YOCOMO - Designing programs knowledge - European Training Strategy

Designing programmes

…involves a good understanding of the different groups and environments that youth workers operate in. This precondition is essential to being able to develop and design programmes, whether they have an explicit educational purpose or not. Youth workers apply non-formal learning values and principles in the programmes and respond to the needs and realities of young people, which are more complex in an international context. This competence area includes, implicitly, an awareness of how designing programmes can involve addressing political, societal, technological and cultural issues in youth work and how it can be opened up to the wider community.

The elements of knowledge are summarised in different headlines that illustrate what “designing programmes” means for youth workers knowledge-wise. The “cluster headlines” do not name detailed knowledge as such; these can be found through clicking on the lists.

Certain criteria and conditions influence the programme design. + -

As a common ground, it is good to know:

the values and key principles of non-formal learning
different educational methods and concepts that are appropriated for different environments both online and offline

Learners’ background and experiences influence how youth workers set up their programmes. + -

This requires youth workers to be knowledgeable about:

the socio-economic realities of young people
assessment practices in non-formal learning
how to tailor and apply methods and concepts to various needs
the young people involved and their community

Transferring theoretical knowledge to practice is another challenge youth workers face. + -

They also need to know:

how to apply research into practice
value systems and related mechanisms
project management processes

Technological and digital issues are also part of education and youth work. + -

This requires being knowledgeable about:

platforms and the risks and benefits of using different digital tools
power structures behind digital technologies and connected issues as datafication, etc.
various tools and methods to acknowledge authors’ rights such as copyleft
GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) and its updates

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