Jeugd: Beleid & Maatschappij

My name is Janet Hofman and I am following the Master's programme in 'Youth0-21, Society and Policy'.

I have a background in Human Resource Management and I was curious whether I could handle a Master’s. I first followed the pre-Master’s programme in SPO, a combination of Pedagogy and Educational Sciences, and after that I had a choice between the Master’s tracks in ‘Ethics of Education’ and ‘Youth0-21, Society and Policy’. I attended a few information events and came to the conclusion that this one was more up my alley

What I like about this track is that it not only teaches you about all kinds of youth-related issues, but also how these issues can be raised to a higher level based on policy and research. This involves young people themselves as well as the people that supervise and guide them.

The first semester comprises course units such as ‘Conceptions of youth in policy and research’, ‘Innovations in youth care and education’ and ‘Child abuse and neglect’, after which in the second semester you follow a placement, complete a placement assignment and write your thesis. My thesis is about how secondary-school pupils are prepared for the labour market or further education.

The programme is rather broad. I enjoy the variety in topics, and the lecturers also give you a lot of freedom to come up with your own ideas. You can delve more deeply into the topics that you are particularly interested in. In addition, the group is small, so you get to know each other quickly. The lecturers are very passionate about their subject, and they really know a lot about it – they are firmly grounded in the field.

After I graduate, I think I might like to work as a policy adviser dealing with youth issues, and I would also like to start up a company that helps young people choose what they want to study. This way I want to continue to create a link between practice and policy!

Hi, my name is Richard Boer and I am 49 years old. I study the master's degree programme 'Youth, Society and Policy'. Originally I am a system therapist and I am also a teacher at the 'Hogeschool Leeuwarden'.

I wanted to do a master’s degree and then I heard about this new study programme. I have been to an information event twice and based on that I made my choice. Especially the fact that you are working with policies greatly encouraged me.

I am very pleased with the structure of the study programme. The first few months are dedicated to theory, like International policy and Implementation science (implementatiekunde). It leans towards Sociology but it has also something to do with Education (Onderwijskunde). We think about issues like ‘How do you develop a project in an organization?’, and ‘A new method will be introduced, but how should this be addressed?’

With some fellow students we have produced a policy piece. That was very nice to do!

After a few months of theory, your internship will start. I am currently doing an internship at the municipality of Leeuwarden. During such an internship you will get to know an organization at the policy level. I learn what it is like to work with different parties who all want something from, in this case, the municipality of Leeuwarden. Very interesting! In addition, the things I learned in the first few months of theory worked well for my internship. I was very well prepared.

This year, only ten people study ‘Youth, Society and Policy’. I like that very much, because you have a lot of contact with your fellow students and your teachers. Moreover, it is an international study. This year we had two students from Germany and Spain. In this way, you learn something about the policy in other countries and how they shape it. The language is English, and I like that too. My English has therefore improved quite a lot during the past few months.

After completing this master's programme, I applied for a PhD position listed on the Noorderlink platform, jointly offered by the GION (Research/Teaching) at the University of Groningen and the Institute of Sport Studies at Hanze University of Applied Sciences. I was offered the position and started last September!

Current position

Within this collaboration, I am conducting research on extracurricular activities in the primary school context. Worldwide, many schools offer activities on different themes in addition to their regular curriculum to enrich children’s development and to contribute to children exploring their talents. Broadly, the research will seek to answer how these enriched hours can be organized in impactful and feasible ways in the context of promoting equality of opportunity among children. Every working day as a PhD student is different, but since this is the beginning phase of my PhD project, I do a lot of reading and writing to outline my research proposal.

Looking backI

look back to my student days with a big smile. I have experienced a lot of growth both academically and personally. I've always been able to put enough effort into my studies while doing a lot of other fun things.
What I liked about this master's is that quite a small number of students apply and that it is also open to international students. This facilitates many interesting discussions during the lectures with students bringing their perspectives from diverse backgrounds.

Insights

During the programme, I learned how interventions can improve children’s well-being and what is important when implementing these interventions in, for example, the educational setting. In the various courses, it was emphasized that not only the specific intervention but also broader (systemic) factors contribute to its success and challenges. Also bridging the gap between theory and practice and the role of research in improving interventions and youth policies were important topics throughout the whole programme. Together, the insights I gained during this master's programme are valuable in designing and conducting my current research.

Skills

I really liked that almost all the courses I took ended not with an exam, but with a writing assignment. In this, you had a lot of freedom and could apply your own interests to the assignments. I also think that this form of assessment fits very well with the skills you should develop during your master's. More specifically, I enjoyed the process of writing my master’s thesis. It felt like a great conclusion to the program, allowing me to bring together and apply knowledge from the other courses.
I benefited mostly from the writing skills that I gained. I try to be critical of what I write and to incorporate all relevant viewpoints. Furthermore, the master's programme taught me that context matters. It shapes the way a child develops, what and how youth policies are designed and implemented, the practical effects of an intervention etc. In my current job as a PhD student, it is of great value to always keep this in mind.

Future

Of course, first I want to complete my PhD. And after that? I hope that after completing my PhD, I can continue to grow as a researcher and contribute my knowledge and expertise in a role that makes a meaningful difference for vulnerable children.

Advice

My advice for current and future students would be to take advantage of your teachers as a valuable resource! As the group of students following this master programme is relatively small, the teachers are very approachable, supportive, and always willing to help, so don’t hesitate to reach out. Talk to them about your interests, career goals, or possible job paths. They can offer guidance and possibly connect you with opportunities. Through talking a lot with my thesis supervisor about my future path, she convinced me that pursuing a PhD could be a great fit for me. And here we are now :)

My name is Pauline Schreuder and I am Assistant Professor and coordinator of the International Master's track Youth, Society & Policy, one of the tracks in the Master's programme in Pedagogical Sciences. Together with my colleague Greetje Timmerman, I teach the course unit in Conceptions, Policies and Youth Participation. I also supervise students during their placements and theses.

Students come from the Bachelor’s programme in Pedagogical Sciences, both from Orthopedagogy and Pedagogy/Educational Sciences. In addition, we have both Dutch and international students with backgrounds in Psychology or Sociology. These different dimensions are important because they contribute to the understanding of different perspectives and the ability to work together with people from different disciplines.

The degree programme is characterized by its focus on youth issues concerning growing up and development. We consistently try to bridge the gaps between research, policy and practice. Students are actively engaged in these issues through seminars, group assignments and discussions. One of the themes dealt with is how different countries have organized their decision-making regarding children who are placed in care. Do the children or young people have a say in it? If yes, how is this arranged? The programme also covers the implementation of interventions and innovations.

The theoretical course unit in which I am involved takes place early in the programme. Students are introduced to the various definitions and interpretations of ‘youth’ across countries and to the implications of this for youth policy. Students analyse the youth policy of a country of their choice and compare their analyses afterwards. Then you see that a concept like ‘youth participation’ is interpreted very differently, but also that those differences do not always coincide with the distinction between Western and non-Western countries.