Jess Achilleos
Senior Lecturer in Youth and Community Work
Jess has worked in people facing roles for almost 30 years and has been in management positions since the age of 18. Her journey to become a Youth and Community Worker did not begin until 2006, volunteering in a Youth Club in a community that experiences high levels of poverty. She loved her time working in this community and gained enough experience to apply and complete the Post-graduate Diploma in Youth and Community Work at Wrexham University to become a professionally qualified JNC practitioner in 2007.
Jess joined Wrexham University in 2015 and is passionate about ensuring education is accessible and inclusive for everyone. She led on and supported several projects on campus to develop equality and diversity in Higher Education. Jess has also led interdepartmental teams at the University to secure funding and deliver on Youth Work delivery, research, and evaluation projects. Jess is currently Programme Leader and Placement Lead on the BA (Hons) Youth and Community Work Degree Programme and teaches on the MA Youth and Community Work programmes.
Jess is an experienced External Examiner and is an Advance HE Develop the Developer facilitator to support the professional development of External Examiners. Jess is a Director of The Professional Association of Lecturers in Youth and Community Work, a membership organisation that, working with sector colleagues, represents the interests of academics, educators and researchers in Youth and Community Work.
Outside of work Jess is politically active in her community and volunteers for a local charity that supports refugees and asylum seekers. She enjoys being outside and walking her dogs.
Publications
| Year | Publication | Type |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Food for Thought: Young People and Youth Workers’ Perceptions of Food Insecurity and the Youth Work Response, Youth. [DOI] Sarah O’Mahony;Hayley Douglas;Jess Achilleos |
Peer Reviewed Journal |
| 2024 | Pracademia—Role Modelling HyFlex Digital Pedagogies in Youth Work Education , Journal of Applied Youth Studies. [DOI] Hayley Douglas;Jess Achilleos;Yasmin Washbrook;Mandy Robbins |
Other Publication |
| 2023 | Using Radical Pedagogy to Promote Social Justice in Higher Education, Achilleos, Jess |
Other Publication |
| 2021 | Educating Informal Educators on Issues of Race and Inequality: Raising Critical Consciousness, Identifying Challenges, and Implementing Change in a Youth and Community Work Programme, [DOI] Achilleos, Jess;Douglas, Hayley;Washbrook, Yasmin |
Peer Reviewed Journal |
| 2019 | Redressing the balance of power in youth and community work education: a case study in assessment and feedback, TEACHING YOUTH WORK IN HIGHER EDUCATION TENSIONS, CONNECTIONS, CONTINUITIES AND CONTRADICTIONS. | Book Chapter |
Programs/ Modules Coordinated
| Title | Subject |
|---|---|
| Critical Pedagogy and Anti-Oppressive Practice | ONLED09 |
| Placement 1 - Preparation for Professional Practice | YCW409 |
| Placement 2 Integrating Professional Practice | YCW506 |
| Political and Sociological Perspectives in Youth and Community Work | YCW507 |
| Leading in contemporary Youth and Community Work Practice | YCW607 |
| Critical Analysis of Education in Youth and Community Work | YCW610 |
| Critical Pedagogy and Anti-Oppressive Practice | YCW709 |
| Research Methods | YCW508 |
| Working Together To Safeguard Self and Others | YCW413 |
| Philosophy in Youth and Community Work | YCW710 |