Examples of our activities

Effective youth interventions
During the annual meeting of The Campbell Collaboration (an international group of scientific researchers on health, crime, justice and well-being, who want to pass on evidence based results to practitioners), the Netherlands Youth Institute presented its own Database of Effective Interventions. Members of the institute's team showed how they systematically constructed this collection of evidence based interventions in the youth field and the criteria they used to judge the effectiveness and usefulness of existing programmes. As a result of their presentation, contacts were made with various European partners who have or intend to start a similar collection. Read more

Local parent support abroad
In Romania, the Netherlands Youth Institute introduced and implemented its own parent support programme 'Opvoeden Zó', translated as 'Educacion ASA'. Since 1998, on request of the Romanian NGO Fundatia Copii Nostri and funded by the Dutch government, the institute's staff members trained 150 Romanian 'train-the-trainers', who in return trained thousands of school and kindergarten teachers to carry out this programme. Nowadays, more than 3,000 kindergartens and 300 primary schools in Romania use 'Educacion ASA' to help parents communicate better with their children and with the school staff.

Empowering parents
The Netherlands Youth Institute is responsible for the implementation of the Australian programme 'Triple P' in The Netherlands. Triple P is an evidence based multilevel family intervention programme to promote positive parenting strategies and prevent emotional and behavioural problems in children at different ages. The Netherlands Youth Institute co-ordinates the dissemination of Triple P by training practitioners in the youth and health care system all over the country. It also offers support and consultation to local policy officers and youth care institutions on the implementation of this programme.

Get-at-able social assistance
In preparation to the introduction of local Centres for Youth and Family in Dutch municipalities, the Netherlands Youth Institute organized a study visit to Birmingham for Dutch policy makers in the youth field. The focus of this visit was on the functioning of British Children's Centres as a 'get-at-able' form of social assistance for parents and children, and on the close co-operation between health care, educational support and social services. Attention was paid to the funding of these centres and the creation of an integrated workforce, as well as to the programme 'Sure Start' for combating development deficits. During the study visit a national conference on sustainable children's centres was attended.

Active European citizenship
In close co-operation with the Council of Europe and the European Commission, the Netherlands Youth Institute organized an intensive multi-module training course in 'active citizenship' for youth workers from 25 countries. The target of this training course was to make youth workers integrate the notion of European citizenship in their daily work with young people and transfer 'the European sense' to them. Young people can be actively involved by means of volunteer work and exchange programmes on themes such as human rights and environment. The training course therefore focussed on intercultural learning and the evolution of the European idea.