*Article* **The Education of Informal Educators**

**Tony Jeffs 1,\* and Mark K. Smith <sup>2</sup>**


**Abstract:** No undergraduate or postgraduate programmes currently exist for the professional education of informal educators. The authors outline the development of previous programmes and consider the emergence of informal education as a discrete concept. The article then highlights some key failings in the professional education of informal educators and outlines some changes in the orientation and content of programmes.

**Keywords:** informal education; professional education; pedagogy; group work; social pedagogy; YMCA
