The quote by John Wooden, a college basketball coach – “Youth work is about meeting young people where they are at, accepting them as they are and walking alongside them” has inspired my journey of working with young people. It highlights the importance of nurturing relationships with young people and serving as role models so they can develop their full potential. As someone who became a youth worker in my teenage years, I know that working with young people is beyond providing them with the skills and knowledge they need to navigate their youth age. Instead, it is about helping them build solid relationships and a healthy self-image that will help them become productive adults.
Who is a youth worker? According to the Collins Dictionary, a youth worker is a person whose job involves providing support and social activities for young people, especially those from poor backgrounds. The youth worker works with young people between the ages of 11 and 25 to facilitate their personal, social, and educational development in settings such as schools, youth centres, and community and faith-based organizations.
As a teenager, I became a youth worker serving as a Sunday school teacher in my local church in Agbara, Ogun, Nigeria. I remember vividly walking up to the head of the junior church and telling her I would love to serve in the capacity of a teacher. Back then, I never knew I was willing to sign up to be a youth worker despite being not older than fifteen. For me, it was a calling. I had grown up in poverty, and I could afford a primary and secondary school education because an uncle saw potential in me. He and his amazing wife welcomed me into their home; I became part of their family, and their kind gestures created an opportunity for me to get an education. Being a youth worker was my opportunity to give back, albeit in a little way, to nurture young minds to find their voice, become confident in their abilities and thrive in the world.
Every November, the world celebrates Youth Work Week, and I am taking a moment to reflect on how accepting the calling of being a youth worker has transformed me into a sustainability consultant who is helping governments and businesses to do good better for our planet, young people and the generations to come. Being a youth worker isn’t just a job; it is a calling to be a steward, as we are entrusted with shaping the lives of tomorrow’s leaders, dreamers, and innovators. I hope you will enjoy reading as I reminisce about the transformative moments, the challenges, the joys, and the remarkable growth that being a youth worker has brought into my life.
I remember returning home from the university, and one of the teens in my Sunday School class walked up to me and said, “Mr. Joshua, you are my teacher and anything you do, I will do.” Those words reminded me of the enormous responsibility I had despite being a first-year university student. As the first member of my family with a university degree, I knew that I could not afford to not come out with a good grade, and now I have to live as a role model for this teenager who saw a role model in me.
Over the last 15 years, I have witnessed the transformative power of working with young people, like meeting a young person I worked with, being invited to local and international events and speaking with world leaders around education and sustainable development. I have seen young minds find their voice and wings to soar. It hasn’t been all rosy as I have seen some of them miss the way, and there was no way I could support them as they had grown beyond my influence. One of the saddest moments in youth work is to see the flower you have watered and tendered become overgrown, and you no longer have the opportunity to prune and trim like before.
As a youth worker, you have formed deep connections with the young people you work with, and there can be a thin line between being professional and supportive. You learn to observe boundaries while trying to help your young adults navigate the changes around them and their lives. For instance, assisting young adults to understand puberty and the changes that come with it or letting them know that their desire to be a medical doctor as well as an athlete or dancer is acceptable. What is left is the discipline required in the classroom, turning in assignments early and being the best on the track or joining dance practices with sheer determination.
Youth work is an invitation to advocate for a better world, a society that embraces the uniqueness of each individual, affirms their individuality and provides a nurturing environment for their dreams and aspirations. It is about giving back to the community through shared moments of wisdom or a simple nudge towards self-discovery. It is about learning who we are as individuals and the impact of our collective actions in creating a better and safer world for young adults and ourselves.
