This area of practice brings together reflection, experience and action by combining a podcast that explores youth participation through real perspectives from practice, an approach that frames how youth participation appears in everyday work with young people, and a set of methods and workshops that translate ideas into concrete activities. The materials can be used independently or combined, depending on your context and learning goals.
This podcast explores how youth participation is understood and practiced across different contexts of working with young people. It reflects on participation in decision-making, co-creation and representation, as well as the challenges of ensuring that participation is meaningful rather than symbolic. The conversation brings together perspectives from youth work and other sectors, highlighting conditions that support genuine participation and common barriers that limit young people’s influence. The edited podcast transcript based on recorded discussion is available for download below.
Youth participation in practice is closely linked to power-sharing, transparency and long-term commitment. Young people may be invited to participate, but their role and level of influence are not always clearly defined. This approach focuses on creating participatory structures where expectations are clear, contributions are valued and young people are supported in developing confidence, responsibility and skills through active involvement.
The following methods and workshops support practical engagement with youth participation. They are designed to encourage co-creation, shared decision-making and reflection on participatory processes, and can be adapted to different groups, ages and contexts. The methods and workshops related to this area of practice are available as printable cards and can be downloaded below.
This area of practice can be combined with the Navigation Cards to deepen reflection and discussion. The cards can help explore personal experiences of youth participation, challenge assumptions about influence and responsibility, and reflect on the consequences of meaningful or limited participation.
They can be used before, during or after activities to support orientation and meaningful dialogue.