Introduction to Professional Youth Work in Aotearoa

In this course, you will be introduced to and learn about the professional practice of youth work in Aotearoa. You will learn about the context within which youth work in Aotearoa operates, its history and current structures. The course will help you understand the principles of the sector and explicitly acknowledges the diversity and mana of young people. In this course, you will examine how young people build and sustain quality relationships and connect to the social, physical and digital world, demonstrating knowledge of hononga and whanaungatanga. We will investigate the legal and ethical requirements for the care of young people in Aotearoa in the context of holistic wellbeing, responsibility and reciprocity. You will be introduced to frameworks that are used in the youth work sector to facilitate manaakitanga, youth participation and whai wahitanga, recognising young people as valued contributors to society. This course has been designed in cooperation with Ara Taiohi and Korowai Tupu and strongly reflects the Mana Taiohi principles that underpin professional youth work practice in Aotearoa. We will implement the participatory approach, common in the sector, to co-construct our understanding of youth identities and youth work practice. This course will lay the foundation for your journey towards becoming a professional youth worker and will equip you to connect the knowledge and concepts you will encounter in other courses into your developing professional identity.