YOST4323: Work with Youth: Groups

Youthworkers often work with groups. These could include at school or afterschool settings, sports, community organizations, supportive or therapeutic settings, among others. However, many times these group experiences do not effectively support young people or address their needs. Groupwork has the potential to create powerful relationships and connections across and within community settings. Whether or not a young person is able to participate in meaningful groups can either reduce or increase social isolation which underscores the need to promote opportunities for meaningful social engagement through social groupwork. This course emphasizes both scholarly and practical knowledge about groups. Social groupwork provides a conceptual framework, and applicable, experiential strategies which foster and facilitate social contexts reasonable for all youth to experience meaningful social engagement. The constructs of social groupwork emphasize safety and connection, and represent trauma-responsive groupwork skills rooted in interpersonal neurobiology. Therefore, an understanding of groupwork has been proven to be effective in helping youth develop the skills and knowledge that support them. This course will also explore the many ways that groups provide community, and spaces for social and emotional learning. Effective and meaningful groupwork means youth are seen, heard, acknowledged, validated, and valued?they belong, are a member, they matter. Learners in this class will read important texts about social groupwork theory and other ideas related to youthwork in group settings. They will engage in experiential learning activities, and in co-constructed learning spaces in a discussion-based class environment. Major assignments will include writing that includes reflective and text based writing, designing and participating in group activities that are meaningful. This class is intentionally designed for youth studies majors and minors who will be working with young people in a variety of settings. It would also be useful for students in other majors who may think of their future work as involving classroom, community or therapeutic group settings with young people and children.

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