The sessions were held at the headquarters of the Atalaya Foundation and were led by two trainers specializing in working with young people.

For the participants, it was an excellent opportunity to get to know us and our methods of work, as well as to initiate a long-term collaboration with the Atalaya Foundation.

The project was co-financed by the City of Warsaw, Wola District.

The workshop was divided into four main areas: “How to Speak and How to Listen,” “Being Assertive,” “Resolving Conflict Differently,” and “The Crazy World of Emotions.” Participation in the project is not a ready-made solution to becoming an expert in these fields. It is merely the beginning and the first steps. We believe that participating in the project can serve as a guide for young people regarding the areas in which they can design their development.

About the Project

The “Empathy in Action” program is a flagship initiative of the Atalaya Foundation and has been serving for years as a means to engage new youth ready to take on the challenge of designing personal development.

What can participants expect from our workshop?

1. “How to Speak and How to Listen” – Youth will learn the tools necessary for effective communication based on the Nonviolent Communication (NVC) method. We practice how to speak, how to listen, and how to ask questions. During this workshop, we learn to distinguish evaluative statements from those based on an objective view of the situation.

2. “Being Assertive” – The workshop aims to understand the rights and areas of assertiveness. Participants identify their strengths and areas they want to work on. Greater awareness of their rights and values helps youth assertively pursue their own goals, even if their home or school situation is not conducive. Often, the result of assertiveness training is increased self-belief and enhanced self-worth.

3. “Resolving Conflict Differently” – We work on a very important part of interpersonal relationships, which are conflicts and ways to resolve them. We start with the basic theory, such as the conflict circle. We work on examples that participants bring from their own experience.

4. “The Crazy World of Emotions” – This topic will intertwine throughout each of the sessions, as it is necessary for youth to begin using “I-messages,” which require them to recognize their own emotions in a given situation. Together, we will consider whether there are “bad” emotions at all and what role emotions play. Often, we spend a lot of time deciphering anger or fear.