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Streetworking- outreach method in work with youth facing social exclusion.

2025-1-PL01-KA153-YOU-0003047812025Mobility of youth workersongoing
Countries: PL|CZ|UA|GE|RO|NL|DK|AL|IT|ES|NO · Grant: €23,158
Inclusion of marginalised young peopleQuality and innovation of youth workBridging intercultural, intergenerational and social divide

Objectives

Streetworking allows access to individuals who often remain on the margins of society, lacking proper care, support, and development opportunities. Streetworkers serve as a bridge between young people and institutions that can offer help and support. They work in places where young people spend their daily lives—on the streets, in parks, in neighborhoods, and near shopping malls. The project's goal is to enhance youth workers' skills and improve those already acquired in streetworking, a method that has emerged as one of the most important yet challenging approaches to working with at-risk youth. In the project, we distinguish between two groups of partners: those already using the outreach method, which involves reaching out to places where socially excluded youth congregate, and those who are in the early stages of implementing this method. Both groups will have the opportunity to share their "case studies" and receive a series of exercises, actions, and analyses from youth workers from other countries, helping them become more effective and efficient in their efforts to support at-risk youth. As an NGO actively working for socially excluded youth, we undertook a diagnosis of the problem concerning the low effectiveness of outreach activities aimed at the most vulnerable groups. During a meeting with the Head of the Department for NGOs in our city, Jelenia Góra, we learned that there are no organizations with the tools, experience, and competencies to work with socially excluded youth in the field. There is a lack of grassroots skills, and the city feels helpless. After hearing the proposed solutions from local institutions (such as MONAR and the police), which despite their commitment had not achieved positive results, we realized that this area of work is best suited for NGOs. Thanks to their less intimidating profile compared to legal entities, NGOs have a better chance of addressing the problem effectively. Together with partners from other countries who have experience working with socially excluded youth as streetworkers or who are keenly interested in and in need of this method, we will create a guidebook/manual. This will be shared internationally, translated into all partner languages as well as English, providing the necessary knowledge for a proper approach to this social group and explaining the characteristics and nature of a streetworker's role. We will organize a local Street Art Festival, which will serve as a practical exercise for youth workers, applying the knowledge gained during the project. Since we have partners who are already engaged in similar activities as well as those who wish to start, we immediately organized an online meeting to discuss the problem with our partners. Our additional goals are: Building new, high-quality partnerships between EU and non-EU countries (e.g., Ukraine, Georgia, Albania, Armenia). Strengthening the European dimension of education and learning. Bringing together youth workers to generate new ideas/projects within the framework of Erasmus+ in the field of youth. Exchanging best practices and ideas for interesting local activities, while inspiring and motivating youth workers. Promoting knowledge about common European heritage and diversity. Supporting the development of professional networks across Europe in the context of streetworking. Improving the quality of formal, non-formal, and informal adult education across Europe. Expanding and diversifying the adult education offer through professionalization of educators and capacity building of adult education organizers. Simplifying the implementation and availability of high-quality curricula and learning programs across all forms of adult education, adapting them to the needs of individuals and the broader society. Strengthening the capacity of adult education organizers to implement high-quality mobility projects. Increasing adult participation in education, regardless of age or socioeconomic status, with a focus on supporting organizations working with socially excluded individuals. Developing local communities. Developing Fundacja Mandala and positioning it on the international project scene.

Project partners (14)