Child and youth workers guide target groups along a positive path to adulthood and active citizenship. They have a big impact on the lives of individual young people, which leads to the proper functioning of society as a whole. The Youth Spot research group examines child and youth work in practice. What is going well? What could be improved? To safeguard the outcomes for future generations, we work closely with practice partners and education.
Secondary schools (VO) increasingly collaborate with youth workers to offer a joint approach for preventing school dropout and reinforcing school success. We examine how youth work is carried out in schools, its added value and how it can be strengthened.
The Ministry of Justice and Security is keen on a preventive approach to tackling youth crime and considers youth work a full partner in this. We explore the role and contribution of youth workers in the early detection and possible prevention of (drug) crime.
In the Netherlands, one in five young people struggle with financial worries. That's why youth workers want to do more for young people already in debt or at risk of falling into debt. Fifteen organisations and two research groups have joined forces in a joint learning and research process. How can youth workers play a more active role in poverty and debt prevention?
After studying Social and Philosophical Pedagogy at the Catholic University of Leuven (1998-2003), Dr. Stijn Sieckelinck worked as a youth worker in Ghent. Then he got the chance to do a PhD at the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam (2004-2009) which resulted in the book 'Het beste van de jeugd. Een wijsgerig-pedagogisch perspectief of jongeren en hun ideal(ism)en.' His interest are in social educational issues. As a “thinker in a world of doing” he tries to contribute to better insights and approaches, in science, practice, and policy, wherever the relationship to young people is at stake.
