Children's rights in action: involving care-experienced individuals in academic lessons

Focusing on children's right to participate, as outlined in Article 12 of the 1989 Children's Rights Convention, there is a growing body of research on involving children and young people in participatory practices in institutional meetings, everyday life, and peer research. However, fewer are the initiatives involving care-experienced young people in social work and educational professional training, as well as in academic education. Building on these considerations, this article describes the involvement of two care experienced young women coming from alternative care experiences within the Course of Work and Organizational Psychology, Social Work BA, Sapienza, University of Rome, Italy. Drawing on ethnographic notes taken during co-planning, co-delivering, and receiving feedback, I critically reflect on the methodological challenges and necessary psychological considerations of such initiatives, paving the way for future participatory training and academic opportunities for social workers.