County Youth Office trained prospective youth leaders The work of voluntary youth leaders is very diverse.

Oberbergischer Kreis. Whether planning their own group sessions, organizing and leading a holiday camp, or supporting open work in youth centers.

To navigate confidently in the field of child and youth work, a foundation of knowledge from various disciplines is essential. In addition to organizational aspects, this includes basic knowledge in the areas of pedagogy, child protection, legal and insurance matters, among others.

To provide exactly this knowledge, the district youth office regularly offers training sessions for volunteer staff. This training is a prerequisite for obtaining the so-called Youth Leader Card (Juleica).

The Juleica is the nationwide standardized ID card for volunteer workers in youth work. It serves as a credential and qualification proof for its holders. Moreover, the Juleica also aims to express societal recognition for voluntary commitment.

This year's training took place over two weekends at the Wipperfürth youth hostel. The participants completed the event successfully over two weekends under conditions similar to those of a holiday camp, including overnight stays in shared rooms.

The training included aspiring youth leaders from the fields of open, associative, and church-based child and youth work, youth fire brigade, as well as cultural youth work.

The training was led by Helen Köstering, Jörg Brück, and Regina Borchert from the district youth office. The training program was supplemented by external speakers from the fields of child protection, experiential education, and inclusion.

“We are delighted that our training received such positive feedback within the given framework. The participants are wholeheartedly involved. It's wonderful to see,” reports district youth worker Helen Köstering. “For well-functioning child and youth work in the Oberbergischer Kreis, the commitment of volunteer staff is indispensable.”

Further information about the youth leader training of the district youth office and the Juleica can be found at www.obk.de/juleica.