LEADERSHIP AND DEVELOPMENT YOUTH WORK IN A COMMUNITY

Within the student practice of the “Leadership and Development Youth Work in a Community” University Course organised by Youth Centre in cooperation with Swedish Jönköping University, students are organising a program of workshops for young people.

What is a University Course?

The “Leadership and Development Youth Work in a Community” University Course is designed as a training program for people who work or would like to work with young people through educational system, sports associations and civil associations, to gain knowledge and skills necessary for the individual and group work with young people on personal and social level, self-confidence, development of values and opinions, communication, work on conflicts and active participation in the creation and development of a community, during the time spent at the course.

The purpose of the university course is the training of students to, within their work, approach young people with a plan, analytically and to work professionally at any moment, promoting healthy and safe environment.

This year’s university course is held in the period between June 2019 and May 2020 in Novi Sad, and people aged 18 to 35, with at least high-school education, who live, work or study in Novi Sad and who are highly motivated to work with young people and for the development of the community, who have certain interests, skills, hobby (sport, dance, acting, painting, etc.) through which they could work with young people were eligible for the application.

The lectures are divided into 6 modules and each of them deals with a certain topic:
Introduction to youth work in a community and personal development
Life period of adolescence
Work with individuals
Work with groups
Work on conflicts and risk acceptance
Management in youth work in a community

Apart from lectures, students will have the mandatory practice with the group of young people for the period of 4 months.

Students Practices

This year’s students have prepared workshops which will be organised within students practice, about different topics like gender equality, culture of non-violence, human rights, activism, employability etc. The workshops will begin on December 2019 and will last until April 2020. More than 250 workshops in total will be held within 10 programs, including: Zanateka, Odjek, Once Upon a Youth, Peer violence: I DO NOT WANT TO, Young and Solidary, Art, (S)HE Equally Empowered, Improve Your Youth, FILMFEST: Directed by Young People, Sustainable Together, Closet, Open Up and Let’s make some drama.

“In the following 6 months, couples of students will organise 10 different programs for young people within which they will organise more than 250 workshops. Participation of around 200 young people from Novi Sad and surrounding is expected. Along with future youth workers, young people will have the chance to create different contents about different topics, which will be presented at the final public event of the course in May 2020. This is a unique opportunity for young people to create and perform their shows, exhibitions, films, music performances, to publish books and publications, and organise and hold public panel discussions and campaigns, apart from expending their knowledge and skills through youth work. More detailed information about each program can be found at the official internet presentation of Youth Work Centre and official meetings of each practice individually.

We invite all young people to join some of the programs. They will definitely find a topic that is interesting to them. This is an excellent opportunity for them to say what they think about certain social problems in their community and not only to say, but to do something about that”, Tamara Banjac, Education Coordinator from Youth Work Centre says.

This program is supported by OPENS – European Youth Capital Novi Sad 2019, Ministry of Sports and Youth of the Republic of Serbia and IOGT-NTO MOVEMENT.