TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Edyta Gawlak
The Training Course aimed to equip youth workers and young people with practical tools of Design Thinking as a human-centred method for creating inclusive cultural and educational activities. Its main goal was to help participants develop empathy-based approaches and learn how to design projects responding to real needs of their target groups.
The activity addressed the need for more creative, participatory and inclusive practices in youth work, especially when working with migrants and marginalised young people. By introducing Design Thinking, the course encouraged participants to look at social challenges from a user’s perspective, build deeper understanding and co-create solutions.
The training directly supported the objectives of the Erasmus+ KA210 “CulturAll” partnership, coordinated by the Social Innovation Workshop Foundation (Poland) with partners from Greece and Romania, which aimed to build capacity of youth workers in using creativity and culture as tools for inclusion.
The Training Course gathered 22 participants aged 18–35 from Poland, Romania and Greece, representing youth workers, educators and young community leaders active in NGOs and cultural initiatives. The group was balanced in gender, background and level of experience, ensuring peer learning and exchange of perspectives.
The trainers’ team consisted of Edyta Gawlak (Poland) and Jan Strycharz (Poland) , both experienced facilitators in non-formal education and design thinking. The Fundatia Națională pentru Tineret (FNT, Romania) and ACTION Synergy (Greece) were actively involved in participant selection and support. The international composition of both participants and trainers created a strong intercultural environment that fostered openness, empathy and collaboration.
The six-day programme was fully based on non-formal education and experiential learning, structured around the Design Thinking process (Empathise – Define – Ideate – Prototype – Test). Each day balanced theoretical input, hands-on exercises and reflection.
Participants engaged in practical tools such as the Empathy Toy to experience communication and perspective-taking challenges, metaphorical cards to explore user emotions and needs, and structured exercises on active listening, paraphrasing and feedback. They conducted empathy interviews, created user personas, and developed early prototypes of inclusive cultural activities.
Study visits to local institutions working with young migrants and artists enriched the empathy stage, linking field experience with design insights. Daily reflection groups, journaling and feedback circles helped participants consolidate learning. The trainers used visual facilitation, team canvases and storytelling to support creativity and ensure inclusion of different learning styles.
The training significantly strengthened participants’ ability to apply Design Thinking and non-formal learning tools in their youth work practice. By the end of the course, all teams developed practical skills to conduct empathy interviews and create user personas based on real insights.
As part of the follow-up phase, each partner organisation committed to conducting at least 10 in-depth interviews per country with young people and youth workers, which will later serve as a base for building personas and recommendations within the CulturAll project.
Participants reported clear progress in communication, teamwork and facilitation confidence, as well as a deeper understanding of human-centred approaches. Evaluation results showed very high satisfaction (average 4.9/5) with the balance between theory, practice and reflection.
The activity also strengthened cooperation between partners from Poland, Greece and Romania, establishing a community of youth workers ready to integrate empathy-driven design and participatory methods in their local contexts. The outcomes were documented in the internal CulturAll report and shared among partner organisations as a methodological example for future trainings.
I worked as a full-time international trainer and facilitator throughout the entire Training Course. I co-designed the educational framework, created detailed session plans, and led the facilitation of all stages of the Design Thinking process.
My key responsibilities included preparing and delivering workshops on empathy, communication and creativity, leading Empathy Toy and metaphorical card exercises, moderating group reflections, and supporting participants in their project development. I was also responsible for designing the evaluation process, documenting learning outcomes, and ensuring a safe, inclusive atmosphere for all participants.
I collaborated closely with my co-trainer and partner organisations (FNT Romania, Greek partner and Polish host) to adapt methods to the group’s needs and intercultural context, ensuring that learning was both accessible and inspiring.