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Skate parks – the expression of an empowered youth
Skate parks – the expression of an empowered youth 1080 1080 our civic space

Skate parks – the expression of an empowered youth

Skate parks and civic spaces, a priori don’t have much in common. Nevertheless, if we look at the skate parks more closely, they are often a vibrant space for the artistic and the sportive. They are also a place for freedom of expression. This provides a solid foundation for the empowerment of the youth. 

The following example from the Czech Republic is a good evidence of that:
In the east of Prague, in the district of Ujezd nad Lesy, there used to be an old skate park, which needed some renovation urgently.  It had some defects and presented some dangers to the riders. Despite that, it remained a popular gathering place for the youth and soon grew the idea to renovate the park. At first, the youth who visited park did not know how to proceed and request a renovation until a facebook group was formed with riders and the help of local community workers. As discussions followed and requests got more precise, the youth workers called out to the local municipality to inform them about their wish to have the skate park renovated. Eventually, a meeting with the youth, the social workers and representatives from the municipality was organised. After the meeting, the municipality discussed the proposal and together with the youth they agreed not to renovate the old park, but build a new skatepark. Some of the youth were then even involved in the creation of the park’s plans.

The construction of the skate park was completed in the summer of 2018 and a grand public opening was organised. 

The skate park is now crowded with people. There are BMX, skate and scooter riders. The local youth centre organises regular events and in 2020, two official races took place there. Everything is prepared by the local youth, and the youth workers give them only support on punctual basis. Behind the skate park, there is a legal graffiti wall that the local youth also take care of and use as a wall for creative expression. 

This example represents an ideal form of cooperation and empowerment of the youth. We often see the discouragement that youth can have in realising their ideas either because of the lack of guidance or the lack of trust in the ideas formulated. Here, the key element was the initial support that youth received from the local community workers with whom they were in a trusted relationship. This helped to shape the ideas more concretely, as the youth workers provided experience and also acted as a bridge towards the local authorities, what eventually made the initial idea realistic. 

Written by INEX

 

 

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How do you engage (and retain) girls in community sports?
How do you engage (and retain) girls in community sports? 2000 1333 our civic space

How do you engage (and retain) girls in community sports?

Research shows that girls meet the physical activity guidelines less often than boys, especially in the age group of 12-18 years old.  Adolescent girls develop other interests and sport seems to become less important. The lack of fun in sports is often the main reason for drop-out. For adolescent girls finding their way back to sports proves to be very difficult. This is where community sports can play an important role! But which aspects do you need to pay attention to if you want to engage and retain girls in community sports? (In this article you will find an overview of insights and practice stories, shared during the event #zijspeeltmee of ISA in the spring of 2020). 

Success Stories from community sports coaches 
Community sport coach Debby (municipality of Tilburg) and Angelique (Richard Krajicek Foundation) have successfully introduced the concept of girls’ sessions in community sports. From their experiences, they have listed four success factors of their approach:

1. Personal contact

  • Make sure you get to know each girl and let the girls know that they matter
  • Invest time in the girls, and you will see that they will also invest time in you
  • Build activities around their wishes. Work ‘demand-oriented’ (use different techniques, see below under “What do girls want?”). Give the girls ownership: let them decide and organise.
  • Let the girls participate. Give them a chance to develop outside the sessions and involve them in other community sport activities where possible.

2. Atmosphere, fun and safety

  • Make sure the atmosphere and fun are leading (not sports). Plan a moment every now and then where the girls can have a chat and the focus is not on physical activity.
  • Make sure the sessions are accessible. Tell them it is okay to bring their friends.
  • Think carefully about the activity you offer. Especially the social aspect is important for girls: being together and working together. Offer a combination of sports, games and recreation.
  • Create a safe environment in which the girls can exercise. This is both a physically safe environment (the physical place where the session takes place) and socially safe (an open and positive atmosphere where people listen to each other, help each other and respect each other).

3. Make use of role models 

  • Use older girls as role models, they are close to the target group and can be an extension of recruiting (new) girls.
  • Be aware that as a community sports coach you also act as a role model. This means you have to set a good example as well. The girls look up to you and you often develop a strong connection with the girls.

4. Interdisciplinary cooperation – you can’t do it alone!

  • Work together in the neighborhood where the girls live. Make an inventory: Who are you already working with? With whom can you cooperate (more)? For example: schools, youth work, social district team or the municipality.
  • The combination of community sports coach and youth worker appears to be very successful cooperation , but this cooperation is often not self-evident.

If you want to involve girls in community sports, participation alone is not enough. Engagement is the magic word. If girls feel engaged in the sessions, have fun, can exercise in a safe environment and you as a community sports coach facilitate rather than direct, the girls will come back and you will create a sustainable activity with girls.

