TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Katarzyna Kowalska
Objectives of the training:
- Supporting young people with remigration backgrounds in integrating into society while preserving their unique identities.
- Equipping organizations and youth workers with tools to aid youth integration without identity loss.
- Developing and sharing a toolkit of artistic self-exploration methods for youth workers.
- Building a network of organizations interested in international youth work collaboration.
The project aimed at exploring how creative and art-based methodologies can be used for supporting young people who came to the country of origin of their families after living abroad for an extended period of time. Our goal was to test different tools and to provide participating youth workers with space to plan how those tools can be adjusted to the needs of young people they work with. The main need behind the training was based on Fundacja KAMAN observation from their local community in Poland, where lots of young people are relocating with their families from the UK, Germany and other European states. It is a new and wide spread challenge and there is a demonstrated need from youth workers and teachers to gain new tools that could help them support this specific target group more effectively.
The project gathered youth workers and other experts working with youth residing in the following countries: Bulgaria, Croatia, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Sweden, and Turkiye.
All of the participants were experienced in youth work and non-formal education and ready to learn new tools that could really be used in their regular work with young returning migrants of other youth with migration background.
The training combined theoretical input with practical sessions aiming at introducing creative and art-based methods. This combination gave participants a broad understanding of topics such as migration, inclusion, and discrimination as well as provided them with very practical tools they could use regularly in their work practice with youth.
The entire training was based on principles of non-formal education, with lots of space dedicated to sharing experiences, creative work and (self) expression.
As for the main art-based tools, the project focused on creative writing, storytelling, participatory photography, and other visual tools for expression and reflection.
As a result of the training, participating youth workers gained knowledge and tools related to more effectively supporting young returning migrants and other youth with migration background. The project partners published a toolkit on art-based methods for youth workers that was created during the project, which is available here:
https://www.salto-youth.net/tools/toolbox/tool/rethink-remigration-art-based-tools-for-youth-workers.4884/
My main responsibility was to design and deliver the creative sessions, such as introduction to participatory media methods, PhotoVoice, storytelling, and collage. I also delivered some more theoretical presentations on inclusion and theories of learning.