Description
Youths in residential care often lack the minimum conditions for healthy growth, personal and social skills, as well as role models for their own development. This project aims to promote citizenship among these young people and help them with their personal and social development. On the other hand, in many cases the staff working with these youths need to improve their own skills, and the project shall also consider their training, with a view to enabling them to promote citizenship and civic participation among young people and to teach them to carry these values over to other contexts in life. A first stage of intervention and training for these two target groups shall be followed by the sharing of experiences and knowledge through peer education. Both youths and staff will disseminate their knowledge and experience in other institutions, as well as in seminars and meetings.
Summary of project results
The main targets are institutionalized youths (i.e. residing in childhood and youth homes), and staff working in these NGOs and their peers. These youths come from families which do not guarantee the minimum conditions for promoting healthy growth and often have a low level of personal and social skills, as a result of their biographical routes and of the little stimulation in the contexts in which they grew during the first years of their lives. They usually present difficulties in their participation in the institution and in the public sphere and the defence of their rights. On the other hand, the homes’ staff do not always have the skills and appropriate methodologies for addressing certain challenges, and it is therefore fundamental to deepen their competences in this field, promoting organizational changes. The project intended to address these issues and has indeed accompanied and supported 50 youngsters, from 4 youth homes, on building their identity as citizens with rights, through sessions of personal development, open sessions for discussion and peer education. The evaluation made at the end of the non-formal education process showed significant improvements regarding autonomy, assertiveness, participation and knowledge about their own Human Rights. Adults (technical and educational teams) have been trained to improve their work with young people, namely gaining new competences on communication with them and on techniques for promoting their participation and autonomy. A manual on good practices has been published as a result of the project, being a tool for dissemination and replication. The number of children/youngsters/adults who were involved in awareness-raising actions amounted to 1 091, well above the initial target.
Summary of bilateral results