What do girls want?
As a community sports coach or youth worker, make sure you discover what the girls want. You can do this by talking to the girls in the community in different ways. For example, you can reflect with the girls after an activity. What did they like? What did they learn? Or you can use question cards (which you can make yourself) to find out what a group of girls wants, so you can hear the experiences and wishes of the girls. Talk to the girls to find out what activities they want to do, where, when and with whom. This way you can organise activities which have real support.

When you talk to the girls, use different forms. Ask them in groups, individually, but also during the ‘small talk’. This is when the girls say what they think and what they want. Also, be aware that every group and neighbourhood is different and requires different activities. One group may want to play sports indoors, another group may want to play sports outdoors or on a square. It also differs per group whether or not they want to play sports with boys.

How do you reach the girls?
If girls don’t know you, they won’t come to your sports activities. So go to them, join an activity they already do, get to know them and then invite them to join a community sport activity. It also works well for girls if you approach them at school or in the classroom (for example, during gym class). If you, as a community sports coach or youth worker, have already had a short talk with the girl at school and she gets to know you, she is more likely to come to your activity afterwards.

What should you take into account as a community sports coach or youth worker?
ISA – in cooperation with partners from the Erasmus+ programme ‘She Got Game’ – asked the girls themselves what they really want, what motivates them to come back and what their ideal girls’ session looks like. This resulted in eight important insights that a community sports coach or youth worker should take into account

  1. The environment: it is important to create a joyful, supportive and safe environment where only girls come together. Solidarity and appreciation for each other are essential features.
  2. Anti-performance culture: every girl-regardless of her skills – must be able to be herself and participate in all activities. The challenge is to create a culture in which you can make mistakes and you are not taken lightly. If possible, try to remove the competition element from the activities.
  3. Progress: however, this anti-performance culture should not be at the expense of the opportunities to develop as a girl. This requires creativity and planning of the neighborhood sports coaches.
  4. “Levelling the playing field”: as a community sports coach or youth worker, you have to divide your attention among the girls. Who needs extra attention or a push in the right direction, and who doesn’t? Think of different levels within the activities, so that all girls can participate on their own level.
  5. Building trust & relationships: building and maintaining relationships is essential. This applies both to the coach/youth worker and girls, and to girls among themselves. A close, trusting relationship contributes greatly to the girls’ motivation.
  6. Ownership: it is important to create a culture where it is normal for the girls to raise their voices and be heard. As a coach or youth worker you should be able to listen to this and adjust your activities accordingly.
  7. Friendships: friendships between girls are essential. Give ‘me time’ and space for this.
  8. Stability: in order to maintain the involvement of the girls, it is important to maintain stability. This means canceling as few sessions as possible and not rotating between coaches. Stability strongly helps with the feeling of unity and togetherness.

Written by ISA

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Using youth-led peer research to break the silence on adolescent sexuality in Bulgaria
Using youth-led peer research to break the silence on adolescent sexuality in Bulgaria 918 612 our civic space

Using youth-led peer research to break the silence on adolescent sexuality in Bulgaria 

In Bulgarian schools, the topic of sex education is contentious and often even avoided, leading to a lack of proper knowledge and understanding of sexuality among young people. An innovative research project tried to address this gap by training adolescents as peer researchers to gather information on how young Bulgarians perceived their relationships with others in their community. This led to a series of intimate conversations revealing that young Bulgarians felt the need for better sexual education and the creation of ‘safe spaces’ where young people can discuss sex, sexuality, and relationships. They also prompted action among youth peer researchers, who initiated a number of activities to teach themselves and their peers about sex and sexuality.

Introduction
In the last two years, the Bulgarian government has made limited progress in its attempt to implement the Istanbul Convention and its National Strategy for Children 2019-2030. This strategy was developed to improve the support provided to children and families, especially to vulnerable children and women who suffer the effects of domestic violence. However, some conservatives lobbied against the Convention’s implementation based on their interpretation of the concept of ‘gender’ and their suspicion that Bulgarian NGOs were trying to implement early sexuality education and to promote homosexuality in schools. As a result of such a sensitive situation, new challenges arise. It has become more difficult to lobby about sexuality education programs in front of the relevant governmental structures and school representatives.

In response to these challenges, the ‘Adolescents’ Perceptions on Healthy Relationships’ (APHR) project was initiated to prevent sexual abuse and exploitation of adolescents by improving the safety and security of the spaces in which they move and live. Funded by the Oak Foundation, and implemented by International Child Development Initiatives, the Institute of Social Studies and Animus Association. The project focused on understanding how adolescents in Bulgaria view healthy relationships based on the idea that healthy relationships can prevent sexual abuse and exploitation. In this project, adolescents were trained as peer researchers and advocates. 

