Working with Young People

Welcome to Module 4 Working With People in Their Communities. If you already have significant experience as a youth development worker, you will have spent a lot of time working with individuals and groups. During the course of your work, you will probably have had doubts about your performance and may have wondered how you could improve on what you were doing. Improvement is partly a matter of experience, but it is much the best to have a carefully directed experience, shaped by what research has shown to be effective.

In this module, you will explore what is currently understood about the most appropriate knowledge and skills required for working successfully with young people in groups.

• You will be encouraged to think about and reflect on your successes and difficulties.
• You will study how other people have worked in communities, and their theories about their work.
• You will explore the theory and practice of community development, with particular reference to the work of Paulo Freire.
• You will learn about community development work plans, and how to make and implement them.
• You will examine the characteristics of an effective group leader.
• Finally, you will consider the processes involved when your work is completed and you reach the end of your involvement.