Children and youth work plays a central role in democracy education and promotion, as well as in fostering democratic coexistence. It provides young people with opportunities to experience, experiment with, and help shape democratic processes, thereby fostering political judgment and decision-making skills. This thematic focus examines various dimensions of democracy education and promotion in children’s and youth work. It focuses, for example, on the conditions necessary for programs to realize their potential to promote democracy, the expectations that children’s and youth work can meet in these contexts, and how such programs can make a difference in political socialization, civil society, and the democratic community.

At the same time, the focus turns to changing expectations regarding participation—such as those driven by social media, which offers new opportunities for transparency and engagement—as well as threats to social cohesion posed by propaganda, disinformation, and polarization. This thematic focus invites reflection on these challenges and the development of perspectives for future-oriented democracy education and promotion within and through the field of child and youth work.

The ongoing digitalization and rapid advances in artificial intelligence are opening up new possibilities for child and youth work—both in direct work with children and youth and in administrative and organizational processes.

At the same time, new challenges are emerging that require a targeted transformation: Technological developments must be aligned with the values and structures of child and youth work. This thematic focus examines the technical possibilities as well as the ethical and moral boundaries of digitalization and AI in the field of child and youth work. It addresses the digital lives of young people as well as digitalization trends in the design of programs and the resulting changes in the working environment of professionals. In addition, questions regarding media literacy, youth media protection (such as social media bans), and the feasibility of implementing professional guiding principles in digital contexts will be discussed—for example, with regard to the recommendations for action issued by the independent expert commission “Child and Youth Protection in the Digital World.” Furthermore, the session will explore how the increasing use of AI is transforming democratic public spheres and open societies.

Die Veranstaltungen sollen darauf abzielen, Wege zu einer aktiv gestalteten digitalen Zukunft der Kinder- und Jugendarbeit aufzuzeigen.

This key topic focuses on the people who shape children’s and youth work—both (future) professionals and those who volunteer. Key topics include initial training, continuing education, and professional development; the training of volunteers (e.g., through the Youth Leader Card/Juleica); professionalization; and collaboration between full-time staff and volunteers. Additional topics include professional conduct, international mobility of professionals, and innovative training pathways.

Current challenges are also addressed: anti-democratic attitudes in the workplace, burnout and the exploitation of volunteer work, as well as issues of social inequality and classism in professional practice. The congress also focuses on prevention and confidence in handling (sexualized) violence, for example through training programs, safety protocols, and clear accountability structures.

Furthermore, structural developments are addressed. In addition to mental health issues, the shortage of skilled workers and its consequences play an important role, as do precarious employment conditions amid increasingly stringent funding requirements, as well as the protection of professionals from hostility in their professional practice and volunteer work.

Child and youth work is a field within social pedagogical education—an independent, voluntary, and real-life-oriented educational space for young people and a central venue for non-formal education. This key topic focuses on the diverse connections between formal, non-formal, and informal educational and learning processes in the lives of children and adolescents. The focus is on the competencies that young people acquire through child and youth work, as well as on making these competencies visible and ensuring their recognition. In addition, the focus addresses issues related to educational trajectories, as well as new challenges and opportunities arising from digitalization, hybrid learning spaces, and changes in the daily lives and leisure activities of children and adolescents.

Furthermore, the relationships between child and youth work and other educational settings—particularly schools, but also families, vocational training, cultural and sports facilities, and digital spaces—are examined. In this context, the focus is on issues of cooperation, the clarification of roles among stakeholders, and the design of joint educational programs. Current developments, such as the continued expansion of full-day education and the implementation of the legal right to full-day support for elementary school-aged children, are of particular importance. Linked to this is the question of what role children’s and youth work plays in multiprofessional educational landscapes—not least against the backdrop of full-day structures that vary by region. And throughout all of this, children and youth—as the intended recipients of (all-day) educational settings—remain the central point of reference for this analysis.

