The University of Minnesota
Extension Center for Youth Development
Howland Symposium Friday, May 8, 2009
A European Perspective on Youth Work
Concepts, Policies and Practices
Dr Lasse Siurala, Director
Department of Youth
City of Helsinki
Dr. Lasse Siurala, Director of Youth, City of Helsinki
Curriculum vitae
- Researcher, acting associate professor of economic sociology at the
Helsinki School of Economics (1975-1995), docent (1995-)
- Director of Youth, City of Helsinki (1995-1998, 2002-)
- Director of youth, Council of Europe, Strasbourg, France (1998-2001)
- Married: two sons, one daughter
- Non-formal learning: First President of Finnish Karate Federation, Finnish
Champion (1974)
Recent publications:
EUROPEAN FRAMEWORK FOR YOUTH POLICY. Council of Europe,
Council of Europe Publications 2006, Strasbourg
NON-FORMAL LEARNING AS AN EDUCATIONAL APPROACH, in Dorin
Festeu and Barbara Humberstone (eds.) Non-formal education through
outdoor activities guide. Buckinghamshire 2006, UK
A EUROPEAN FRAMEWORK FOR YOUTH POLICY: WHAT IS NECESSARY
AND WHAT HAS ALREADY BEEN DONE? Diskurs Kindheits- und
Jugendforschung 4-2007
NON-FORMAL EDUCATION IN FINLAND, René Clarijs (ed) Leisure & nonformal education, Prague 2008
Youth Rights – basis for youth policy
development
United Nations;
Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989)
Council of Europe:
-Youth Policy recommendations of the Committee of
Ministers and the Parliamentary Assembly
-Declaration of 8th Council of Europe Conference of
Ministers responsible for youth (Oct 2008): ”The Future
of Council of Europe Youth Policy: AGENDA 2020”
European Union:
-White Paper: “A New Impetus to European Youth”
(2001)
- A Youth Strategy 2010-2018
Youth Rights – basis for youth policy development
Most national youth policies in Europe
share following objectives:
- promoting youth participation
- understanding youth as a resource
- improving the recognition of non-formal
learning
- enhancing inclusion of all young people
- supporting cultural diversity, tolerance and
integration of ethnic youth
Youth Rights – basis for youth policy development
An EU Strategy for Youth 2010-2018
– Investing and Empowering
Creating more Opportunities for youth
in education and employment
Improving Access and full participation
of all young people in society
Fostering mutual solidarity between
society and young people
Youth Rights – basis for youth policy development
Creating more Opportunities for youth
in education and employment
Complementary to formal education, nonformal education for young people should
be supported to contribute to Lifelong
Learning in Europe, by developing its
quality, recognizing its outcomes, and
integrating it better with formal education.
An EU Strategy for Youth 2010-2018
– Investing and Empowering
Youth Rights – basis for youth policy development
Improving Access and full participation of all
young people in society
Encourage healthy living for young people and
physical education, sporting activity and collaboration
between youth workers, health professionals and
sporting organizations
Ensure full participation of youth in society, by
increasing youth participation in the civic life of local
communities and in representative democracy, by
supporting youth organizations, promoting edemocracy and by developing quality standards on
youth participation, information and consultation.
An EU Strategy for Youth 2010-2018
– Investing and Empowering
Youth Rights – basis for youth policy development
Fostering mutual solidarity between
society and young people
Prevent poverty and social exclusion
breaking its intergenerational
transmission by mobilizing all actors
involved in the life of youth.
Support youth volunteering.
An EU Strategy for Youth 2010-2018
– Investing and Empowering
Finnish Youth Act 72/2006
1. The Government shall adopt a youth policy
development programme every four years.
2. Youth work and youth policy are part of the local
authority's responsibilities.
3. The local youth work and youth policy shall
comprise educational guidance, facilities and
hobby opportunities; information and advisory
services; support to youth associations and other
youth groups; sportive, cultural, international and
multicultural youth activities; young people's
environmental education; and, when needed,
youth workshop services or other forms of
activity suited to the local circumstances and
needs.
A minimum package of opportunities and
experiences: Citizenship learning
- the practice and recognition of skills and
competences developed in non-formal learning
- support system for youth organisations and other
youth groups
- youth information and counselling services
- opportunities for intercultural learning (mobility
support, youth exchange, voluntary work abroad)
- support to young people’s own cultural productions
- access to new technologies and net-based youth
services
- measures to guarantee the access of disadvantaged
young people to citizenship learning and participation
-opportunities for participation
Lasse Siurala: A Framework for European Youth Policies,
Council of Europe, Strasbourg 2006
A proposal for a package of opportunities for
the local level (Ministry of Education, Finland,
2003):
•financial support to youth organisations and nonorganised youth groups
•premises for young people
•a municipal youth worker
•employment workshops for young people
•a youth information and counselling point
•after-school activities for young people at
compulsory school
•outreaching youth work
•free access to internet
•instructive hobbies
•summer camps
The policy program for the well-being of children, youth
and families was launched by Prime Minister Vanhanen's
second Cabinet (2007) as an intersectoral effort to ensure the
attainment of the Government’s key objectives. It is divided
into three areas;
- a child-oriented society
- well-being of families
- prevention of social exclusion
Development Programme for Child And Youth Policy
The Youth Policy Development Programme is prepared
according to the Youth Act (72/2006) under which the
Government shall adopt a youth policy development
programme every four years.
