Blog

The YOUTH BUILD project has officially completed its piloting phase! Over the past months, more than 30 youth workers, educators and volunteers across partner countries tested the first versions of the project’s main outputs:

• Resilience Assessment Compass (self-assessment tool for youth)

• Strengths-Based Resilience Coaching Cards

• Methodological Guidelines for Youth Workers

The aim of the piloting was to check:
✔ Are the tools practical and easy to use?
✔ Do they help youth reflect, express themselves, and develop resilience?
✔ What should be improved before finalisation?

Where Did Piloting Take Place?

Piloting sessions were organised by partner organisations in:

• Estonia – with youth workers working with intellectually disabled youth

• Croatia – with youth workers supporting migrant youth, rural youth and NEET youth

• Poland – with youth mentors, adult educators and psychosocial support staff

• Other partnering countries involved small local piloting groups

More than 30 youth workers and volunteers participated actively, using the tools during workshops, one-on-one mentoring and youth group activities.

iloting the Resilience Assessment Compass

How it was used:

• Youth workers guided young people through the self-assessment process

• Individual or small group sessions lasted 30–60 minutes

• Youth completed different sections (emotional, social, coping, mindset…) using worksheets and reflection prompts

What youth workers said:
✔ Helpful for starting deeper conversations
✔ Clear structure and youth-friendly language
✔ Helped them understand hidden needs and strengths of youth
✘ Some youth needed easier wording or visual icons
✘ A shorter version is useful for low-attention-span groups

Piloting the Strengths-Based Resilience Coaching Cards

How they were used:

• In one-to-one mentoring, group circles or creative workshops

• Youth selected cards like “What helps you stay calm?” or “What is something you’re proud of?”

• Youth workers used follow-up questions to deepen reflection

Feedback from piloting:
✔ Cards helped shy youth to talk more openly
✔ Great tool for emotional expression and building trust
✔ Easy to combine with drawing, journaling or storytelling
✘ Some needed simpler language or pictograms
✘ Suggestion to add blank cards for personal questions

What Youth Workers Liked Most

✔ Tools are strengths-based, not clinical or judgemental
✔ Flexible: can be used in schools, NGO centres, camps, therapy rooms
✔ Help build trust, self-awareness and emotional vocabulary
✔ Create structure for coaching, but still allow creativity
✔ Useful both for group work and individual mentoring

Challenges Noticed During Piloting

“The cards helped my group speak about emotions for the first time. They didn’t feel like therapy, but like a conversation they could lead.”
— Martina, Croatia

“The Compass helped me see which youth felt hopeless inside but never said it out loud. It’s a mirror for both them and us.”
— Jolanta, Poland