7 Tips For Youth Workers To Deliver A Quality Session
7 Tips For Youth Workers To Deliver A Quality Session that will help you to deliver a good quality youth work session.
Hi before I go into writing the main article let me introduce myself first so that you may know who I am and what my experience is.
My name is Adam Jones and I am a qualified youth and community worker. I am currently working for a non-profit organisation based in London called keep it real. This is a relatively new organisation just been set up only a month ago.
The organisation is in its infancy and has a lot to learn and develop.
The current claimant for the 3rd sector is not looking good but that’s not the topic of discussion here and maybe for another day.
I would like to share with you in this article 7 tips that you may find very useful in your youth work career. These tips if followed will see a dramatic change in the way you run your youth work team.
You will be in a better position as a youth work manager or a sessional youth worker in becoming more reflective in your own self and more importantly within your youth work practice, As you practice these tips you will become more critical in your role and deliver a fun engaging and quality session with young people who attend your youth club.
I have over 15 years of working in the field as a youth worker and started off as a volunteer in my youth centre.
One of the most important aspects of the work is about planning and reflection on practice.
I will be sharing some of the things that I believe will help you and your staff members to deliver quality youth work which enables young people to be informed, empowered and educated.
This will benefit newbie youth workers and volunteers in your centre.
So here goes let’s dive Into my seven tips for Youth Workers To Deliver A Quality Session
1. Plan your session
This has to be in place at the beginnings before the session. You and your team must discuss the aims and objectives of the session and what the outcomes will be at the end of the youth work session.
This will enable your youth work team to be responsible for their tasks for the session and more importantly helps them to contribute during the evaluation process at the end.
As a youth work manager, you are responsible to ensure that team members know the aims and objectives of the session and how it fits into the overall team plan or your organisation’s mission statement.
Staff members volunteers new or old will be more informed of the aims and objectives of the organisations main goal and more importantly plan their youth work sessions more effectively.
Check out my YouTube video on how to be more reflective in your work.
2. Engage with young people
So once you have planned your session with your staff/volunteers now it’s time to ensure that young people are engaged in the session and having fun as well.
Now bear in mind that not all young people will be engaged. Youth workers need to be aware and ensure that they actively engage with them rather than waiting for the young person to get involved in the planned activity.
This is where your skills will be most need d to explore why the young person is not engaging and find out the reasons for it.
3. Icebreakers
Like the name says this is a very useful arsenal to have as a tool. Icebreakers play a vital role in active engagement, participation. Icebreakers are fun and easy to plan and implement without any cost attached.
So next time go and test it out yourself. enjoy
4. Competitions
Running competitions are very important as this will enable your youth sessions to be highly engaging. Depending on the price you will see highly motivated young people.
It’s a fun and competitive activity which will enable you as a youth worker to identify key skills among your young people.
5. Games
Time to time plan physical activities which gets young people out of the youth centre and more active. This will enable young people to get fit and stay fit and you have a balanced youth work program which focuses on keeping them healthy
6. Have fun
Now, this is a no brainer if you’re not having fun in the job then ask yourself why in the hell are you doing this job. GET OUT! as you are doing a disservice to the young people. You need to be in the game and passionate about working in this field and have the relevant skill set to deliver quality youth work.
My advice to you is just yourself and be honest with young people and engage with young people so that they enjoy your interaction.
7. Reflection
Reflection is a big part of youth work in my opinion. I believe that it allows individuals to develop and learn new skills to become better at their role. It enables youth workers to constantly deliver high-quality youth work and make changes as necessary based on being critical in their reflection.
I hope this article helps you as a youth worker. Please share with others so that they can benefit from this article. Nothing will make me happy to see people learn from this humble article.
