TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
http://trainers.salto-youth.net/KatarzynaKowalska/
Katarzyna Kowalska
I am a trainer and educator with 15 years of experience in international youth work. I specialize in storytelling and participatory media methods. Through Upstream Stories - an international NGO I co-created - I support young people at risk, helping them reclaim their voices and share stories and perspectives missing from the mainstream media. I also regularly lead trainings for youth workers, equipping them with creative, participatory methodologies.
Katarzyna Kowalska has 4 references for past work as a trainer.
Contact details
Trainer connections
Current occupation
Freelance international trainer and facilitator specializing in social inclusion, participatory media methods (digital storytelling, participatory photography and audio) and conflict transformation
Work experience
I currently work as a freelance international trainer and facilitator, collaborating with multiple NGOs across Europe, including:
Krzyzowa Foundation for Mutual Understanding in Europe, where I regularly design and lead international youth exchanges on European history and Polish-German reconciliation
Kreisau Initiative, where I am a core team member of Roots and Borders - a long-term programme on European identity and intercultural dialogue
Autokreacja Foundation, where I am a content coordinator for numerous Erasmus+ KA1 and KA2 projects, as well as other projects funded by CERV and the Anna Lindh Foundation
My main areas of expertise are participatory media methods (digital storytelling, participatory photography and audio), inclusion, intercultural dialogue and conflict transformation. In my work I use storytelling as a way of giving a platform to those whose voices are not present in the mainstream media - I work with different vulnerable groups, including people with migrant or refugee background, IDPs, people facing political persecution, and communities affected by military conflicts. Creating digital stories gives the participants I work with an opportunity to show their own perspectives and describe very personal experiences - often for the first time. This gives them a sense of empowerment, but the stories we publish are also advocacy and awareness raising.
Apart from my non-formal educational activities, I also give guest lectures at universities and other educational institutions, focusing on promoting participatory media methods as a way of supporting social inclusion, especially in conflict and post-conflict settings.
Available downloads:
Educational pathway
I hold a Master’s degree in Political Science from the University of Wrocław, Poland. During my studies, I specialised in research on political and social transitions towards democracy in Central Eastern Europe and the countries of the former Soviet Union. I spent my final two semesters at the University of Bucharest, where I researched political changes in Romania in the 1990s for my Master’s thesis.
My understanding of the political and social context of the former Soviet block gave me an excellent theoretical background for working for six years in the Caucasus (Armenia and Georgia). During those years I made a conscious effort to learn the local languages: I developed a conversation level of Armenian and Georgian while maintaining a good working knowledge of Russian - speaking languages other than English significantly helped me develop more meaningful connections with the communities I worked in. The educational and social projects I implemented in the Caucasus involved working with ethnically diverse communities and communities affected by the military conflicts in the region. I developed a strong understanding of the political context of the region, as well as of topics such as democratic transitions, civil society development, protest movements, dialogue, reconciliation, and conflict transformation.
This experience is important for my training work because it allows me to approach intercultural dialogue and conflict related topics not only from a theoretical perspective, but also from the perspective of someone who has worked directly with communities living in these contexts. It also helps me to understand that the same methods can work very differently depending on the political, social, and cultural settings in which they are used.
Apart from my academic and professional background, I also regularly take part in Erasmus+ training courses for youth workers and local training sessions for NGO specialists in Poland. I value continuing to learn from other trainers to bring new approaches to my own work practice.
Fields of training expertise
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Animation -
Bullying & Harassment
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Campaigning & Awareness Raising -
Citizenship Education
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Coaching & Mentoring
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Communication Skills
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Conflict Management & Mediation -
Creativity & Art
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Crisis Management
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Diversity & Anti-Racism
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Environment & Ecology -
Entrepreneurship (Social)
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Equal Opportunities
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Evaluation & Assessment
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Event Management
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Financial Management
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Fundraising
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Gender Awareness & Mainstreaming
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Global Education
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Group Dynamics & Motivation
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Human Rights
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Intercultural Learning
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International Youth Work
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Leadership Development
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Lobbying & Advocacy
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New Information Technologies
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Open Space Technology
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Organizational Management
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Peace Education
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People Management & Cooperation
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Personal Development & Empowerment
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Project Management
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Public Relations & Marketing
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Public Speaking
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Recognition of NFLearning
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Social Inclusion & Exclusion
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Social Media
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Storytelling & Humour
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Time Management
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Training of Trainers
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Valorisation of Projects (DEOR)
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Volunteer Programmes
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Youth Exchanges
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Youth Information Work
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Youth Participation & Initiatives
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Youth Policy
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Youth Violence & Criminality
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Youth Worker Training
Knowledge about institutions and programmes
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Erasmus+ (KA1) Youth Exchanges
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Erasmus+ (KA1) Training & Networking
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Erasmus+ (KA2) Transnational Youth Initiatives
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Erasmus+ (KA2) Strategic Partnerships
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Erasmus+ (KA2) Capacity Building (other countries in the World)
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Erasmus+ (KA3) Youth Policy Meetings
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European Solidarity Corps Volunteering
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Erasmus+ (lifelong learning, non-youth)
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European Youth Centres (CoE)
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European Youth Foundation (CoE)
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Solidarity Fund for Youth Mobility (CoE)
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European Institutions
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Youth Partnership CoE-COM
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International Youth Structures
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Private Foundations
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United Nations
Working with specific target groups
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Children
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Families
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Gay, Lesbian, Bi & Transgender work
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Intercultural Teams
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Marginalized & Excluded Youth
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Minorities
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Religious Youth Groups
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Women's Issues & Groups
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Young People in/from Conflict Areas
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Young People with a Mental Disability
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Young People with a Physical Disability
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Young People with a Sensory Disability
Experience with specific geographical regions
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Asia
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Eastern Europe and Caucasus
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Euro-Mediterranean Co-operation
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European Cooperation
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Global Cooperation
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South East Europe
Language Skills
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English -
Polish
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Russian
Trainer references
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Re-think Remigration: how to support youth on their way back home
Validated (2026-09-17)Reference person
Anna Krawczyk
(Organizer and co-trainer, KAMAN Foundation )If you want to contact reference persons, you have to be signed in. -
Roots and Borders - Let's decolonize non-formal youth work!
Validated (2026-09-17)Reference person
Silvia Nicola
(Main trainer )If you want to contact reference persons, you have to be signed in. -
Diverse Visions: Amplifying Neurodiverse Voices through Digital Storytelling
Validated (2026-09-18)Reference person
Ana Farelo
(Co-trainer, Upstream Stories Board Member)If you want to contact reference persons, you have to be signed in. -
Restorative Circles in youth work: from storytelling to conflict management
Validated (2026-09-17)Reference person
Eva Kell
(Project manager)If you want to contact reference persons, you have to be signed in.
This profile was last modified on 2026-09-15