In the beginning of the training we focused on providing participants with space and time for getting to know each other and building interpersonal connections with others. It was crucial for us to establish a safe space as later on participants were expected to share some more personal stories with one another. That is why on the first day we engaged in lots of team building activities, including some exercises where participants were invited to have more in-depth conversations and share first stories about themselves. The day ended with reflection on what each participant would like to accomplish during their week in Poland – focusing on establishing learning goals helped them make the educational process more effective and fruitful. 

On day 3 we started with a presentation on storytelling, its role and meaning across different cultures – this was made in order to provide a more in-depth understanding of the concept of storytelling and reflecting upon how sharing personal perspectives and emotions can be used for empowering and supporting young people at risk. The second session of the day was called “finding your voice” and was devoted to building further connections between participants and providing them with more space to share. We practiced circle singing and working with voice – it was a preparation for voice recording that was implemented later on during the training. In the afternoon we talked about how to create a safe / brave space for young people to feel comfortable to share their personal stories. In the circle we shared personal and societal values and talked about how to make spaces that are based on trust, active listening, as well as appreciation and respect towards cultural differences between participants. 

After completing the group storytelling project on the previous day, the next task was to work on personal audio narratives. In the beginning of the day participants had time for individual and small group reflection to identify the topics of their stories. Later on they had a structured introductory session on narrative writing, which helped them write their scripts, creating personal stories that expressed their experiences and emotions. 

On day 6 we continued with personal audio narratives – participants met in the small groups (story circles) where everyone shared the first draft of their stories and received feedback from others. Afterwards they were creating voice recordings and sound effects. In the end we collectively listened to all the stories and gave each other feedback.