Youth work community of practice

Are you providing or participating in youth work activities? Are you advocating for youth work as a field? Then the Bonn Process is for you! It is there to support everybody who plays an active role in and for youth work: in other words, the entire youth work community of practice in Europe!

What is the youth work community of practice?

The youth work community of practice comprises actors at all levels from local to European, such as :

  • youth workers and youth leaders
  • youth work organisations
  • youth work managers, project carriers, trainers
  • researchers, educators of youth workers
  • local communities and municipalities
  • National Agencies for Erasmus+ Youth and European Solidarity Corps
  • youth representations and young people
  • youth policy-makers.

The youth work community of practice is understood as a group of people, professionals or not, who share an interest in resolving problems, improving their skills, and learning from each other’s experiences.

All members of the youth work community of practice have, within their respective spheres, different mandates, roles and capacities for the further development of youth work.

Katrin Olt, Estonia
I am willing to commit to furthering the Bonn Process because I feel intrigued and challenged by what the added value of an international network is in developing and strengthening youth work and by how the community of practice can take ownership of the implementation process and recognise an agenda that everyone can follow. 
Katrin Olt, Estonia Ministry of Education and Research

How can the Bonn Process strengthen the youth work community of practice?

The Bonn Process aims to strengthen the entire community of practice by helping to create favourable framework conditions, forge stronger connections, build networks, and move in a common direction.

The final Declaration of the 3rd European Youth Work Convention contains recommendations to guide the development of the community. For youth work to move in the same direction, the final Declaration proposes spaces to explore, exchange and build on good practices across different styles of practice. A coordinated approach towards learning, sharing, supporting, and building on youth work development and good practices at local, regional, national and European level is recommended. Beyond the youth work community of practice, it is considered important to communicate the value of youth work and engage effectively with different sectors.

All in all, the Bonn Process has strong potential for sharing good practices across borders, levels and youth work sub-fields and thus help improve the quality of youth work and recognise its value. For you as an individual, the Bonn Process will hopefully bring a European flavour to your own work. After all, a vibrant, connected and active community will enhance the feeling of belonging to a European community in the field of youth work