Degree Programme in Civic Activities and Youth Work

Objectives

After completing the community educator’s degree programme, you will be able to utilise your expertise in various positions, working with people and communities of all ages, for example, in growth and participation communities, in NGOs and in youth work or leisure activities.

After completing the community educator, youth education and youth work degree programme, you are qualified to work as a specialist in the various areas of youth education, such as youth work, youth work at schools or outreach youth work.

After completing the community educator’s degree programme, environmental education and community developer, you are a professional in education, guidance and influencing, and in developing communities. In education and development work, you will be able to utilise your special expertise in social, cultural and ecological sustainable development.

Objectives of the community educator, youth education and youth work degree programme:
• You identify factors influencing the growth, development and wellbeing of the young, as well as the mechanisms for the emergence of social problems and changes in society.
• You are familiar with the essential methods of youth education related to education, guidance and participation and are able to apply them to support the development and learning of individuals and groups in their communities.
• You know how to interact with people.
• You understand the everyday life of the young and the phenomena typical of the period of youth.
• You are able to work in the multidisciplinary environment of youth education in cooperation with other professionals and understand their operations policies.
• You know how to develop your own professional skills and the functioning of your working community. You know how to plan, implement and evaluate projects.

Objectives of the community educator, environmental education and community developer degree programme:
• You understand the importance of community, inclusion and empowerment from the perspective of both the wellbeing of individuals and groups and the functioning of society.
• You are able to promote socially, culturally and ecologically sustainable development in the operating environments of a community educator.
• You are able to support the growth, learning, inclusion, and equality of the individual, group, and community by using instructional, educational, and inclusive methods and your sustainable development competence.
• You can act as a community developer and a social influencer by using different methods of advocacy and communication channels.

Degree programme description

The structure of the degree programme (210 ECTS credits) comprises 165 ECTS credits of core competence studies and 45 ECTS credits of complementary competence studies.

Core competence means the knowledge, skills and competences that working life requires of a graduate. The core competence consists of common studies for all students of South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences (30 ECTS credits), professional studies of the community educator degree programme (90 ECTS credits), practical training (30 credits) and thesis (15 ECTS credits). Core competence is compulsory for all students of the degree programme.

In core competence studies, you start building yourself a professional identity and developing professional competence to tackle the challenges and problems you may encounter at work. You learn to make a positive impact on the daily lives of young people with the help of various collaborative and educational methods.

The key content of your studies comprises pedagogical, social, communal and development and influencing skills.

Community educator's degree programme, youth education and youth work
In core competence studies, you focus on aspects such as:
o Guidance of groups and individuals, including online counselling
o Pedagogical approach to youth education, e.g. cultural and creative methods, inclusive and participatory methods, special education, media education, physical education
o Promoting sustainable wellbeing and preventing social problems
o Cooperation and organisational skills
o Planning, development, and innovation skills

Community educator's degree programme, environmental education and community developer
In core competence studies, you focus on aspects such as:
o Guidance of groups and individuals, including online counselling
o Pedagogical methods, including art and nature-based methods, inclusive methods, adventure education
o Promoting socially, culturally and ecologically sustainable development, such as environmental and nature education, democracy education, global education, cultural education
o Promotion of young people's participation and influence, e.g. media influence
o Cooperation and organisational skills
o Planning, development and management skills

In complementary competence studies, you can deepen and expand your skills according to your own interests and choices, for example, in the field of education and guidance.

Structure of studies:
• common studies, 30 ECTS credits
• professional studies, 90 ECTS credits
• complementary competence, 45 ECTS credits
• practical training, 30 ECTS credits
• bachelor's thesis, 15 ECTS credits

Implementation of studies

The Community Educator, Youth Education and Youth Work degree programme can be studied at Xamk as daytime or online studies in Mikkeli. The Community Educator, Environmental Education and Community Developer degree programme can be studied at Xamk as blended studies in Kouvola.

The daytime studies are suitable for people who can commit to weekly teaching and guidance according to their schedule.

The blended studies include contact teaching on campus and online during the day on weekdays, as well as independent work and online studies. Some of the studies can be completed as online studies according to your own schedule during the course period. These studies are suitable, e.g., to be done alongside work.

The online studies are mainly studied online. Part of the teaching is scheduled lectures and participatory online teaching that requires attendance. Scheduled teaching online is carried out during the day on weekdays. Some of the studies can be completed as online studies according to your own schedule during the course period. These studies are suitable, e.g., to be done alongside work.

Career opportunities

Community educators can work in the following fields:

• Municipal youth work (guidance, planning and management positions)
• Non-governmental organisations (coordination and project management positions)
• Child welfare
• Schools (youth work at school)
• Workshops for young people (individual trainers)
• Entrepreneurs (leisure services)
• Special youth work
• Youth information and counselling activities
• International youth work
• Multi-cultural youth work
• Development of environmental education (in organisations or projects)
• Community development
• Development of voluntary activities (resident work, community facilitator)

RDI and cooperation with world of work

The degree programme studies are carried out in close cooperation with the world of work, and work-related learning environments and development needs are constantly present in the daily course of your studies. You complete authentic tasks as part of your studies, which helps to improve your practical skills and allows you to create networks essential for employment after graduation.

The degree programme studies involve cooperation with other higher education institutions in the same field.

The Youth Research and Development Centre Juvenia is administered by Xamk as part of its research and development activities.

Learning environments

The Mikkeli campus is located near the city centre and offers a versatile learning environment and various hobby opportunities. Spaces that can be used during daytime studies are, for example, a studio, a creative class, the low ropeway TiimiX built for group gatherings and other rooms. There are several hobby facilities, such as a gym, a sports hall, and Saimaa Stadium.

The contact periods of blended studies are mainly implemented at the Kouvola campus, which is located near the city centre. The teaching also utilises other environments in the surrounding area, such as the Ankkapurha youth centre and the area's natural attractions.

The contact lessons of the online studies are in the Teams and in working life learning environments.

In all forms of study, studying consists of contact teaching, independent study, working in learning teams, various development tasks in real work environments and practical training.

Juvenia, the Youth Research and Development Centre, is a research centre administrated by Xamk that works in close cooperation with the Community Educator degree programme and provides you with excellent opportunities to complete courses and practical training periods and may also serve as a commissioner for your bachelor's thesis. Juvenia is focused on facilitating various field-related projects with the aim of combining research and practical development. The primary purpose is to promote inclusion and a sense of citizenship and community identity among young people. Juvenia's regional, national, and international networks offer a wide range of opportunities to improve one's research, development, and international cooperation skills.