Positive youth

“If you want to learn something, read about it. If you want to understand something, write about it. If you want to master something, teach it.”– Yogi Bhajan

Positive Youth is a non-profit organization striving to bring more positivity to the youths through self-development opportunities for local communities, with special attention to less privileged youths from migrant background. We are looking for diverse self-development tools to support the innovative non-formal education method of mindfulness and work on changing our busy and trouble seeking mentalities, starting with one single individual-YOU. Core tools we are using in our non-formal education activities are movement and outdoor activities. Positivity is a source of physical well-being, tranquility, happiness and success which describes the best our philosophy – to become the best versions of ourselves in order to inspire the peers and build supportive youth communities for the happy future. Positive Youth, both as an organization and as staff members have participated, written and organized numerous Erasmus+ training courses in Europe as well as participated/organized nature-based mindfulness training in Thailand. We are committed to the belief that all humans are equal and the main need for all of us is to be content and at peace. Our vision is to together grow supportive communities of youths, committed to lifelong intergenerational learning and self-development in order to live a positive, mindful and happy life respecting each other and surroundings. Therefore, besides empowering communities, our staff is constantly working on their own development together with the group in order to be at service for the youths.

Expertise: Positive Youth uses non formal and informal tools of self-development, with special expertise in mindfulness, meditation, yoga, coaching done through movement and outdoor activities (which is a desire in Swedish nature). Our team is certified as yoga trainers, mindfulness trainers, mentors and coaches.

Social context: being a new organization, Positive Youth currently works with diverse local partners to offer our expertise and to involve youths from diverse backgrounds. As the team members are coming from migrant backgrounds, our main target group are migrants, who mostly live in remote areas with less opportunities. We are working with SOS Villages Gothenburg, Expat community, Svealand AIK orienteering club, SUIS ( Somaliska Ungdomsförbundet I Sverige) offering the youths access to ERASMUS+ activities and our expertise in mindfulness while engaging new volunteers in outdoor youthwork. Besides all our activities take place in a scout camp Brockberg run by Assyrian organization which is located in a rural area near Gothenburg.

Quality System: Positive YOUth has a strategic youth work plan which is reviewed and updated yearly by the NGO board.

One of the sections in strategic planning is Quality Youth Work which is reviewed, evaluated and updates using the guidelines of ERASMUS+ programme as well as European Commission handbooks regarding Quality Youth Work suggested by KEKS agency in Gothenburg. Besides, we are in constant communication with Swedish Agency for Youth and

Civil Society in Växjö in order to maintain the quality. One of our projects was chosen as a RAY research project for 2020, which besides research, preparation for it gave us new insights into quality systems for our youth work done.