Future Scenarios
Why the future is worth thinking about?
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Ana has just started using futures thinking in her youth group. She used to see the future as something that simply happens to us — impossible to predict, so why bother? But foresight isn’t fortune-telling or a crystal ball. It’s a practical, structured way to explore the futures that could happen, decide which one we want, and act today to move towards it. Help Ana get the foundations right.
Futures thinking — the foundations of foresight in youth work
From today to tomorrow
Three Horizons — managing change without losing the present
Tomas manages a youth centre. Fewer young people show up to the old drop-in sessions, but he can’t just scrap everything that still works today. He’s using the Three Horizons framework: Horizon 1 is how things work now, Horizon 3 is the future the centre is really needed for, and Horizon 2 is the messy, creative transition in between. Help Tomas map the horizons.
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Start from the future
Backcasting — planning backwards from the future you want
A group of young people Lena mentors want their town to have a youth-run community space by 2030 — somewhere to hang out, create and organise. Instead of guessing forward from today, Lena introduces backcasting: you begin from the future you want, then work backwards to figure out the steps that would get you there. Help Lena and the group plan it.
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Catching the future early
Weak signals — spotting change before it’s obvious
Marek is a youth worker who wants to stay ahead of what’s really going on in young people’s lives. Big trends are easy to spot once everyone’s talking about them — but by then it’s often late. Marek is learning to notice weak signals: the small, early, easy-to-dismiss hints that something new might be emerging. Help him tell signals, trends and noise apart.
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Skills for futures we can’t predict
Future-ready — preparing young people for a changing world of work
Sofia mentors young people who worry about which career to pick when jobs keep changing. She doesn’t have a crystal ball — and that’s the point. Instead of predicting one ‘right’ job, Sofia uses futures thinking to help young people build adaptable, ‘future-proof’ skills and a habit of lifelong learning, so they can thrive whatever comes. Help her get the ideas right.
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