Story-sharing for Social Change: social engagement, empowerment, and inclusion of marginalized adults through the tools and methods of story-telling.

We aimed to explore the potential of storytelling to empower marginalised groups and individuals and develop a comprehensive, easy-to-use method for educators, delivered through a user-friendly on...

We aimed to explore the potential of storytelling to empower marginalised groups and individuals and develop a comprehensive, easy-to-use method for educators, delivered through a user-friendly online Toolkit. Our goal was to directly support educators working with marginalised adults and, through the developed tools, promote inclusion and diversity in education. We aimed at contributing to the inclusion, empowerment, and social engagement of marginalised adults—especially third-country nationals, individuals needing basic skills education, and young adults not in education, employment, or training—by providing storytelling-based education tools and methods presented in the Needs Assessment report and the Toolkit website. We aimed at strengthening the partnership and building a network of stakeholders (educators, experts, and community leaders in Poland and Iceland) to support the development and to ensure longevity of the project results.

In the project we implemented the following activities: 1 - Project Management 2 - Needs Assessment on Social Engagement, Empowerment, and Inclusion through the Tools and Methods of Storytelling 3 - Transnational Partner Meetings 4 - Toolkit on Social Engagement, Empowerment, and Inclusion through the Tools and Methods of Story-telling 5 - The LTTA Transnational Training in Poland 6 - Pilot Courses in Poland and Iceland 7 - Multipliers events in Poland and Iceland

The two main project outputs of the project are: 1. The digital publication: Story-sharing for Social Change: A Needs Assessment on Social Engagement, Empowerment, and Inclusion through Storytelling Methods (Final Report) available in English, Icelandic, and Polish. The needs assesment identified gaps in social engagement, empowerment, and inclusion, it mapped existing projects and initiatives using elements of storytelling as well as offered recommendations on using storytelling to promote inclusivity, ethical practice, and personal and social empowerment. The study was based on literature review and qualitative research, namely interviews and focus groups with educators and experts in Poland (elderly citizens) and Iceland (immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers). 2. The online platform: StorySharing.eu — a research- and practice-based online toolkit for adult educators working with vulnerable communities. It offers both theoretical insights and practical guidance, including creative storytelling exercises and multimedia resources available in seven languages (Icelandic, Polish, English, Spanish, Ukrainian, Farsi, and Arabic). The website also features a downloadable PDF summarising key guidelines and sample exercises.