Association of Viennese Youth CentresFacts & Figures

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Who we areThe non-profit Association of Viennese Youth Centres, established in 1978, is the largest professional provider of children and youth work in Vienna. The association currently operates some 40 institu-tions and projects with a staff of approx. 300 people. It covers a variety of different work areas, in-cluding open children and youth work in youth centres and clubs, detached youth work, and services provided in a course centre. In addition, the association regularly develops new projects, adopts new thematic priorities, and organises interregional activities. The Association of Viennese Youth Centres and its institutions stand for professional, modern children and youth work carried out by qualified and skilled staff. Its youth work reflects the latest developments and innovations in the field.

Our mission statementWe want children and youths to be given their deserved place in society and room to express themselves and contribute as a creative force to improving society. We feel committed toward our primary target group, the children and youths living in Vienna. We support the participation of young people in decision-making processes. To achieve this, we need the greatest possible degree of transparency and to take youths seriously as self-determined members of our society. The Associati-on of Viennese Youth Centres also sees itself as a lobby group representing the interests of children and youths. Our main focus is the enforcement of decisions in favour of these groups.

• We support youths in their personal development, in expanding their scope of choices, in deve-loping new perspectives, and in positioning themselves in society.

• We believe that youths are entitled to free spaces which they can choose and vitalise themselves.• We need to promote the diversity of cultural forms of expression and to acknowledge cultural

and social diversity as a source of enrichment. • We want to encourage our target groups toward civil courage, solidarity, and political awareness.

Impact orientation in the Association of Viennese Youth CentresFor the Association of Viennese Youth Centres, the impact of open youth work concentrates on three levels:• Individual impact level: Open youth work promotes the development of the personality and

identity of youths • Socio-spatial impact level: As a result of youth work, youths are able to identify spaces that

meet their age-specific requirements and to develop ways of understanding and respecting each other

• Social impact level: Open youth work contributes to social peace, social stability, and equal opportunities, and promotes active democracy and social participation by young people

The work of the Association of Viennese Youth Centres is based on the following principles:Orientation toward the social environment, the individual lifeworld, the available resources and identified needs, openness, low-threshold accessibility, voluntary participation, professional relationship work, confidentiality and transparency, partiality toward the target group, participation, diversity, gender mainstreaming.

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The institutions of the Association of Viennese Youth Centres (updated 2014)

Youth centres and youth clubs - 25 locations + Girl‘s Café + CU televisionThe activities in youth centres and clubs are based on the concept of a socio-spatial open children and youth work. Depending on their size and equipment, the youth centres and youth clubs are open to as many different target groups as possible. They represent spaces for children and youths, meeting areas without an obligation for consumption, providing opportunities ranging from leisure activities to the discussion of youth-relevant topics and counselling. Many of the services provided are co-developed by children and youths. Through outreach work, networking, and cooperation, the youth centres and youth clubs aim at supporting children and youths in the public spaces of their district, and at creating an infrastructure suitable for the needs of these groups.

Detached youth work – 6 locationsThe work areas of detached youth work are the streets and parks of the districts in which it is based. Streetwork is the approach used by youth workers to become acquainted with the kids. The-se workers are visitors in the world of the young people. Through help on a personal level, group work, and project work, they discuss and process the wishes, needs, and problems of the youths. Moreover, targeted public relations and lobbying work are geared toward significant improvements in the life situation of the youths. The main focus of this community-oriented social youth work is the promotion of self-organisation, and a strengthening of the self-awareness and potential of youths.

Course centreThe Musische Zentrum offers a very diversified range of courses, especially for children and youths: Everything ranging from courses in artistic-creative leisure activities, dance, music, theatre, and graphic design to sports activities is available there. The premises of the Musische Zentrum are designed for intensive multiple uses, and are therefore rented out to various cultu-ral groups and initiatives.

Inter-regional: spacelab – Produktionsschule WienEmpowerment, occupational orientation, education, and future planning: spacelab - Produktions-schule Wien is a modular service for youths and young adults aged between 15 and 25 years who are neither in school, nor in vocational training or employed. As part of the so-called Vienna trai-ning guarantee („Wiener Ausbildungsgarantie“), this low-threshold service offers Viennese youths opportunities for an entry into the working world, or for qualification and training. This project is based on several years of experience in working with this target group, and is implemented at four locations in Vienna.

spacelab - together with the Public Employment Service Vienna (AMS Arbeitsmarkservice) and the Vienna Employment Promotion Fund (waff) – operates in cooperation with the following organisations: Association for the Creation of Open Culture and Workshop Houses (WUK), Association of Viennese Youth Centres, Volkshilfe Beschäftigung (a placement service), Wiener Volkshochschulen GmbH (adult education institution), and Verein sprungbrett für mädchen (an association for the promotion of girls).

Networking and cooperationsThe Association of Viennese Youth Centres cooperates with all relevant institutions in the field of children, youth, and community work. On a regional level, this includes the various district and neighbourhood platforms, and, on an interregional level, e.g. the Youth and Children Platform. The major focus of such activities is the promotion of communication, a common approach, and the exploitation of synergy effects. Networking activities and cooperations also aim at lobbying in the interest of our target group and at creating public awareness about their concerns and youth policy issues. The Association of Viennese Youth Centres also maintains contacts to other youth work institutions throughout Austria, is represented in BOJA (federal network of open youth work), and regularly participates in international youth exchanges funded by EU subsidies.

Fundamental workBeing the largest provider in Vienna, the Association of Viennese Youth Centres carries out ongoing fundamental work, the results of which are also made available to all Viennese youth work institu-tions. This also includes all collaboration and various forms of cooperation with advanced technical colleges and universities in Vienna, Austria, and Germany. This cooperation is demonstrated regularly in research projects of practical relevance and in the internal further training program-me, which is also accessible to colleagues from all Viennese youth work institutions. As a rule, the socio-spatial analyses carried out by the association‘s members serve as the basis for the develop-ment of concepts for new institutions and for major adaptations of existing locations.

Association of Viennese Youth Centres – Facts and Figures (updated 2013)

• Throughout 2013, the institutions of the Association of Viennese Youth Centres established a total of 682.518 contacts to children, youths and adults.

• Contacts/frequency distribution: 84% of the contacts were to juniors, youths, and children. 13% are attributed to the provision and rental of premises, and 3% to networking.

• Areas of activity/frequency distribution: The largest area of activity is open children and youth work in youth centres and youth clubs with 66%, followed by the course centre with 11% and detached youth work with 10%. This results in an average of 73 contacts per institution/day.

• 289 employees: 165 women and 124 men

ContactVerein Wiener Jugendzentren / Association of Viennese Youth CentresPragerstrasse 20, A-1210 Vienna / AustriaTelephone: +43-1-2787645; Fax: +43-1-2787645/25,E-Mail: wiener-jugendzentren@jugendzentren.at

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