TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Karolina Kosowska
AIM: To strengthen the personal resilience and professional competences of youth workers in order to enhance their well-being, prevent burnout, and improve the quality and impact of their youth work through mindful, values-based, and inclusive practices.
SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES:
- Develop practical skills in mindfulness and stress management to better regulate emotions and maintain balance in demanding youth work contexts.
- Increase awareness of personal values, motivations, and limits, and understand how these influence professional behavior and ethical decision-making.
- Strengthen competences in setting and maintaining healthy boundaries with young people, colleagues, and organizations.
- Improve assertive communication skills, including expressing needs, giving and receiving feedback, and managing conflict constructively.
- Gain knowledge and tools for recognizing early signs of burnout and implementing prevention strategies at individual and organizational levels.
- Explore and apply self-care practices that support long-term well-being and sustainability in youth work.
- Reflect on how personal well-being supports young people’s participation in democratic life and inclusive learning environments.
- Exchange good practices and build an international peer network for continued cooperation and mutual support.
28 youth workers and youth leaders from 9 countries: Spain, Italy, Türkiye, Portugal, Bulgaria, Romania, Greece, Slovakia, Hungary.
The training was based entirely on non-formal education methods, using experiential, participant-centered, and reflective learning approaches. The methodology focused on active participation, peer learning, self-reflection, and practical application of competences related to well-being, stress management, communication, and burnout prevention.
Methods used during the training included:
- facilitated group discussions and reflection circles,
- world café and open space sessions,
- experiential learning activities,
- mindfulness and breathing exercises,
- role-play and scenario-based exercises,
- outdoor education and walk-and-talk activities,
- small group work and peer learning,
- creative methods such as collage and visual mapping,
- self-assessment and guided reflection tools,
- energisers and team-building activities.
Examples of specific activities included:
- “Stress Container” exercise to explore stressors and coping mechanisms,
- “Needs & Priorities” outdoor reflection activities using the Wheel of Life,
- “Burnout 101” research group work,
- “Boundaries & Healthy Boundaries Strategies” practical communication exercises,
- IKIGAI reflection sessions,
- Well-being City Quest,
- strengths mapping through collage creation,
- mindfulness and grounding practices for self-regulation and stress reduction.
The training activity successfully strengthened youth workers’ competences in stress management, burnout prevention, self-care, healthy boundaries, communication, and well-being through practical and experiential non-formal education methods.
The training created a safe, inclusive, and supportive learning environment where participants could reflect, share experiences, and develop concrete tools for their personal and professional lives. Participants reported increased self-awareness, better understanding of stress and burnout, and greater confidence in setting boundaries and prioritising their well-being. Participants highlighted the practical activities, group atmosphere, and reflective sessions as the most valuable elements.
The training was documented through social media posts, photos, videos, and dissemination activities carried out by participants and partner organisations.
I was responsible for the full educational design and implementation of the training course. My role included designing the educational programme and non-formal learning methods, delivering training sessions, facilitating group processes, and ensuring a safe and inclusive learning environment. I continuously adapted the programme to participants’ needs throughout the activity, conducted ongoing and final evaluations, and supported participants’ learning and well-being during the entire training process.
Karolina is a true professional. From the moment we first got in touch with her via Salto, we knew she was the right person to help bring our project to life. She is organised, empathetic, friendly and has a real knack for managing groups. What’s more, she has a wealth of experience and you can tell she loves her work. Highly recommended! I hope this has been just the first of many collaborations with her.