Working with projects is nothing new in youth work, and youth workers have long recognised and valued them as an integral part of their work. The benefits to be gained from such work are almost limitless.

This book is intended to help youth workers to develop the skills, knowledge and confidence to work successfully and creatively with groups of adolescents and young adults. The first part explores how skills are learnt, how values, beliefs and understandings are developed and how projects can enhance this process. The second part, packed with useful ideas, shows how these things can happen in practice. It contains advice on

skill development

building dialogue

interaction with groups

whether (or not) to intervene

evaluation procedures

setting youth work within its wider context.

It contains many suggestions for ways in which both the youth worker and youth groups can confront the many issues, such as gender, race and sexuality, faced in youth work today.