The Differing Provision of Ed-Tech Demonstration and E-Learning in Europe, Asia, and America

This chapter explores examples of the digital divide within diverse countries and across the globe, and presumptions about the West's preparedness for online learning are questioned. The scale of the effects of the pandemic are used to highlight the juxtaposition of the great potential of online learning with the stark reality that though the West can debate the extent of their e-learning during the spread of the coronavirus while poorer nations have great swathes of disconnected and vulnerable youth without the interventions of their teachers, the fact is that there is little evidence that all the conditions of effective online learning exist throughout the world. Ed-tech demonstration of affordable internet, different approaches to learning online, availability of digital equipment, teacher incentives and training, and providing quiet places to study at home, as well as other initiatives to resolve some of these issues in Europe and the wider world are explored and questioned.

Cocreating an Evaluation Approach for a Healthy Relationships Program With Community Partners: Lessons Learned and Recommendations

Community-based partnerships are integral to mental health programming and research. However, there are limited published guidelines that apply the principles of community-based participatory research (CBPR), especially within the context of supporting vulnerable youth populations. This article demonstrates the application of the CBPR principles in cocreating an evaluation approach for a healthy relationships program for vulnerable youths with community partners. We present our research procedures and activities and highlight the importance of having a trauma-informed lens and flexibility with the research process and outcomes. We conclude the article by sharing our lessons learned and providing recommendations for future CBPR with vulnerable youths.

Association Amal Al Mansour: Supporting vulnerable youth into work every step of the way

Oxfam’s Youth Participation and Employment (YPE) project helped Hind, a young woman in Morocco, to enter the labour market. Though she is educated, her skills were insufficient to get a job. The Amal Al Mansour Association, a YPE partner, helped her with practical training in developing soft skills and accessing the formal labour market. With support from the Association, she got a job in the retail sector. Her current job is a stepping-stone to achieving her personal and professional goals. She wants to obtain her law degree and find a stable job in line with her qualifications. In the context of the COVID-19 crisis, the number of available jobs has decreased, and it is hard to get a full-time salaried position. Hind is hopeful that the YPE programme can help young people in Morocco through advocating for decent work for vulnerable young people.

Contemporary friendships and social vulnerability among youth: Understanding the role of online and offline contexts of interaction in friendship quality

The prevalence of internet-connected devices in everyday life means that social interactions now frequently take place online. However, for socially vulnerable youth, it may be particularly important to examine distinctions between online and offline contexts of friendships. The current study sought to increase understanding of friendships in the digital era by exploring the associations of social anxiety and loneliness with frequency of interactions with friends, and in turn, friendship quality, as moderated by primary context of interaction with friends (online, offline, or equally online and offline). A sample of Australian young adults ( N = 658; 59.8% female; M age = 19.41, SD = 2.04) who reported having friendships conducted across both online and offline contexts were included in the study. A serial mediation model tested the effects of social anxiety on perceptions of friendship quality, through loneliness and frequency of interacting with friends. The findings suggest that social vulnerabilities are negatively associated with friendship quality for young adults who primarily interact with friends offline or both online and offline. However, among those who primarily interact with friends online, social vulnerabilities are not significantly associated with friendship quality. These results provide insight into contemporary friendships and highlight how social vulnerabilities are associated with perceptions of friendship quality across online and offline settings.

SOCIAL INNOVATION IN THE CULTURAL SECTOR: THE CASE OF PJE/PRODIGIUM

This case examines the major challenges faced by Productions Jeun’Est (PJE) and Prodigium, a social enterprise working in the cultural sector. The profits generated by Prodigium’s activities in the entertainment field are invested in the PJE training program that aims to increase the social inclusion of vulnerable youth by training them to be technicians in the cultural market. By studying this case, students are expected to understand the elements of a social business model, to analyze the role of the different elements forming a social innovation and to evaluate the challenges of planning its transfer to another context.

Bicycling as a Positive Youth Development Mechanism

Recreational activities are uniquely suited for the implementation of a positive youth development (PYD) approach, as they create space for youths’ physical, psychological, and social development. This may be especially true for vulnerable youth who face additional risk factors such as single parent homes and living in low-income communities. Momentum Bicycle Clubs (MBC), based in Greenville, South Carolina, use noncompetitive recreational bicycling as a mechanism to facilitate group mentoring opportunities for high-risk youth. MBC engage youth with their community while providing opportunities for leadership, building positive relationships, exercise, and learning new skills. This exploratory project’s purpose is to better understand the bicycle as a PYD mechanism through group mentoring by studying MBC program design, processes, and outcomes. Researchers identified three primary themes that indicated the bicycle provided youth opportunities to gain responsibility, confidence, and improved health. Sub themes provided additional context. For example, youth gained responsibility for their bikes and related equipment, as well as their individual and the group’s safety. MBC is an example of using individual specialized recreation equipment as an effective PYD mechanism that allows the program to meet more PYD desired outcomes than traditional programs. The bicycle rides differentiate the program dynamic from other PYD programs as the mentors are also group participants. This allows the mentors to share in the experience and role model behavior, which may foster stronger group identity and cohesiveness. Year-round asset intensive programs of this nature have management challenges, including sufficient resources (e.g., bicycle storage and maintenance), mentors willing to ride bicycles, as well as ensuring youth safety while riding. The resource challenges are met through extensive partnerships with government, nonprofit, and commercial agencies, which has also benefitted the program through a wider variety of mentors, adult role models, internship opportunities for the youth, and community knowledge about MBC. Safe bicycling is accomplished through extensive training, locating the clubs in areas with access to low traffic streets, and a 20-mile paved multiuse path. Lastly, since it is difficult to have meaningful conversations while riding, mentors must build in time before and after rides and at planned stops to facilitate the most meaningful mentor-mentee relationships.