Explore Your Potential

<< Background >>EYP (Explore your Potential)’ is an initiative launched in 2021 by a consortium of three organisations from EU countries. The project promotes a set of best practices for stimulating the social reintegration of young offenders, young people who are at risk of offending and those at risk of social exclusion. Probably the most notable project result is that we fulfilled the initial needs of the partners in terms of increasing the capacity to better work with young people at risk of offending or re-offending, or at risk of social exclusion. The project incorporates the efforts of three teams of specialists in various fields such as: youth work, NFL, probation services, psychology and psychotherapy, social work, linguistics, teaching, research, community development, international cooperation, and organisational change. With the EYP project, we continued to consolidate our methodological framework and improved the interventions dedicated to youngsters who are offenders or at risk. As the methods from the EYP Manual combine three different perspectives, and address three of the main causes of recidivism (addictions, violence, ACE), this project is a new and highly compatible intervention for us.<< Objectives >>We achieved all the objectives we envisaged:O1. The level of awareness and a proactive attitude increased for at least 70% of the youth at risk of offending and reoffending, (among them prison inmates and probation clients) about the relevance of healthy relationships in their life. We focused mainly on their understanding of the connection between ACE (Adverse Childhood Experiences) and substance abuse, violent behaviour, lack of values, low self-esteem on one hand, and the risk of social exclusion and its effects (high risk of unemployment, unhealthy relationships, tendency to engage in risky and illegal actions), on the other hand.O2. More than 75% of the YW (youth workers) involved in the project demonstrated thorough knowledge on prevention & intervention via the methods developed in the EYP Manual. The YW understand much better the characteristics of their beneficiaries (probation clients, offenders, youth at risk of offending and exclusion).O3. We transferred the EYP Manual to more than 3 organisations/partner. We reached a total number of 60+ organisations that are using at this moment the EYP Manual to different extent.<< Implementation >>Two international training courses organised in Romania and Spain, and several local trainings.The EYP Manual (approx. 280 pages). We exceeded the content of the manual consistently: 35 methods instead of 30 planned, and we added adaptation for working individually (not only with groups) for most of the methods. The initial estimated length was 100 pages. The manual consists of 3 parts: - Guidelines for using the manual, relevant topics, our approaches and practical considerations. - 35 methods based on NFL applied from different approaches, described in a way that can be facilitated by professionals who work with young people in groups and individually. The methods cover 3 main topics: addictions, violence or conflict resolution, and human rights education. - Recommendations on how to run reintegration programs on NFL.Local testing phases in Romania, Spain and Latvia with more than 500 young people. Consistent dissemination activities that reached a variety and number of organisations that exceed totally our initial expectations, with approx 50 orgs. in Romania, 60 in Spain and Latvia that expressed their high interest in using the EYP Manual.<< Results >>The achievements and Results:Two international training courses, and several local trainings. A total of 50 youth workers who are actively working with young people received training on the EYP Manual and developed competences on working more effectively with their beneficiaries. Methodological validation. The EYP Manual was tested with more than 500 young people at local level (more than 150/country), with consistent feedback on each method. The testing included youth at risk of offending and social exclusion and approx. 50% of them are still in contact with the partner organisations through ongoing programmes. These young people developed a better understanding of the importance of healthy relationships with themselves and others.The EYP Manual (approx. 280 pages). We exceeded the content of the manual consistently: 35 methods instead of 30 planned, and we added adaptation for working individually (not only with groups) for most of the methods. The manual consists of 3 parts. The project developed a very solid pool of working contacts with organisations that work with youth at risk of offending and social exclusion. These working contacts increased our presence and image as providers of NFL-based programmes for youth at risk.