TYN: the academy for enterprising young people
Young people looking for meaning
With nearly 40% of Brussels citizens aged under 30 years, the Brussels-Capital Region has the youngest population in the country. However, a third of them face certain inequalities. Following the social, and economic changes relating to the pandemic, this age range suffers all the more from anxiety and a loss of bearings and needs guidance and/or a new direction. The social, psychological and economic consequences are a real challenge for the region: these young people face discrimination and encounter problems at school or in finding or starting employment. Feeling excluded, they lose faith in themselves and their ability to join society to become real instigators and leaders of change.
“The academy responds to young people’s desire to get socially involved and make the necessary changes to society to help them find their place.”
Inform, train and support
The TYN youth academy supports people aged 12-30 years looking for inspiration, knowledge, tools and projects offering them extra-curricular activities that supplement traditional teaching, in Brussels and Wallonia in the form of training courses, initiations and events. TYN is an inclusive space that welcomes and receives young people without discrimination based on gender, culture, origin, faith, level of education or socio-economic background. Its aim? To support young people so that they can take part in the development of tomorrow’s society. Paying special attention to self-knowledge, studies and professions, art and culture and sustainable development,
the academy has set itself the following goals:
• reduce social inequality in access to education and employment;
• suggest innovative and alternative learning methods;
• improve future prospects and open up to a pluralistic vision.
Through games, theatre, experiences, discoveries and other interactive activities, young people are developing their knowledge and know-how in various fields while having fun and developing their critical minds.
In 2022, for example, a video game design initiation was organised for young people aged between 14 and 20 years. Guided by their trainer, the participants were able to have a go at designing a video game and see behind the scenes of their favourite games. There was also time for discussion alongside the practical part, to talk about the specific world of video games and the various occupations available in the sector.
The last stage in the training course consists of implementing a project with a social purpose that the participants create at the end of the course. Developing and structuring a project with support from trainers enables the young people to put newly acquired or pre-existing stills into practice by applying them to current society. By analysing the challenges of this society and thinking about the different actions to carry out in order to have a positive influence, the participants have a concrete and sustainable impact on society.
Promoting an inclusive, united society, TYN provides a supplement to the traditional educational journey aiming to develop the personal, then professional potential of young people and support them through various projects. Informed and trained on tomorrow’s environments, they open up to pluralistic visions of society.
“Every young person we help will be able to help other young people who, in turn, will be able to help someone else one day, we hope.”
Everything to become active citizens
Thanks to the actions of the TYN youth academy, the participants have more self-confidence, and have better knowledge of their abilities (talent, soft and hard skills). Once the barriers have fallen, they have a better understanding of the world of employment and the different possibilities for training or the future. These young people therefore have the necessary skills to find their vocation. By finding their path and becoming aware of their potential and abilities, they open up new prospects for themselves. And the positive effects of this awareness not only have an impact on their friends and families, but on their whole community. They become real social actors, instigators of positive change, while galvanising their neighbourhoods.
