verke presentation 7.9.2017
TRANSCRIPT
Verke - Developement Centre for Digital Youth Work
Juha Kiviniemi
”If youth work fails to embrace the use of technology and social media
there is a risk of becoming outdated and irrelevant to young
people who use youth work services. ”
- Youth Worker, Scotland
“Youth work values are what’s most important, and then we build
the technology around that: It’s less about building technical
skills and more about being a tool to express themselves.”
- Youth Worker, Northern Ireland
What is Verke?
• National Developement Centre for Digital Youth Work
• Since 2011
• Funded by the Ministry of Education and Culture, operated by City of Helsinki Youth Department
• Six full time employees
Our long term goals
• Knowledge of how to use digital media and technology will increase in youth work
• The structures of youth work will support the use of digital media and technology in youth work
• Innovative services and concepts will be created in the field of youth work, using digital media and technology
What we do:
• Train and consult (2700+)
• Produce materials
• Share information
• Bi-annual survey
• Build bridges
• Help to innovate new solutions
Forms of training youth work professionals
• As part of development partnerships (formerly VerkeFactori)
• SomeCamp - 2-3 day event once a year
• Distanssi online courses (MOOCs)
• Sessions as part of larger training events
• (Erasmus+ trainings)
Material production & information sharing
• Produced in 2016: Youth work throws a lan party, Towards digital youth work
• Blog, podcast, social media, good practice collection, newsletter (1200 subscribers)
• Upcoming publication in English (11/2017)
Focus points at the moment
• Digital media and technology should be seen as medium, activity and content in youth work
• Maker culture & technology education
• Strategic development
Why is strategic development needed?
• Digital issues are not included in youth policy / strategy papers
• Digital media is seen only as social media, and it’s full potential is not yet discovered
• Many projects concentrate on one activity / method —> a larger view to digital youth work is needed
Cultural & historical context of Digital youth work
• Finnish youth work has been actively developing online youth work for many years now
• Focus now shifted / shifting towards digital youth work
• Other countries have been more active in developing other digital tools, e.g. Gaming, makerspaces etc.
Why is Digital youth work relevant?
50 MILLION USERS?
( A product or innovation is considered ”widely adopted” at this point)
4 years
2 years
7 months
19 days
Technological growth on an exponential scale
Digitalization is not something in the future.
It is happening now.
The ownership of information has irrevocably changed.
Young peoples methods, intensity and speed of social communication are radically
different from our own.
Young people do not ”go online”.
How can youth work adapt?
The problem with doing stuff ”technology first”?
If people don’t have a
personal stake in the
matter at hand,
crowdsourcing (or
youth participation,
for that matter!) just
doesn’t work.
The Screenagers -study• ”Screenagers: Using ICT, digital and social media in youth work”
was an Erasmus+ funded research project
• 5 European partners (Finland, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Denmark and Austria)
• Coordinated by the National youth council of Ireland
Screenagers -research study, http://www.youth.ie/screenagers (2016)
What is digital youth work?Digital youth work is an emerging term to describe the area of youth work that uses digital media and new technology to enhance outcome focussed youth development.
Screenagers -research study, http://www.youth.ie/screenagers (2016)
What is digital youth work?The term is used to describe work that can happen in face-to-face situations, social and group settings as well as in online environments - or in a mixture of these. It is relevant to all youth work pedagogies and can enhance all types of practice.
Screenagers -research study, http://www.youth.ie/screenagers (2016)
What is digital youth work?Digital youth work can be used as a tool for youth development, facilitated by a physical space or an online environment. Digital youth work can also be delivered as an activity and serve as the subject matter or content in a youth work setting.
Screenagers -research study, http://www.youth.ie/screenagers (2016)
What is digital youth work?
Digital youth work should be defined in relation to youth work goals in general, not as a separate project with a separate goal.
Screenagers -research study, http://www.youth.ie/screenagers (2016)
How ICT is used in youth work• The most common use for social and digital media in Youth Work
was communication and information purposes with young people and colleagues.
How ICT is used in youth work• Partners found that usage was often unidimensional in
purpose, and that the fuller, more creative, potential of social media had not been realised on a wide scale across the youth sectors.
How ICT is used in youth work• The case studies and information provided during focus groups
illustrate that, where ICT is being used in creative and innovative ways, it offers a versatile and powerful tool to support youth work.
Most used services in youth work1. e-mail
2. Organizations own website
3. Facebook and Facebook messenger
4. WhatsApp
5. YouTube
Statistics• 75% of youth workers use social and digital
media in their work daily (EU) (FIN: 94%)
• 48% of youth workers felt that they lacked personal competence in digital and social media (FIN)
Commonly raised topics• Does every youth worker have to do digital youth work?
• What should the focus of digital youth work be?
• Media literacy?
• Communication?
• Does it need a separate focus?
• Professional ethics and separation of private life in digital youth work
Verke’s national guidelines• Published in late 2016 in Finnish in the book ”Kohti digitaalista
nuorisotyötä”.
• The english translation can be found @ http://verke.org/ as a pdf
• Based on Scottish ”Digitally Agile National Principles” (2014) and findings from the Screenagers -study
• Are divided into 8 separate principles
Guidelines
• The operational culture encourages curiosity and experimentation
• Strategic planning supports long-term development
• A goal-oriented approach and assessment improve the quality of activities
• Resources are targeted at digital youth work
Guidelines
• The skills and competence of the work community are ensured
• Digital youth work is developed through co-operation
• Digital youth work promotes the empowerment and equality of young people
• Youth work strengthens young people's media skills and digital skills
Practical examples
Examples of digital youth work could be..• Added value to face-to-face youth work (e.g. complementing a youth participation process
with online interaction between meetings)
• Building new activities around digital tools (e.g. using a GPS-enabled mobile app for a competitive outdoor activity, fostering social skills in high-risk youngsters using digital gaming as a team)
• Producing digital content into social media platforms with a focus on non-formal learning, media education or empowerment
• Providing a low-threshold help-service for young people in need of guidance and support
Practical examples• CyberHus: A peer-to-peer online question service run by an NGO. Lots of
young people answering questions. (DK)
• Netari: An online youth house originally located in Habbo Hotel, an online service mainly targeted at pre-teens. Now functions in multiple services helping young people. Run by an NGO ”Save the children Finland”. (FIN)
• Game development programs and e-sports teams with a focus on group cohesion. (FIN)
Practical examples• An online “ask a politician” service via video for young people (IRE)
• “Nuorten ääni –toimitus” creates high-quality journalism in mainstream media (FIN)
• Podcasts are a rising trend, as are vlogs
• Exciting examples of harnessing social media services and tools (snapchat, action track etc.) can be sporadically found
Vlogs by youth workers
Storytelling with digital platforms (DIG-IT up!)
Fisucraft, a Minecraft -server run by a local parish in Finland
https://www.instagram.com/p/BYqpL_kBAE6/?taken-by=exploringsenses
Thank you!Juha Kiviniemi
[email protected] Tel. +358 40 1835 264
Twitter: @puikkoInstagram: @humanistimotoristi
VerkeTel. +358 9 310 89067
[email protected]: @VerkeOrg