For young people from vulnerable backgrounds, these challenges are even greater. They face a higher risk of traumatic experiences, such as abuse, neglect, or unstable home environments, often stemming from poverty, discrimination, or limited opportunities.
A Toolkit to Address This Challenge
Youth professionals play a crucial role in supporting these young people but often lack the tools and resources to act in a trauma-sensitive way. Whether working with children from disadvantaged families, refugees from conflict areas, or communities affected by natural disasters, it’s clear there is a need for a shared understanding of trauma and trauma-sensitive practices. To address this need, MobileSchool.org (Belgium), Minor-Ndako (Belgium), Save the Children (Romania), and SolidarityNow (Greece) joined forces.
With co-funding from the European Union, the toolkit "Facing Trauma: Trauma-Sensitive Support for Children and Youth" was developed. This toolkit is designed to help youth workers understand, recognise, and respond to trauma in diverse contexts. It provides a clear and accessible framework, complemented by practical strategies to support children and adolescents struggling with trauma.
The toolkit Includes:
- 10 educational posters exploring themes like trauma, stress, and self-care in an engaging way.
- A comprehensive manual featuring over 60 trauma-sensitive games and activities.
- A podcast with audio stories and instructions.
- Online training programmes to deepen understanding of trauma and equip professionals with tools for trauma-informed approaches.
These materials are interactive, easy to use, tailored to different age groups, and freely available.
Toolkit Launch
Are you working with children and young people and eager to explore how this toolkit can support your work? Join one of our launch events to discover the toolkit’s potential! Or share this information with your network and invite them to our inspiring events. Find the event calendar below:
- 7 February 2025 • Launch event 'Facing Trauma'
- 11 February 2025 • Launch event ‘Față în față cu trauma’ (Romanian)
- Contact: Georgiana Dobre - georgiana.dobre@salvaticopiii.ro
- 14 February 2025 • Launch event ‘Αντιμετωπίζοντας το Τραύμα’ (Greek)
- Contact: Meni Christidou - mchristidou@solidaritynow.org
- 18 February 2025 • Webinar Facing Trauma (English)
- 28 February 2025 • Webinar Enfrentando el trauma (Spanish)
- 13 March 2025 • Webinar Facing Trauma Toolkit (Dutch)
- 18 March 2025 • Webinar Facing the Wounds of the Heart (French)
For questions, don’t hesitate to contact us at info@street-smart.be.
