Inclusive Futures: Strengthening Youth Voice in Social Work and Society

Inclusive Futures

Participation is essential for building inclusive, democratic, and resilient societies. Yet, many children and young people are still not adequately involved in decisions that directly affect their lives - whether in schools, child protection processes such as out-of-home placements, in the design of neighbourhoods, or in broader societal contexts. Participation must therefore be understood as an everyday, professional and political practice.

Opportunities for participation are shaped by individual, relational, and structural factors. While personal competencies such as confidence and communication skills are important, they depend heavily on supportive relationships and enabling institutional environments. Access to resources, inclusive structures, and trust in professionals significantly influence whether young people’s voices are heard and taken seriously.

Participation is already anchored in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and in the ethical principles of social work. The central challenge is therefore not to justify participation, but to consistently implement and institutionalize it in practice. This requires recognizing children and young people as experts of their own lives and embedding their perspectives in all relevant processes.

Social work should be understood as a co-creative practice with and for young people. This implies moving towards genuine shared decision-making and a redistribution of power in everyday professional settings. Participation must be systematically integrated into care planning, educational contexts, and community work.

This Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) is a collaboration between NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences, Häme University of Applied Sciences (HAMK) and Vorarlberg University of Applied Sciences (FHV).

Practice-Oriented, Participation-Driven, and Impact-Focused

This program places participation at its core: you will be challenged to apply critical thinking and actively contribute to solutions for real-world social issues affecting young people. Working in multidisciplinary student design teams, you will co-create inclusive methods that strengthen participation, enhance protection and well-being, and help prevent social exclusion while addressing social inequalities.

The BIP is designed to actively promote participation - not only as a concept, but as a practice. You will engage in collaborative processes that empower young people to shape both their own life trajectories and the institutions as well as societies they live in. This includes fostering democratic competencies, encouraging diverse voices, and creating spaces where participation becomes meaningful and effective.

Our partners come from social work and related fields, bringing valuable professional expertise and hands-on experience. As implementation partners, they will act as problem pitchers, introducing authentic challenges from youth care, education, and social services into the learning environment. Their involvement ensures a strong connection between theory, practice, and participatory approaches.

By taking part in the BIP, you will contribute to building a transdisciplinary work-life network that connects students and professionals across sectors and countries. Together, you will exchange practices, develop expertise, and strengthen participation as a guiding principle, shaping a future in which everyone can actively contribute: to their own personal development as well as to a more inclusive, democratic, and sustainable society.