The 30 Bulgarian Youth Peer Researchers (YPRs) who participated in the project between January 2017 and March 2019 researched various aspects of relationships in different settings, such as in the family, peers/friends, and schools. Through a survey, qualitative interviews, and focus group discussions on topics such as violence, sexuality, and online behaviour, they consulted with 850 adolescents, unpacking concepts that adolescents reported as important ingredients for healthy relations—concepts such as trust, respect, equality, and dominance. The research revealed a great deal about the world in which young people in Bulgaria navigate and how this affects their relationships. The research showed, for example, that homosexuality, a hot topic in Bulgaria over the past few years, remains a challenge for youths: only 47% felt comfortable sharing their sexual status with their parents. In addition, 58% of YPRs responded that they think that violence always, often, or sometimes occurs in romantic relationships between teenagers, mostly psychological violence.

A gap in education, a lack of space

“Actually, I’ve read a lot of articles about sex. I took part in a course (not related to school) dedicated to sexual education. I do not learn anything in my school. I learned a lot from the girls from this group.” (Alexander, 17)

In Bulgaria, many schools offer no sexual education at all. Teachers are unwilling to talk about sex and when they do, the curriculum tends to focus on ‘biological’ and negative aspects and risks of sexuality, such as early pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. YPRs pointed out that although these findings did not surprise them, they found them very problematic. They and their peers now depend on each other and on the Internet to get information on sex and sexuality. The YPRs also commented that the school does not provide any space for learning or exchange when it comes to these topics. Yet they assert that understanding the role of sex is essential to a healthy relationship, as it is to be open and informative about it. Adolescents therefore need safe spaces and opportunities to discuss it. This, they argue, will greatly contribute to establishing and maintaining healthy (intimate) relationships throughout their lifetimes. 

Youths driving action to transform sex education
Following these discussions, youth peer researchers have felt increasingly empowered to take action. First of all, the YPRs have taught themselves what there is to know about sexual education. Through literacy and online research, listening to experts and talking to their peers, they have come to understand what information young people need to have when it comes to sex and sexuality. They have not only informed themselves, but have also become peer educators, helping their classmates to become better informed and feel comfortable when talking about this subject. Moreover, the YPRs now confidently indicate what is needed to improve sexual education and information for young people. And they haven’t stopped here. To really make changes, they have devised a Policy Brief with recommendations for schools to improve sexual education. This policy brief formed the basis of an advocacy campaign, which includes a website, peer-to-peer sexual education classes, a social media campaign, and the creation of events and spaces where young people can discuss matters of sexuality freely and safely. 

In July 2020, despite and during the COVID-19 pandemic, the YPRs organized an out-door event, in which 42 young people participated in a World Café, discussing sexuality, relationships and the threat they face because of COVID-19. 

The project results reveal the potential of participatory peer research itself for effecting positive change and promoting healthy relationships from an adolescent-centered perspective. In fact, it has in this case led to young people claiming civic space on several levels. They now have a space in the debate on sexual education, have established actual spaces where this can safely be discussed, and have an online platform accessible to all youth in Bulgaria.

Written by ICDI

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Focus Groups for the Here To Stay programme
Focus Groups for the Here To Stay programme 800 533 our civic space

Focus Groups for the Here To Stay programme

This story will focus on an incredibly important step when it comes to improving civic spaces: having a discussion with the audience you are targeting. This story will give an overview of the focus groups that were held with both young people and youth workers in light of the Here To Stay (HTS) programme. These focus groups were held in all the four countries that took part in this programme. They were generally small (less than eight people) mixed with both male and female participants and they took not much more than a few hours each. Yet, they provided the HTS programme with some important new insights and understandings of what the important aspects are when talking about civic space.

Young people
The focus groups with young people showed that, when taken seriously and listened to, lots of good ideas are being produced. Young people can see what is needed and they have realistic views and wishes. Young people have an eye for their peers and those who are in vulnerable positions. They are sensitive to changes in their environments and can easily come up with measures that need to be taken. They want to bring life to unused spaces and are very capable in using the internet to create civic spaces. They also do not like to be ‘left alone’ but like to be part of a group, community and society, and don’t want to be left out, isolated or ‘locked up’ in their own often ethnically or socio-economically defined bubbles.   

When it comes to improving youth involvement, something that was often mentioned by young people was raising awareness for it. This would help young to identify better the opportunities to get involved in society. Information plays an important role in this respect. Media should highlight good things done by young people as well as bad things. Furthermore, schools should play a greater role into speaking more about active citizenship and thus creating more awareness about the different options that are available to be actively engaged as a young person. 

Below, some interesting quotes that came from different focus groups with young people are mentioned. 

