The seven characteristics of Youth Work are educational, social and welfare practice, youth workers challenge inequality and work towards social justice, seeks to strengthen young people and influence the environment in which they live in and works with people holistically.  

My own youth work experiences started in high school running and helping out with Vacation Bible School at my church.  From singing, crafts and playful play, our lessons were based from stories.  The stories where then turned into plays for the young people to understand and join in while being characters.  Arts and crafts were done in correlation to the story and then were used to help with the next story.  

Youth work is important because you are teaching the youth through play and with them instead of teaching to them.  This past year when writing and running a Toddler curriculum I was teaching them more as a youth worker then a teacher.  Every lesson was taught through play using the Rhode Island Early Learning Standards and helped the toddlers with gross and fine motor skills, talk, even following a routine.

These experiences are completely different due to ages however both helped with the development of the young people becoming adults.