Three things I’d tell myself if I was just starting out as a youth worker today

If I was beginning my youth work journey all over again, here are three practical things that I’d want my excitable young self to know.

Full disclosure – I’m sure that I would have ignored all of this, even if I was told! Anyhoo…

1. Learn how to have an argument

I’ve spent a huge portion of my youth work life either avoiding conflict or doing conflict badly. It’s only been in the last couple of years that I’ve begun to approach issues as they have arisen, handled them with some poise and clarity, and then moved on from them. I still get a lot of this wrong – so I wish I’d started learning much sooner!

The truth is that you’re more likely to get hurt in deeper and longer-lasting ways by avoiding conflict than having it. So have it graciously, and learn to do it well. Go to the dentist and get into good oral hygiene habits before your teeth rot!

2. Do less stuff

Do less, well. That’s the mantra, right? Too many youth workers try to ‘earn their keep’ by filling up their timetables with stuff. Even if you can find time in the week, money in the budget, and volunteers to run all of your nineteen different projects, you’re still going to have less influence over a young person than school or a parent. Then, just for kicks, you’ll steadily burn through all your invite credibility.

The key is to do a couple of things really well. Make them special and throw yourself into them. Make those few things memorable and meaningful, and you’ll build community – which takes me to the last one.

2. Build community, not clubs

It really is true that young people are looking for authenticity and genuineness. We know this, right? Young people are pushing hard against heavily made-up, photo-shopped, and filtered role models. So why do we spend so much time and money polishing up our clubs?

If we invest in a smaller number of young people and help them to invest in each other; if we invest in our team, helping them come together as a culture; if we invest in the ‘home feel’ of our space – then we’ll be growing community. Community creates fertile soil for lasting growth in a way a ‘club’ would simply envy. The best work is not done in a huge youth club, its done through a smaller youth community. That’s where the action truly is.

Photo by Braden Collum on Unsplash