How do people learn to participate? How are critical, committed citizens who are capable of making a difference in their communities formed? And what role can scout groups and youth educational associations play in this process? These are some of the questions explored in the article L’associacionisme educatiu de base voluntària: participació, governança i funció pedagògica (Volunteer-Based Educational Associations: Participation, Governance and Pedagogical Function), recently published in REIRE Revista d’Innovació i Recerca en Educació.
The study, authored by Mar Urbistondo Miquel, José Luís Muñoz Moreno, and Saida López Crespo, offers an innovative perspective on a phenomenon deeply rooted in Catalonia but still underexplored in educational research: volunteer-based educational associations. The publication is part of the doctoral research being conducted by Urbistondo Miquel at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, under the supervision of Muñoz Moreno and López Crespo, members of the CRiEDO research group.
When we think about scout groups and youth educational associations, we often associate them with leisure activities, excursions, or camps. However, this research raises a much deeper question: what if one of their most important contributions is the development of active and democratic citizenship?
Drawing on a review of the specialised literature and an analysis of the main scouting and youth educational federations in Catalonia, the authors identify the key features that define this educational model: holistic and experiential education, the active role of children and young people, self-management, participation, and a commitment to social transformation. The findings show that these organisations are far more than leisure-time education providers; they constitute privileged contexts for learning, community engagement, and personal development.
One of the study’s most significant contributions is demonstrating that participation is not only an educational goal but also a methodology and a way of organising collective life. In this regard, assembly-based governance, distributed leadership, and shared responsibility emerge not merely as management mechanisms but as genuine experiences of democratic learning. Learning to deliberate, make collective decisions, assume responsibilities, coordinate teams, and manage conflicts forms part of the educational process itself. In other words, the way an organisation is structured can also educate.
The article also proposes an analytical framework that helps explain the relationship between participation, governance, and pedagogical function. This perspective sheds light on why scout groups and youth educational associations have become particularly valuable spaces for developing civic competences, strengthening community ties, and learning democracy through everyday practice.
The research further addresses a particularly relevant question in today’s context: what makes sustained youth participation in collective projects possible? Rather than attributing it solely to individual motivation or altruistic commitment, the study identifies social, organisational, and personal factors that can either facilitate or hinder participation. Issues such as job insecurity, difficulties in accessing housing, bureaucratisation, the concentration of responsibilities, and a sense of belonging directly influence the sustainability of volunteer educational teams.
This contribution is especially important because it helps move beyond simplified or idealised views of volunteering. The findings suggest that youth participation depends not only on individuals’ willingness to engage but also on the material, organisational, and symbolic conditions that make such engagement possible and sustainable over time.
At a time when the involvement of younger generations in collective life is frequently questioned, this research highlights the role of scout groups and youth educational associations as spaces for citizenship building, democratic learning, and social transformation. At the same time, it provides valuable conceptual tools for researchers, educators, youth organisation leaders, and all those interested in participation, democratic governance, and non-formal education.
Reference
Urbistondo-Miquel, M., Muñoz-Moreno, J. L., & López-Crespo, S. (2027). L’associacionisme educatiu de base voluntària: participació, governança i funció pedagògica. REIRE Revista d’Innovació i Recerca en Educació, 20(1), 53775.
Access the full article here.
