June – july 2009

New activity on the "Youth: the right direction" programme - Job shadowing: Training and Networking project (Action 4.3 supported by the Youth in Action Programme)

In the framework of the tree-year project "Youth: the right direction", ALDA realised the final activity: the job shadowing. Job shadowing is practical learning experience that consists of short stay in one partner organization in another country.

PROMOTERS:

• Sending Organization (SO): Local Democracy Agency (LDA) Subotica (Serbia)
• Hosting Organization (HO): ISIS Berlin (Germany)
• Job Shadower:  Olga Perusic, delegate in LDA Subotica

ISIS Berlin e.V. is an Institute for Social Research, Informatics & Social Work a non-governmental non-profit association working with youth (leisure time projects, voluntary work, drop-in centre for neglected and homeless youngsters …) and professionals (further education, mentoring, evaluation, large-group methods, for youth and social workers) on local and national level. It exists for 10 years now. ISIS Berlin e.V. has 10 permanent employees and beside that up to 35 freelancers, volunteers and interns. Among other duties the intended purpose of ISIS Berlin e.V. is to encourage self-initiative and self-organization of youngsters, international and intercultural understanding and environmental protection. ISIS implements action against disparity and injustice.

The main idea is being a platform for persons that are committed to sciences and practical work, the implementation of projects from different parts of social work and providing support for research projects, scientific steering, further education and projects is part of its self-conception. ISIS Berlin e.V. is mainly operating in the following fields of work:

I. researches and scientific steering

in terms of utilizations of new media by young people, urchins (street children), rightwing radicalism, full-time schools, schools and their neighborhoods, co-operation between schools and youth work, school absenteeism, social work, socio-educational provision for young people and advice to young people with vocational problems

II. further education

is offered on request in forms of half-day, full-day or for several days events in different topics of social work. At the moment especially in the range of full-time schools, co-operation between schools and youth work, etc.

III. social work / youth work

at the moment the association provides projects in Berlins districts Mitte and Treptow/Köpenick, e.g. youth work in an elementary school and the project Klik a drop-in and street work centre for urchins, street children and deprived youngsters. Beyond the main projects it implements several smaller projects and initiatives according to different local, national or EU-programs.

IV. development of concepts and programs

The association gives advice for the development of concepts or writes them by order of a third party and implements programs. E.g. in a program “social capital for social purpose” in five underprivileged quarters in Berlin Mitte funded by the European Social Fund and its prequel “competences and qualification for young people”.

V. international (youth) work and youth exchanges

ISIS Berlin e.V. has a lot of relations to European and non-European countries. It organizes exchanges for youngsters and professionals regularly. Some of the partners are from Israel, Palestine, India, Russia, Spain, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Poland, Austria, Hungary and Turkey

From the diversity and variety of its fields of work it can be seen that one of the main interests of ISIS Berlin e.V. is to connect theoretical knowledge and the cognitions of its researches with practical work. For a couple of years information and communication as well as youth policies are the things ISIS Berlin e.V. has to deal with in practice. ISIS Berlin e.V. works close together with the local youth administration to design and implement programs for young people in the city (centre) of Berlin.

Project coordinator:  Dominik Ringler

Social Worker (Diploma), Social Scientist (Diploma), trainer, facilitator, university teacher and secretary general of ISIS Berlin e.V.

His knowledge is proved through more than 30 publications

Main topics: young people at risk, participation, large group interventions, identity and citizenship, youth work, youth work in/at schools, street children, community organizing, extremism, inclusion

He’s actively working in international youth work for 15 years.

PROJECT BACKGROUND:

The Job Shadowing was a practical learning experience that allowed youth worker to acquire the skills for organizing youth projects and to coordinate voluntary work and initiatives by working in Germany. Thus, as action 4.3 of YiA programme (Training and Networking of those active in youth work and youth organisations) is a short stay with a partner organisation in another country with the aim of exchanging good practices, acquiring skills and knowledge or building long term partnership through participative observation, LDA Subotica has identify ex youth officer, today delegate of LDA as the youth coordinator for this activity. LDA Subotica prepared two visits: leaving and assisted organisation ISIS during their activities and presentations that has been performed between June and July 2009 within ISIS in Germany for professional experience in the field of youth work.

