Youth work
Our organisation is primarily active in various fields of youth work. We work on the quality of youth work at local, national and international level. For us, youth work is based on the experience gained from these quality processes:
Universal: Open youth work must be accessible to all young people. Regardless of their physical and mental resources and obstacles, they are able to utilise the services and structures of open youth work. Everyone has the right and deserves to be accompanied in their education and growth. Both the staff and the organisation must be prepared for this and be able to react under all circumstances.
Free of charge: Open youth work should not cost young people any money. They can use it without obligation and on a voluntary basis. In this way, all young people can be reached.
Educational: Young people can learn from each other or from youth workers. Open youth work offers and facilitates experiences and activities that help young people develop skills, organise their free time to support their transition to adulthood and contribute to their personal development.
Inviting: Young people feel good about using the services on offer. They feel that they are taken seriously and can express their problems freely. The young people use their free time to do constructive things / for activities in the youth centre. The structure and behaviour of the staff are inviting for young people. In this way, young people and youth workers can work together to solve all kinds of problems.
Safe: Young people are protected from harm by trained professionals. Open youth work provides a space where young people can experiment, socialise, meet peers and develop as individuals in a positive and supportive environment. Health protection is also a part of this. Our centres see themselves as a safe space for young people.
Social learning: Young people learn from each other and how to behave in different situations. They learn about group interaction, co-operation and culture and how to adapt their language to different life situations and different people.
Our open youth work programmes support young people in their personal development. We work towards ensuring that our users are self-confident, self-determined, considerate and active participants in social life and develop a cosmopolitan, peaceful and solidary attitude. We recognise our users as people with all their resources and problems.
Leisure time is organised according to the interests of the users in a diverse and lifeworld-oriented way. Games and sports programmes, as well as experiential education elements, are supplemented by media education or art and cultural contexts as well as STEM stimuli. The diversity of our visitors is reflected in the diversity of our open child and youth work.
As an organisation with roots in youth associations, we are primarily involved in youth work. For us, this means that all of our programmes are based on voluntariness, openness and participation.