Child and youth workers guide target groups along a positive path to adulthood and active citizenship. They have a big impact on the lives of individual young people, which leads to the proper functioning of society as a whole. The Youth Spot research group examines child and youth work in practice. What is going well? What could be improved? To safeguard the outcomes for future generations, we work closely with practice partners and education.
Secondary schools (VO) increasingly collaborate with youth workers to offer a joint approach for preventing school dropout and reinforcing school success. We examine how youth work is carried out in schools, its added value and how it can be strengthened.
The Ministry of Justice and Security is keen on a preventive approach to tackling youth crime and considers youth work a full partner in this. We explore the role and contribution of youth workers in the early detection and possible prevention of (drug) crime.
In the Netherlands, one in five young people struggle with financial worries. That's why youth workers want to do more for young people already in debt or at risk of falling into debt. Fifteen organisations and two research groups have joined forces in a joint learning and research process. How can youth workers play a more active role in poverty and debt prevention?
Dr Stijn Sieckelinck is a lecturer in Youth Spot | Youth Work at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences. After completing his degree in Social and Philosophical Pedagogy, he worked as a youth worker in Ghent. In 2009, he obtained his PhD from VU University Amsterdam. As a ‘thinker in a world of action’, he seeks to contribute to better insights and approaches in academia, practice and policy.