“We would welcome opportunities in which we learn to express ourselves better, to make it easier for us to find work, to shape our social relationships.” – Focus group Hungary

“Although we have turned parks, pubs, or pedestrian areas nearby city attractions into gathering spots, there is a lack of spaces specifically designed for us. We are thought to go there, because we have nowhere else to go to, not because the environment could offer opportunities for personal growth and  development.” – Focus group Romania

Youth workers
Youth workers who took part in the focus groups know what is good for young people and can express their wishes in clear statements that can easily be translated in both effective and feasible local practices and policies. It seems that this knowledge has its foundation in their special personality and commitment. They are genuinely interested in ‘helping’ young people and also know how to listen to them and respect them. In their turn, local governments would be wise to listen to- and respect youth workers.

Below, some interesting quotes that came from different focus groups with youth workers are mentioned.

“Organised activities are not always wanted by the youth. And there are not so many opportunities for ‘non-organised’ activities/places or sometimes they are reducing those opportunities. For example, a bench would be removed if groups of youth would gather around and be a bit noisy or messy.” – Focus group Czech Republic

“The online world is the space they occupy. They are there all day. They use a variety of spaces online and live in another world. Online, you have to communicate very quickly, differently, catch them in a second or you’ll lose them in a second. Grab and keep their attention and you can discuss ‘wider’ things concerning their well-being and ‘space’.” – Focus group The Netherlands

Liked this story? Leave a comment or discuss your thoughts in our chat!

Written by ISA

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The Erasmus+ Here To Stay partnership
The Erasmus+ Here To Stay partnership 1836 1718 our civic space

The Erasmus+ Here To Stay partnership

We are the Erasmus+ Here to Stay (HTS) strategic partnership, consisting out of five partners from the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Romania. Our mission is to target the shrinking civic spaces in Europe and the implications it has on young people. Youth become less engaged as European Citizens and are limited in their fundamental rights to gather and express themselves freely. Some of the results of these developments is the disengagement of youth in decision-making processes and their social exclusion which prevents young people from becoming agents of social change. 

The HTS programme is an initiative to counter this trend of shrinking civic spaces and increase the engagement of youth through civic spaces. We aim to create an enabling and productive environment for youth work to facilitate the process of involving young people in decision-making processes and use of civic spaces. Our way to enrich youth work and reach young people and get them to participate actively is by focusing on the social aspects we believe youth like the most: sport, dance, music, and arts.

We envision three long-term results for European youth and youth work:

  1. We aim to inspire young people and youth workers to actually claim civic space in their environment, leading to an increase of youth-led civic spaces. 
  2. We envision an increase in youth participation and engagement in these youth-led civic spaces 
  3. We aim to create an environment in which young people are actively involved in the decision-making processes that affect their lives and communities.
What makes the HTS programme innovative is that it gives concrete examples of civic spaces and how they are applied. Civic space is often used in a general context, but this programme attempts to give concrete examples of interventions and recommendations that contributes to the construction of civic spaces (Ansley Hofmann, INEX).

How?
To achieve our mission and the long-term results, we have designed the following outputs:

  • First, we gain insight in the critical success factors for claiming civic space for young people by European youth work. This will be translated into a written research report where at the end recommendations for youth workers are presented. Interested to read this research report? See our first output for more information. 
  • Our second output is an open and interactive virtual space for the exchange of good practices and inspiration of new initiatives. This is where we are right now, the OUR CIVIC SPACE website. This virtual space is a platform for youth, youth workers and youth work organisations, presenting a wide range of good practices and the opportunity to exchange thoughts and experiences.
The virtual space is one of the strengths of the HTS programme I believe. A place where youth workers and young people from different nations gain knowledge about civic space and where they can get in contact with each other is amazing.  They can share their experiences and solutions to help each other (Edit Gyuris, OSA).
  • We develop a youth space toolkit for youth workers to help and support them in facilitating youth to claim civic spaces. The toolkit consists of practical knowhow and provides guidance and resources for implementers.
  • We organise an international youth work training in Romania in which European youth workers are introduced to the toolkit and equipped with the necessary means, knowledge, and inspiration to use it.
  • Last, every partner will organise a national multiplier event in which we promote our first three outputs, building capacity of European youth work and ensuring the dissemination of the programme outputs for youth, youth workers and youth work organisations. 

Want more information about our outputs? Click here.

We are entering a very crucial time in history with pressing social and environmental issues, a time in which people will have to make a choice between growing and developing civic responsibility collectively or contributing to a more individualistic and polarised society. In this regard, this programme should help people to find initiatives and encourage them to decide for the first choice (Ansley Hofmann, INEX).

Who?
The HTS partnership consist of five partners from the Netherlands, Czech Republic, Hungary and Romania. One of the strengths of this partnership is the division of organisations and the expertise they have. Together we bundle our knowledge and skills and do the very best to reach our mission and goal. Want to know more about our organisations? Click here. 

Written by ISA

Instead of being together in Prague, we unfortuneately hold our meetings online as well