportive work culture by prioritizing the wellbeing of youth workers. By achieving these objectives, the project aims to create a significant positive impact on the lives of youth workers, enabling them to provide better support and services to the young people they work with Commonly identified needs in youth work: - High levels of stress and burnout: This is a prevalent issue due to the demanding nature of the role. - Lack of support and recognition: Youth workers often feel undervalued and unsupported. - Work-life balance challenges: Difficulty in maintaining a healthy balance between personal and professional life. - Limited opportunities for professional development: Lack of opportunities to upscale their working position. How a crafting project can address these needs: - Stress reduction and wellbeing: Crafting activities are known and proven to reduce stress and anxiety, promoting relaxation and mindfulness. - Social connection and support: Group crafting sessions can foster a sense of community and belonging among youth workers. - Skill development: Crafting can introduce new skills and creative outlets, enhancing personal and professional development. - Work-life balance: Crafting represents a form of leisure activity that can be introduced in their professional practice, contributing to a better work-life balance.