TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Sukaina El Outa
We Are All Storytellers training course aimed to empower youth workers and educators to use storytelling as an innovative and inclusive tool for youth participation, civic engagement, and social change. The project responded to a clearly identified need among the partner organizations to build the competencies of youth workers in designing and facilitating educational activities through storytelling. Many youth workers lacked the methodological knowledge and confidence to apply storytelling techniques systematically in their work, particularly when addressing sensitive topics such as discrimination, diversity, and human rights.
The training therefore focused on developing both the technical and pedagogical aspects of storytelling — exploring how personal narratives, digital media, and creative expression can foster empathy, understanding, and civic responsibility. Through non-formal education methods, participants learned how to use stories to inspire critical thinking, strengthen communication, and promote inclusion and democratic values among young people.
The activity addressed multiple needs: enhancing youth workers’ practical skills, expanding their creative and methodological toolkit, and increasing their capacity to engage marginalized groups such as young people with fewer opportunities, rural youth, and minorities. It also responded to the growing need for innovative educational approaches that bridge formal and non-formal learning, making youth work more engaging and impactful.
The training course was fitting with the goals of Association PFE and its partners, who work actively in the field of educational innovation and capacity building. PFE’s mission to promote non-formal learning and empower youth through creative and participatory methods was directly supported by this initiative. The project reinforced the organization’s strategic direction to integrate storytelling into civic education, human rights work, and community engagement.
We Are All Storytellers training course brought together a diverse and motivated group of youth workers, peer educators, and teachers who are actively engaged in non-formal education, youth participation, and community development. The participants were aged 18 and above, with no upper age limit, and represented a wide range of social, cultural, and professional backgrounds. The selection process was open, transparent, and inclusive, ensuring gender balance, equal opportunities, and participation from individuals with fewer opportunities.
A total of participants from Bulgaria, Germany, Poland, Türkiye, Morocco, and Albania took part in the activity, forming a vibrant international learning community. Each partner organization was responsible for selecting its representatives based on jointly agreed criteria—mainly focusing on motivation, active involvement in youth work, and willingness to apply storytelling techniques in their local contexts.
The training targeted participants who were already involved in youth work, education, or civil society initiatives, and who demonstrated a strong commitment to fostering active citizenship, human rights, and youth participation. Many had prior experience implementing non-formal learning activities, while others were emerging educators seeking to enhance their methodological toolkit through storytelling.
Throughout the training, participants engaged in a variety of interactive and experiential activities designed to enhance creativity, communication, and critical thinking. The methods used included storytelling workshops, role plays, simulations, guided discussions, reflection circles, and group exercises. These sessions allowed youth workers to explore the power of personal and collective stories as tools for education, advocacy, and social change.
Participants practiced Public Narrative, a structured storytelling approach developed by the School of Storytelling (UK) that connects personal values (“the story of self”), collective identity (“the story of us”), and motivation for action (“the story of now”). They also engaged in digital storytelling sessions, learning how to use accessible media tools to create and share meaningful messages on topics such as human rights, civic engagement, and youth participation.
Other non-formal methods included creative arts and movement-based exercises, group reflection and feedback sessions, and intercultural learning activities, all aimed at strengthening empathy, tolerance, and collaboration among participants from different backgrounds. The training also integrated learning-by-doing, where participants designed and delivered short storytelling performances and interactive presentations, applying the skills they had developed in real time.
The methodology emphasized learning in a safe and inclusive environment, encouraging participants to explore sensitive topics such as identity, equality, and inclusion through narrative. Continuous reflection and feedback were integral parts of the process, ensuring that participants could connect their learning to their personal and professional realities and transfer it into their work with young people and communities.
Through a structured non-formal learning process, the participants developed new competencies across three key dimensions:
Knowledge and understanding: Participants gained a strong theoretical foundation in storytelling methodologies, including public narrative, digital storytelling, and advocacy-based communication. They explored concepts such as human rights, democratic participation, and meaningful youth engagement, learning how storytelling can be used to promote inclusion, empathy, and social awareness.
Skills, tools, and methodologies: The participants enhanced their advocacy and facilitation skills, learned how to design and deliver creative storytelling activities, and practiced using media and digital tools for message creation. They developed leadership, problem-solving, and communication skills, learning to craft stories that convey values and inspire civic action.
Values, attitudes, and behaviours: The project encouraged reflection on personal values, strengthened empathy, acceptance, and solidarity, and promoted gender sensitivity, transparency, accountability, and civic responsibility. Participants reported feeling more confident, inspired, and motivated to apply these approaches within their local contexts.
The training was evaluated as highly successful, as evidenced by continuous participant feedback, final evaluation sessions, and the tangible outcomes of the course. Many participants developed personal and group storytelling projects to be implemented in their home communities. The intercultural environment and collaborative learning approach led to strong peer-to-peer exchange and long-term networking among youth workers from different countries.
The project outcomes were further shared through the communication channels of the partner organizations, including Association PFE’s official website and social media, which documented the training process, methodologies, and participant testimonials.
Publications:
https://www.facebook.com/4foredu/posts/pfbid0FyzQMMd8VhQhQE8E9sUT2AZ5FL47voD22B7MbFKsjGn5p5nhckFYkjVzJmF3aV8ql
As a full-time trainer in the We Are All Storytellers Training Course (10–18 June 2022, Bulgaria), I was responsible for the design, facilitation, and evaluation of the educational process. I co-developed the training concept and daily agenda, ensuring coherence with the objectives of using storytelling as a tool for youth empowerment, intercultural learning, and advocacy.
My role included delivering sessions on storytelling techniques, digital storytelling, public narrative, and communication skills; facilitating group reflections and team-building activities; and ensuring an inclusive, participatory learning environment. I also contributed to monitoring learning outcomes, supported participants in completing their Youthpass, and collaborated with partner organizations on the project’s evaluation and follow-up phase.