I am an exchange student from Germany, and I am currently working at the Toppila Youth Center. For me, it is a completely new experience to work with children ranging in age from 6 to 18. It is fascinating to observe how much the kids enjoy the games, as well as the wide variety of games and tech-related activities available. It feels like they can play any type of game there, and they really come to socialize and meet their friends. It’s nice to see that the Youth Centre can be a safe place for them, where they can develop their social skills and organizational abilities by organizing parties or smaller events in a safe and neutral environment.
I feel that there is no judgment among the kids, which is really great to witness! It’s also heartwarming to think that the Toppila Centre can serve as a place for children from perhaps socially and financially disadvantaged families, providing them with access to games they may not be able to afford at home, or space to meet friends when there is no room for that at their homes.
The instructors work very closely with the children, talking to them, playing with them, cooking or baking with them, and I believe they are really openminded and attentive to whatever might come up in a child’s life. They do their best to make the Youth Centre a welcoming, cozy place for the kids, offering them cool and fun activities like cooking, baking, going to an amusement park, sledding outside when it’s snowing, or even organizing summer camps! This is a huge difference from how social work is structured in Germany, where we focus more on addressing the issues surrounding a child’s life, such as family problems, school issues, or their social environment.
All in all, it’s a wonderful experience to work closely with the children in a space where they can play any kind of game, feel safe, comfortable, and warmly welcomed!
Written by Nele Schäfler, exchange student from Germany