ISIS Berlin nominated Mr. Dominic Ringler as representative of the hosting organisation and as “mentor” who followed participant in her work and her stay within ISIS Berlin during her stay for the Job Shadow activity. HO committed as well to include her in its current work and in a set of particular activities which are described below.

JOB SHADOWER ACTIVITIES

The young job shadower coming from Local Democracy Agency (LDA) Subotica was involved in the regular activities and ongoing projects within Youth in Action programme and other youth related projects. The activities of the job shadower began in April and ended in July. In this period of time the job shadower assisted in work in “Schulstation Fierlafanz” which was established in 2002 and since then two social workers have worked in a primary school from Monday to Friday to agitate children for their live by accompanying, encouraging and supporting them. According to that we had several key activities: implementation a projects for strengthening social skills like anti aggression projects and also organise some free time activities. This project offer consultation for children, parents and teachers. Their target group is similar with group we can meet in Serbia because special focus lies on children with social disadvantages and located in the “problematic” area of the city. The Job Shadower participated on this project in the role of observer.

Meeting with Christina Schulte Via e.V. (www.via-ev.org) job shadowed get more detailed information about condition of volunteer work, exchanges and best practise in Germany. By participating in this meeting the job shadower had the opportunity to see the function of a EVS in Germany and the networking within youth organisations.

The experts of ISIS are collaboration with „University for Applied Sciences for Social Work and Social Education“, organizes second study programme in „Social Care/Social Care Management“ which was set up in 1994. in 1999. as the first Masters programme on „Intercultural Conflict Management“. The job shadower attended one of these workshops led by Karolina Iwa and Dominic Ringler, mentored by Prof. Dr. Grun. With the members of the workshops group trainers held multicultural working class presented them methods as windwap culture, albatross, ice-berg model and culture differences and mistakes. The training activities were divided into two days. In this occasion the job shadower has learnt the best way to present youth exchanges within EVS project to a group of young people interested in social work. Besides, during the meeting, students were able to see hear more about possibilities of voluntary work in SEE.

The job shadower visited the meeting point of Berlin open space co-operative, which attended several members discussed about different experienced in youth trainings and planning the next events during year. On this occasion the organisation LDA was present by job shadower and after a month a youth officer joined them on the training in Serbia. Therefore target group and final beneficiaries are mainly young people as the organization is an expert on Youth Programme before and Youth in Action 2007-2013 now.  All three promoters drafted in aparticipative way the content of the job shadowing by matching the needs of LDA and the job shadower and the activities of the hosting organization.

During the weekend job shadower studied the structure of legal system in Germany and working condition of youth organisations. Gaining knowledge about the structure of youth work in Germany, she visited Parliament, met the implementation of governmental or EU programs on local level, the deployment of volunteers in youth work, the implementation of the “Youth in Action” program in the organization. The first part is focussed on the getting to know each other and the organization better. This first glimpse is followed by a deeper concentration on the topic, the specific work of the organization and the content of the project. Finally it leads to possible future activities and co-operation.

CONCLUSION

The most suitable project is definitely the international work since there is the most possible chance for a future co-operation, but is also interesting to get to know the different possibilities of voluntary work. Beside that the structure of youth work which has a long tradition in Germany quite interesting regarding the aspects the job shadower has to deal with are specifically: youth work with difficult young people in marginalized areas, the inclusion of young people into international programs and activities and voluntary work. Most of the professionals the job shadower will encounter are social workers and students with a focus on youth work, but there were also a potential volunteers. With this Job Shadow experience the job shadower had exchanged good practices and built long term partnership through participative observation. The job shadower has learned how to organize an unit/centre for prevention of conflicts, how to hold a class for students interested in intercultural conflict management and finally explain at the young population what the “Youth in Action” programme is and what the benefits of this program is to find a solution from the democratical principles and youth initiatives.

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