Study Visit
We offer the opportunity to come to the UK and see how the youth and community sector works and how Non-formal learning is put into action.
Youth work has a long history in the UK, starting with the foundation of the YMCA in 1844 and later the Scout Movement in 1907, both initiatives set up to support the development and growth of young people. In the late 1950s the UK government reviewed services that were available for young people, which resulted in the building of youth clubs around the country. Within the next 5 years youth clubs appeared across the whole country. Youth workers were also sent to attend the new National Colleges of Youth work training, which started the professional development of youth work and the UK now has many Universities across the country that are the legacy of this, still delivering youth work training and building on the development of best practice and research. In 1965 the National Association of Youth Clubs (Now UK Youth) brought out The Unattached, a report that looked at experimental street based youth projects. This highlighted that youth clubs were not the only answer to engaging young people. By the 1980’s the UK government was changing its out look on youth work, going more towards youth led projects, meaning that young people would start to think about the projects they wanted and youth workers roles would be to support them to help create it. At the start of the 21st Century youth work became more targeted and local government authorities would be set targets to engage young people within the local areas. Today the UK has a very diverse range of methods for engaging young people to support their development from Centre based, Skills Based, Democracy projects, International and Global Youth work, the list goes on.
We want to bring you to the UK to see how youth work is put into practice today. So what will you experience?
- A visit to see both government-based youth service and a voluntary service organisations and examples of what they do.
- A trip to see a university and learn about their curricula for youth workers at Bachelors, Master and Doctorate level.
- A meeting with national policy makers to discuss how youth policy is created and implemented.
- A visit to the national youth agency, an information body that support policy development, quality standards and research.
- A visit to the British Youth Council to see how this national organisation engages young people in democratic issues.
- A visit to a development Education Centre to learn about how Global Youth Work is implemented.
- A visit to the British Council to discuss a programme of international youth work.
The visit will take you to various locations in the UK and will incorporate a trip to London. Additional excursions and activities can all be planned.
How to apply
Please contact us if you are interested. Also if you feel that there are specific elements of this sector that you want to see and feel we did not mention please let us know and we will consider adding these to your programme.
Cost
Unfortunately we do not have any grants that fund this programme so please contact us to find out our current study visit fee. The cost will cover accommodation, all meals and transport during your stay. We also offer discounts for a larger group booking.
Support
During your trip you will have a member of the Act Global team with you at all times that will plan all your meetings, meals and take you to your hotel. We are also able to support with translators if needed.
