Project Goals:
1. By informing people in influential positions of the proven success and adaptability of Large Scale Youth Villages, we promote and advocate for the creation of many more of these unique residential homes.
2. Project presentation at the 2015 Millennium Development Goals Re assessment round in New York where we will advocate for Youth Villages as a proven way to achieve Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education.
3. Creation of hands-on workshops in practical aspects of how to run or create a Youth Village: training top level Educational leaders and education staff in Youth Village methodology. Our current objective is to initiate a practical workshop in 2015:
‘A practical method of training individuals in Youth Village methodology’
The concept is to invite 10 to 15 educational professionals from various countries to participate in a 10-day workshop in Israel.
The workshop actively creates networking amongst experts from Youth villages & other international childcare professionals, and is designed to offer guests practical ‘hands on’ knowledge how various types of youth villages work. The goal of the workshop is to inspire participants with the potential of the youth village module as an adaptable alternative that can enhance existing residential childcare options.
The desired outcome is creation of a training component in YV methodology. This would further creating a broad framework that facilitates discussion to explore & develop the youth village module as a proven ‘new way’ to support growing numbers of vulnerable children in other countries.
The Life Tools premise is based on long term research:
- Interviews and observational documentation of living conditions faced by children growing up with no access to residential educational networks.
- In depth interviews with both current and graduated youth village students, counselors and educational experts on their experience of working in or growing up in youth village settings.
- Study and comparison of academic research and International Poverty reduction strategy studies focused on problems faced by children.
- Comparative research as to how regular orphanages, boarding schools or other educational institutions compare with the residential youth village module – and each other.