Inclusion and its implementation: Youth workers' perspectives on an experimental social–business initiative for ‘at-risk’ youth in Israeli community centres

Abstract

This paper presents the perspectives of youth workers on an experimental social-business initiative programme designed to bring about the inclusion of ‘at-risk’ youth in community centres. The programme was implemented in three community centres that are part of a nationwide organization of community centres which provide social–educational–cultural activities for the general population within the community. The uniqueness of the programme lies in its effort to integrate ‘at-risk’ youth into universal and unstigmatized, structured leisure activities. The sample included all the youth counsellors implementing the programme. The paper describes the inclusion of the youth from their selection and recruitment to the programme, through their introduction into the community centres, and during the processes associated with the implementation of the programme. The findings indicate the challenges and difficulties that arise in implementing an inclusive programme, the importance of the counsellors in implementing the programme and the relationship between the youth and the centre's staff members. Finally, operational conclusions are presented and discussed.