Introduction to Youth Work by Jason Wood, Sue Westwood and Gill Thompson

Having a Profession in Youth Development is often compared to teaching or at times even social work. While there are many similarities, a profession in youth development is comprised of many unique differences. In the first chapter of the book mentioned above, the authors identify seven key distinctions. The first is that youth workers are not confined to traditional school outlines and procedures, leaving them free to provide a very informal education. Youth workers will often utilize group activities and games to conduct educational lessons. For example, when I wanted to teach a group of sixth grade girls about nutrition, I developed a series of games that allowed them to have fun, build communication and team work skills, and learn the materials. I took it one step further by utilizing the school environment in a different manner, like using the oven in the Staff’s break room to make treats such as fruit pies and English muffin pizzas. As a Youth Development professional, our primary concern is the student, therefore we meet them at the educational level they are currently at and we focus more on their own personal development, rather than focusing solely on their educational achievements. As previously mentioned above, a large proportion of the work a youth development professional conducts is in the form of group work. This is the second distinction outlined in the chapter. The authors state that group work promotes social development and gives youth the opportunity to build bonds with each other and their mentor. This brings me to the third distinction; young people chose to be full participants within the program. They work with us because they are interested in our programs or because they want to bond with other participants or mentors, they are not compelled to be there, much like school. The fourth distinction can be compared to the social work profession because much like them, youth workers are advocates. In this profession, a youth worker must actively challenge injustice and promote equality for young people. To accomplish this the authors mention the fifth distinction; a youth worker provides opportunities for youth to voice their concerns regarding government policies, curriculum changes, or the environment. They provide opportunities for youth to be engaged. Another reason youth work is often compared to social work is because many organizations will instill welfare programs or act as a middle man to get youth the services they need. This is what the authors refer to as the sixth distinction. Youth workers will often help young people get the help they need, in addition to helping them build strong bonds and other areas of personal development. Our focus is not solely on the welfare programs, rather we look at the bigger picture, while still making sure basic needs are being met. The last distinction is that youth workers work with youth holistically. This means that although we often work with youth that are in disadvantaged areas, and that we are often perceived to “fix” Problems, we work with youth because they are young. We work with youth because they need guidance and support in their communities.