Youth Work in City of Vaasa
According to the Youth Act, youth work is one of the statutory duties of municipalities. In accordance with the Youth Act, the City of Vaasa creates preconditions for youth work and young people's independent activities. Youth Services organises services and facilities for young people under the age of 29 in Vaasa and supports young people's civic activities.
In accordance with the basic plan for youth services, the pedagogical objective of youth work is to support young people’s growth and independence, strengthen young people’s interaction skills, promote equality, inclusion and communality, and support young people’s role in society and opportunities to realise their own dreams. The aim is that the services, facilities and activities of youth services are accessible and safe to participate in and engage in hobbies. The principles of sustainable development are taken into account in the organisation of youth services. Youth work promotes the well-being of young people.
Youth work services
In accordance with the basic plan for youth work, youth services carry out individual, community and societal (civic) youth work. The organisation of services is divided into service units for community youth work and targeted youth work.
The Targeted Youth Work Service Unit carries out individual youth work in particular, where young people are encountered, guided and supported in outreach youth work, youth workshops and youth information and counselling work. Preventive activities in the Anchor Team among young people with criminal symptoms are one of the multi-professional activities in youth services. In youth workshops and outreach youth work, the own service production is supplemented with outsourced services.
Leisure activities for children and young people are promoted in youth services, for example, through musical youth work at the Rock School and through the Vaasa model for hobbies. In addition, Youth Services organises group and camp activities targeted at children and young people. Young people are encouraged and supported in organising independent activities in various ways. Leisure activities are also carried out together with organisations.
The Community Youth Work Service Unit carries out community and societal youth work at seven youth houses, schools and educational institutions, digital environments and mobile youth work. Promoting the participation of young people through the Youth Council and supporting young people’s independent activities are important forms of community youth work. Youth Services organises events for young people in cooperation with young people and various organisations.
Youth Services supports the activities of youth organisations by distributing operational grants. The youth guidance and service network supports the multi-professional work of youth work. The activities of the multidisciplinary guidance and service network are defined in the Youth Act.