Visual Tools for Learning

Aims & objectives

The “Visual Tools for Learning” training aimed to transform non-formal youth education by embedding visual communication and graphic facilitation into everyday youth-work practice. It addressed the gap in accessible visual methods—demonstrating that anyone can use simple drawings and symbols to teach and engage—and contributed to partner organisations’ goals by:

Enhancing visual thinking in trainers and youth workers, so they can distill complex ideas into clear, memorable visuals

Building graphic facilitation skills, equipping participants to run more interactive, inclusive workshops, debates and brainstorms

Fostering European cooperation, sharing techniques and best practices across eight countries to enrich intercultural learning

Promoting inclusion, using visual tools to break down language, cultural and learning-ability barriers, especially for young people with fewer opportunities

Target group & international/intercultural composition of the group & team

– Participants: 24 motivated youth workers (aged 25–35) from Italy, Spain, Serbia, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Turkey, Slovenia and Slovakia, each selected for their commitment, community ties and willingness to upskill in graphic methods. One delegate per partner came from a remote or underserved region to ensure true inclusion.
– Trainer who designed and delivered the course, bringing both pedagogical and artistic perspectives.

Training methods used & main activities

We modelled the very visual, non-formal techniques we teach by using:

Hands-on graphic labs: building icons, symbols & visual metaphors from scratch

Visual thinking workshops: exercises to map ideas, stories and processes on paper

Team design sprints: small groups co-create and present mini-projects using visual templates

Live facilitation practice: participants take turns leading a visual session while peers give structured feedback

Reflection circles: guided debriefs to link visual techniques with real-world youth-work challenges

Outcomes of the activity

Good-practice compendium: collated 40+ examples of graphic-facilitation in youth projects across eight countries

Training resource pack: slide decks, sketch templates and facilitator’s guides now freely available to youth workers

Graphic Facilitation Manual: a step-by-step handbook ready for digital publication on SALTO Youth

Peer support network: an online group set up for ongoing exchange, with quarterly peer-led “graphic jam” calls

Early uptake: three partner organisations have already piloted visual sessions with local youth, reporting higher engagement rates

Your tasks and responsibilities within the team

As lead trainer I:

Co-designed the overall curriculum, session scripts and visual exercise templates

Delivered core workshops on visual thinking and graphic facilitation

Facilitated team design sprints and coached mini-project presentations

Drafted and edited the Good-Practice Compendium and the Graphic Facilitation Manual

Coordinated logistics with the Sassari host venue and ensured accessibility for all participants

Monitored learning through live feedback, post-course surveys and follow-up calls to support local implementation

I worked on this training for 6 days as a full time trainer.