The programme includes national youth policy objectives
and also outlines those for regional and local authorities
related to, for example, education, employment, health,
active citizenship, social empowerment, housing, and
entrepreneurship.
STRUCTURES FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF YOUTH
POLICY - FINLAND
Ministry of Education
Minister Responsible for Youth
Youth Department
Advisory Council for Youth Affairs
Youth Department, City of Helsinki
Allianssi – umbrella organisation for national youth
organisations (National Youth Council)
European Youth Forum - a platform made up of 99 National
Youth Councils and international youth NGOs from across
Europe: “Defending the interests of young people in Europe”
Helsinki Team – umbrella body for youth organisations (about
300) in the City
Youth Forums of the Young People at the City
ACTIVITIES AND PROGRAMS—
NON-FORMAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES AND
INTEGRATED YOUTH POLICIES
A tentative definition
formal education: institution-based, structured, hierarchically and
chronologically graded, teacher/trainer-centred education which
emphasises objectivity of knowledge, memorizing and aims at
certification.
informal learning: learning in everyday life which does not aim at
certification but where a diversity of actors each with their own
intentions impose meanings on the learner.
non-formal learning: learner-centred and practice-based learning
process which emphasises intrinsic motivation, social context of
learning, and the usefulness of knowledge, and aims at identity
growth, social change and integration into society. Learning is
voluntary, involves conscious educational aims and may be credited.
Lasse Siurala: Non-formal learning as an educational approach, in Dorin Festeu and
Barbara Humberstone (eds.) Non-formal Education through Outdoor Activities Guide,
Buckinghamshire 2006
RECOGNISING NON-FORMAL LEARNING: YOUTHPASS
HELSINKI CITY YOUTH SERVICES
Objective:
Promoting active citizenship and empowering youth
Stucture:
Department of the City
Resources:
 55 Youth Centres, Youth Information Centre, Media
Centre, Cultural Centre, Domestic Animal Farm,
Theatre, Nature House, House of Craft and Visual Arts,
Traffic Education Centre, Youth Centre for Girls Only,
indoor skating hall, 21 outdoor skate parks, two
camping islands, residential education centre, Virtual
Youth Centre, cultural events & contests, etc.
 School leave activities
 300 municipal professional full-time youth workers
 Support system for Youth Organisations
 Free for a membership card
 Budget 29 Me (~37 Mil $)(2009)
”Youth work in the Internet”
Helsinki City Youth department as the
national center to develop:
•
a virtual youth centre
•
Youth work in IRC Gallery
•
pedagogical use of net games
•
problems of youth: support and prevention in the net
•
Supporting social communities in the net
Partners:
Ministry of Education, Ministry of Social and Health,
Lappeenranta University of Technology
Sulake Corporation
22 municipalities
PROMOTING ACTIVE CITIZENSHIP
1.Democracy education
2.Support to youth organisations
3.Enhancing cultural citizenships
4.Youth work on the net
5. Promoting youth welfare
PARTICIPATION MEASURES
• Open Forums, annual debates between youth and the
decision makers in four city districts
• Mayor’s Forum, annual process where all school
children in the city decide on a budget for the improvement
of school environment and school atmosphere
• School Councils
• Youth Centre committees, deciding on the
activities of the centre
• Local Action Groups, 11 city district action groups
• Participation in city planning
• Discussion forums on the Internet
LEARNING ACTIVE CITIZENSHIP SKILLS:
LORD MAYOR’S YOUTH MEETING
Future Workshops
in classes:
How to improve
school environment?
Agreeing on the class
proposal:
Debates, voting
LORD MAYOR’S
YOUTH
MEETING
Debates and voting
Proposal of the class
to the school council
Debates, voting
Presentation of
the projects of the
schools
Implementing
the projects
at the school
THE ESPOO YOUTH COUNCIL
• Elected for a 2-year term through general
elections (at schools)
• 30 + 30 deputies
• The team of the chairs
• A Board
• Regional representatives
• Representatives to the boards of the City
administration
• PR-department
• Secretary General
28.7.2016
Ira Hietanen
Main achievements
 Initiatives on: saving energy at schools,
compulsory visit with the school
psychologist, snacks to schools, indoor
skateboard hall, more activities in Northern
Espoo, a children’s parliament to Espoo,
better services for handicapped youth, more
power to school councils, more night-time
bus lines, the quality of school food to be
improved
 Events organised: Skate board festival,
Flee market, Young Cine, Seminars for
school councils, Bus schedule action day,
Independence Day festivity.
28.7.2016
Ira Hietanen
QUALITY ASSESSMENT IN YOUTH WORK
Quality Assessment at Helsinki City Youth Dep.
Point of service:
Use: development of point-of-service youth work
Approach: Customized to youth centre activities, camps,
small-group activities and youth participation
Evaluation type: self-evaluation and “external peer”
evaluation. Young people as evaluators–format under
construction
Management:
CAF (Common Assessment Framework)
Youth Organisations:
Applied version of EFQM (European Foundation for
Quality Management)
The degree of emphasis on youth participation
has corollaries to youth policy thinking:
► The meaning of being young: A guided
passage to adulthood or a phase of its own
(adult guidance vs autonomy)?
► The role of young people’s own organisations?
► Tokenistic or true participation?
► Youth as a problem or youth as a resource?
► problem-oriented or opportunity-focused
policies: emphasis on early prevention or targeted
intervention?
”A Society which does not invest in its
youth, is not investing in its future”