Practical tips for youth and youth workers during confinement- A guide by ACJ
2020
Practical tips for youth and youth workers during confinement- A guide by ACJ
As a response to the lockdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Catalan Youth Agency (ACJ), ERYICA member in Catalonia (Spain), has published two interesting guides targeting young people and youth work professionals.
The aim of “How to find meaning in it” is to help young people and those working with young people - such as youth workers, youth information workers and educators - deal with the lockdown in a meaningful way. Since its publication on 2 April 2020, hundreds of young people and professionals in Catalonia have downloaded the guides, which include dozens of practical tips to learn how to manage the lockdown by keeping emotional balance, a positive attitude, and a cooperative spirit.
Originally produced in Catalan, ACJ has now made the guide available in English, French and Spanish (see links at the end of this article).
According to the Director-General of Youth of Catalonia, Laia Girós, “the aim of the guides is to accompany young people and, above all, to help them turn the psychological difficulties linked to the lockdown into a pedagogical and learning opportunity for life.” "We must keep in mind” - Girós added - “that confinement brings out young people’s fears, insecurities and anxieties on top of their usual ones." She also recalled that the current circumstances may become an opportunity for self-knowledge and personal growth.
The General Director of ACJ, Cesc Poch, underlined that “in these difficult moments it is necessary to continue collecting good practices in the field of youth through European and international platforms, in which we are proud to be active contributors”. ACJ is happy to have placed the youth policies of Catalonia on the international arena, through the membership of ACJ in international networks, such as ERYICA or the Youth Subcommittee of the European Assembly of the Regions, as well as through their active participation in initiatives such as the Youth Guarantee Programme, or the development of the Wikiguide on youth participation.
In order to support young people during the lockdown, ACJ has also set up a youth psychological support service. So far there have been 300 consultations regarding issues such as studies, relationships, cohabitation and personal experiences under confinement. Moreover, a counselling service on housing for young people has already had more than 350 consultations.
As a member of the UNESCO Global Alliance of Partnerships in Media and Information Literacy (GAPMIL), ERYICA shared the ACJ guides and other ERYICA members’ resources with the GAPMIL community. As a result, the guides have been included in the UNESCO worldwide list of pedagogical resources and good practices to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic “MIL Alliance Response to COVID-19”.
Check out the guides here:
EN- How to find meaning in it for youth
EN- How to find meaning in it for youth workers
FR- Quel sens donner a tout cela? for youth
FR- Quel sens donner a tout cela? for youth workers
ES- Démosle sentido for youth
ES- Démosle sentido for youth workers
CAT- Com trobar-hi sentit for youth
CAT- Com trobar-hi sentit for youth workers
