Youth 0-21 Society and Policy

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!

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 back
I 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 :)

Before I started this Master's degree programme, I studied Educational Sciences and there I missed the practical aspect of the field. I wanted to be able to apply what I had learnt. So I attended the Master's information events.

The Master's programme Youth, Society and Policy was just new and it promised to provide the link I was looking for, the link between practice and science. In addition, policy was addressed. That was important to me.
In this Master’s degree programme you will learn about youth care in general and the policy that is involved. Course units focus on subjects including implementation, international policy, foster care and child abuse.

In the first two blocks you will follow a number of course units. You will not be tested by written examinations, but by projects and essays. I appreciate that. I participated in a project about LGBTQ youth. How can you provide information at schools so that everyone is accepted as he or she is? Together with my groupmates, I wrote a plan for that. That kind of project is very concrete, and leads to a tangible result that you can be proud of.
After the theory part, you will do a work placement and write your thesis. I am currently doing a placement at Yorneo, in Drenthe, an organization which provides all kinds of assistance with regard to raising children. There I did my placement at foster care. I would like to work at in foster care later. A place where you are really involved with people.

I think it’s very important to do things you care about and that you find worthwhile. That’s really the case with this Master’s degree programme. You have room to pursue your interests, and dive in deeply. A bonus is that my English has greatly improved, so that I can analyse texts critically now.

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!