LEARNING = CREATING

Some years ago I interviewed youth workers from all over Europe about the topic of ‘learning in youth work’. Many of them said that, although they thought it a crucial element of youth work, they would never mention the word ‘learning’ to the young people they worked with. A bit like ‘he who shall not be named’ (Voldemort in Harry Potter) or ‘don’t mention the war!’ (Fawlty Towers, episode 6). 

The youth workers explained that, “the young people would run away when I started using the word learning!”. For many young people the word ‘learning’ is connected to notions like ‘difficult’, ‘boring’, ‘failure’, ‘obligation’ and other negative perceptions. Not something you want to be occupied with during your free time.

I don’t think we should find a new word to replace ‘learning’. Over the years small groups of youth workers have talked about this while having a walk, a coffee or a beer together but it has never ended up with a new word for learning.

My proposal would be to give a ‘new’ interpretation to the word learning. To explain and to promote that learning=creating. Learning is about creating opportunities, creating new ideas, creating new steps, creating insights, creating new connections, creating skills, creating new knowledge, creating new pathways, creating new questions, creating attitudes… creating life!

“So, what did you learn at school today?” was the daily, well intended but sometimes irritating, question my father would ask at dinner. After a deep sigh I answered, with some sarcasm one day: “I learnt how to measure the difference in time between one kilo of feathers and one kilo of sugar falling down on the street from a 10 meters high roof. Very useful dad!” The difference in sugar and feathers falling down was not an essential question for me at that time and now looking back after all these years it has never become a crucial topic in my life. That learning didn’t create anything and that’s probably also the reason that I don’t remember at all how to make that calculation.

When learning is creating, it gives sense and perspective. 

It’s nice when young people, after a project, say that they learnt how to work in a team. It’s even better when they realise that it creates for them opportunities to work on ideas together with other people, to contribute to the wellbeing of a team, to deal with different opinions in teams, to make things happen/change together with peers. 

It’s great when young people in youth work learn how to reflect. It’s even better when they realise that this allows them in life to take a step back and look at themselves, at their actions, at their behavior and to see what that tells them, how they value that and how they can take steps; how it helps them to take more ownership of their life. 

When focusing on learning in youth work we should talk with young people about learning. That means on the one hand giving them the opportunity to express their negative experiences when it comes to learning; to share that with others, to find recognition, to take away the self-image of being a ‘bad learner’. 

And on the other hand, talking about learning should be about changing the negative perspectives on learning towards something which is joyful, exciting and enriching. It’s just a very human thing; human beings want to try out, want to develop, want to explore, want to do better, want to create. 

Learning is not about sugar and feathers; it’s about creating your own life, sweet and light!