Experience, working, and learning : A hands on approach with at risk youth
Ehalt, Dustin (2016)
Ehalt, Dustin
Diakonia-ammattikorkeakoulu
2016
All rights reserved
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-201604295470
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-201604295470
Tiivistelmä
ABSTRACT
Ehalt, Dustin. Experiencing, working, and learning – A hands on approach with at risk youth. 37 pages. Language: English. Spring 2016. Diaconia University of Applied Sciences. Degree Programme in Social Services. Degree: Bachelor of Social Services.
Diakonie Wurzburg is a German organization that runs a youth program called “Erleben, Arbeiten, und Lernen” (Experience, Working, and Learning) which has been in existence since 1995. It is a one year long intensive program, which is catered for dissocial children, and young people that are living in problematic environments and have not succeed with other social services offered. The aim of the thesis is to analyze my own experiences from youth worker’s point of view of the programs intensive phase and to find the valuable developments of the youth that can be accomplished by this program. With the help of the analysis, the purpose is to discuss the key elements found which enabled the positive and successful outcomes of this program.
The program’s intensive phase is a six months long period in which the two youth and two councillors live in a rural home in a Finland in a low stimulus environment. The idea is to separate the youth from all other temptations they have in their lives in Germany and allow them to focus on learning the very basic life skills through a simple and structured daily plan.
The study utilises the action based research approach and qualitative methods. The data was collected by observation, personal written diary and unstructured interviews with the youth. The data analyzing process included writing a timeline that revealed the main developments of the youth and the results are written in narrative form to give the reader the best understanding of the situations. The valuable developments the youth accomplished by the program were trust, sense of belonging, and responsibility. These concepts all develop off of each other and it is very hard to have one without the other. The programs strict but simple routine and doing everything together on the same level is what allows the concepts to develop. In order for a programme like this to work you need the right kind of adult to work as councillors who is willing to detach from their own life and be committed to the year with the youth.
In conclusion the programme is time consuming and expensive due to the one on one working method but that is the key element in order to accomplish positive outcomes. This program showed significant improvements in the youths development, thought process, and outlook on life during the program, which shows there is a need for these types of programs.
Key words: at risk youth, youth work, international youth program
Ehalt, Dustin. Experiencing, working, and learning – A hands on approach with at risk youth. 37 pages. Language: English. Spring 2016. Diaconia University of Applied Sciences. Degree Programme in Social Services. Degree: Bachelor of Social Services.
Diakonie Wurzburg is a German organization that runs a youth program called “Erleben, Arbeiten, und Lernen” (Experience, Working, and Learning) which has been in existence since 1995. It is a one year long intensive program, which is catered for dissocial children, and young people that are living in problematic environments and have not succeed with other social services offered. The aim of the thesis is to analyze my own experiences from youth worker’s point of view of the programs intensive phase and to find the valuable developments of the youth that can be accomplished by this program. With the help of the analysis, the purpose is to discuss the key elements found which enabled the positive and successful outcomes of this program.
The program’s intensive phase is a six months long period in which the two youth and two councillors live in a rural home in a Finland in a low stimulus environment. The idea is to separate the youth from all other temptations they have in their lives in Germany and allow them to focus on learning the very basic life skills through a simple and structured daily plan.
The study utilises the action based research approach and qualitative methods. The data was collected by observation, personal written diary and unstructured interviews with the youth. The data analyzing process included writing a timeline that revealed the main developments of the youth and the results are written in narrative form to give the reader the best understanding of the situations. The valuable developments the youth accomplished by the program were trust, sense of belonging, and responsibility. These concepts all develop off of each other and it is very hard to have one without the other. The programs strict but simple routine and doing everything together on the same level is what allows the concepts to develop. In order for a programme like this to work you need the right kind of adult to work as councillors who is willing to detach from their own life and be committed to the year with the youth.
In conclusion the programme is time consuming and expensive due to the one on one working method but that is the key element in order to accomplish positive outcomes. This program showed significant improvements in the youths development, thought process, and outlook on life during the program, which shows there is a need for these types of programs.
Key words: at risk youth, youth work, international youth program