open youth work in austria

Open youth work

in Austria

…in between youth needs, networking, positioning and future challenges

… vernetzt & mehr …

bOJA – Bundesweites Netzwerk Offene Jugendarbeit = national network for open youth work

HISTORY•2006 it began as an Austrian project with a combination of youth centres, socio-cultural facilities and initiative groups •the project had to be converted in coordination with the directors of the 9 „Länder“ (=federal states)•May 2008: general assembly -> the members of the project groups became the members of the board•the ministry of economy, family and youth decided to fund this network•Application every year to the ministry


The board of bOJA

• the board is composed of 2 members of each federal state. These representatives are from the field of open youth work • Max. 18 people • nomination through the „Länder“ (= federal states)• This list is elected by the general assembly of bOJA•The director of the youth departments are meeting regularly once or twice a year with the full board of bOJA and discussing the direction of the future•The general manager of bOJA is participating in the working groups of the youth ministries with the same responsibilities as the national youth council


Open youth work in Austriahas to deal with what?

...that it is..

… a subject to the federalism… partially regulated by laws to promote youth… has differences in terms of

budgets, human resources, locations, offers and expectations of funders and society


bOJA is an associationand•the centre of competence for Open Youth Work in Austria.•The association is the service and networking agency for Open Youth Work•The expert office for quality development in Open Youth Work.•It represents Open Youth Work at a national and international level. •bOJA is the voice for the field of Open Youth Work - with the aim of positioning the topics, perspectives and needs of Open Youth Work and the young people who use its services in the national and international (youth) political debate.


Action principles of open youth work

•Low threshold (niederschwellig)•Voluntary•Non-party and interdenomiational oriented•Life-world orientation•Need orientation•Resource orientation•Participation•Culture of 2nd/3rd/4th. chance


Objectives

• Service: Information, counselling, support, further education

• Co-ordination and networking of people, organisations, projects and topics

• Quality and Open Youth Work: quality reflection, quality discussion, quality development

• Positioning and lobbying (for example in working groups, networking bodies, at talks, in the form of expert contributions and in public discourse)


Thank you…

www.boja.at


Open youth work is...

Youth Work occurs in different forms. One of the forms is Professional (Open) Youth Work. Characteristic for this form of Youth Work is the fact that it strives to be open and easy to access for all youngsters, working principles and methods are described and followed, chosen priorities are evidence based and knowledge about youth is used as input for youth policies. Professional (Open) Youth Workers (paid and unpaid) have been specially educated for doing the work. Professional (Open) Youth Work is to understand as an additional offer and concept for young people


open youth work in austria

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