The lives of children, adolescents, and young adults are changing rapidly, presenting child and youth services with the challenge of adapting to these changes in order to address the new realities of their lives. This key topic focuses on the flexibility and further development of child and youth work required in these contexts. This includes, for example, new concepts, approaches, and perspectives on spaces for learning, experiencing, and development in child and youth work—in both the analog and digital spheres—as well as on addressing societal challenges in the context of the polycrisis and the role of child and youth work. Equally, the focus is on the day-to-day practice of child and youth work. This highlights the conditions under which child and youth work takes place, the approaches that have proven effective and define the unique quality of child and youth work, and how these approaches can be further developed.

This key topic provides a space for exchanging ideas on methods, practical experiences, and concrete real-world examples—ranging from challenges and learning-oriented “fail-forward” stories to examples of best practices. It also addresses issues of transferability, the structural framework for best practices, and organizational and project development. Looking beyond one’s own horizons—for example, through insights from other European countries and international contexts—is intended to open up new perspectives and contribute to the further development of child and youth work.

Increasing social heterogeneity shapes child and youth work in many ways and opens up new perspectives, not only for professionals but also for the interactions among children and youth themselves. This key topic examines theoretical, conceptual, and practical approaches to diversity, as well as its significance for educational practice and program design. The focus is on the diverse participants in child and youth work—their varying life circumstances, opportunities for participation, and needs within national, European, and international contexts. Various aspects of diversity, such as age, gender (identity), sexual orientation, background (e.g., nationality, ethnicity, or culture), religion, or worldview, are taken into account. Aspects of physical, cognitive, and psychological or mental health also play a role. The course discusses how child and youth work addresses diversity and social inequalities and contributes to social justice. In doing so, it reflects on intersectionality and the overlapping lines of difference among the dimensions of diversity in a way that neither reinforces differences nor reproduces exclusion.

This key topic invites discussion of (transnational) strategies and concepts that promote inclusive, discrimination-sensitive, and participation-oriented work with children and youth, and that view the diversity of the target audience as a resource for shared experiences and social cohesion.

Child and youth work is a diverse and multifaceted field of activity that bridges civil society and government action. It is characterized by partnership-based collaboration between public and private organizations in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity. It is rooted at the local, regional, national, European, and international levels and is embedded in various social policy frameworks. Civil society engagement and cooperation extend beyond national borders. Child and youth work takes place in various contexts—such as urban and rural areas—and is closely intertwined with societal developments.

Gezeigt wird im Rahmen dieses Themenschwerpunkts die Bedeutung einer Kinder- und Jugendarbeit in einer Verantwortungsgemeinschaft von Staat, Kommune und Zivilgesellschaft als Ort der Begegnung, Beteiligung und des Engagements. Die Kinder- und Jugendarbeit eröffnet jungen Menschen Möglichkeiten zur Orientierung und unterstützt sie im Umgang mit Unsicherheiten und Krisenerfahrungen und stärkt Solidarität, zivilgesellschaftliches Engagement und demokratische Teilhabe. Dabei sieht sich die Kinder- und Jugendarbeit allerdings zunehmend demokratie- und menschenfeindlichen Angriffen ausgesetzt, die vor Ort auch zu konkreten Bedrohungslagen führen können. Dies fordert nicht nur die Haltungen der Fachkräfte und Akteur:innen im Feld heraus, sondern auch zwischenmenschliche Beziehungen und pädagogische Arbeitsbündnisse. Die Handlungsspielräume der Zivilgesellschaft werden eingeschränkt („Shrinking Spaces for Civil Society“) – in Deutschland ebenso wie auf europäischer und internationaler Ebene.

This category provides a space for aspects, questions, issues, and perspectives that you cannot assign to any of the seven other main topics. These include both socially relevant topics that are already significant for child and youth work or that may become more important in the future, as well as specific questions that do not seem to fit into any of the designated categories.