Informal approach in formal environment
| Site: | Mládež Ulice |
| Course: | A MULTI-INSTITUTIONAL APPROACH TO WORKING WITH YOUTH |
| Book: | Informal approach in formal environment |
| Printed by: | Guest user |
| Date: | Saturday, 25 April 2026, 10:33 PM |
1. Working with young people and the interaction of the formal and informal enviroments
Icelanders refer to the service they provide as "floating youth work," which is a type of work where the work is moved to places where young people are located. In Slovakia and Slovenia, they refer to work in the natural environment of young people, and in Slovakia, the term low-threshold programs is used. English translates this as "street-based youth work" or "open youth club." When youth workers decide to enter a formal environment, there is often a conflict between the low-threshold/informal approach and the performance-oriented environment of the school, where situations must be resolved, culprits punished, and the subject matter mastered. In Slovenia, a survey revealed a contradiction between what is in the system and what is outside the system in Slovenian focus groups, with this contradiction being perceived primarily as a contradiction between voluntariness and obligation. They tended to consider their services as existing outside the system. Young people can, but do not have to, attend a youth club, but they must attend school. This also shows the specificity of who young people contact first – the survey shows that in clubs they are more likely to approach youth workers, but in schools they are less likely to approach school counselors and more likely to approach class teachers.
2. Transferring the principles of informal work to the school environment
The question remains whether it is possible to use elements of a low-threshold approach or low-threshold principles in a formal environment. In this context, low-threshold principles are discussed. There are some that cannot be implemented in such a structured and hierarchical environment as a school , such as free entry and stay in the facility – pupils are concentrated in classrooms and must arrive and leave at a specific time, otherwise they are marked absent. In a low-threshold club, attendance is voluntary and regular attendance is not a requirement. It is also difficult to implement the principle of "passivity is permissible" is also difficult to implement in schools, as pupils must perform to a certain standard in order to be assessed. The exceptions are non-assessed subjects or various activities carried out by the school support team/school counselors to develop life skills and prevent risky behavior, where this principle can be applied. In a formal institution such as a school, it is not possible to apply the principle of anonymity. Principles that are also applied in the school environment include, for example, the principle of free services or the creation of a safe environment through rules and their enforcement by safe adults - which school employees should be. It is important for young people to feel understood and accepted, so a low-threshold approach can be applied and is very important for building relationships and preventive action. Teachers have a more difficult task, as in addition to building relationships with young people, they also assess them with grades and motivate/force them to perform. Encouraging participation should be an integral part of school as part of interactive methods. At the same time, young people can also be invited to participate in decision-making through student parliaments or the implementation of certain tasks within the classroom/school/community. Although traditional schools tend to treat young people as children who should obey the orders of adults, which ultimately makes them dependent and dependent individuals.
3. How to maintain low-threshold principles even in more structured activities
Even in a low-threshold context, the application of principles changes as we move from club or field work to more structured activities such as group activities or counseling. For example, regularity is an important factor here, and it is also not possible to apply free movement and entry - activity and participation in solving one's own problems is key (passivity is not so acceptable). Anonymity is also not maintained in a multidisciplinary or multi-institutional approach, where it is necessary to share information – this is an area that has not been satisfactorily resolved in any of the countries involved. In conclusion, it is worth emphasizing which principles need to be translated into more structured activities and into a formal system: low-threshold approach (acceptance, not having too high expectations, maximum availability on the part of professionals/locals), safety, setting rules, free of charge, anonymity (keeping information confidential if the young person so wishes), participation in solving the problems that young people come with.