Overview
+50 young people from diverse communities across Turkey convened with UNICEF Turkey and stakeholders for a 4-day Youth Consultancy Workshop, centered on empowerment and creative agency.
Leading the preparation and facilitation of this dynamic event, I provided UNICEF Turkey a unique opportunity to collectively review and challenge its country priorities with youth. We distilled the workshop's outcomes into a comprehensive summary of youth challenges and creative solution suggestions, informing UNICEF's updates to its Country Programme for 2021-2025.
Client
UNICEF Türkiye
Role
Design Lead & Facilitator
Year
2023
Duration
4 Weeks
Team
2 facilitators
Design Challenge
What emerging needs of youth should be considered when rebuilding earthquake-affected cities in an equitable and resilient way?
Workshops
Over 4 dynamic days, I led participants through highly-interactive activities, fostering empathy, individual creativity and group bonding amidst shared challenges. We maintained an authentic tone, devoid of organizational jargon, allowing youth to express their challenges in their own words.
On the first day, through dialogue walk, participants bonded over shared stories, transcending backgrounds, race, gender or age. Through facilitating a fast-paced exercise that follows Human-Centered Design, participants designed for their partners, expressing and owning their creative voice, confidence and expression.
Large-scale network mapping unveiled interconnected challenges they’re affected by. In more focused small groups, participants explored, discussed, and mapped their challenges, envisioning empowered futures. They generated diverse solutions through a variety of ideation exercises, refining them with peer feedback. The final day emphasized confidence-building and collective pride in presenting solutions to their peers, UNICEF team and stakeholders. We wrapped up by reflecting on our individual voice, ownership and collective power, celebrating our collaborative achievements, valuing the honest exchange of ideas.
Final Report
We've crafted a thorough report for UNICEF Turkey, meticulously detailing underlying challenges of youth and their proposed solutions. Each project from teams is showcased with key quotes, youth needs, and expectations, outlining how they envision their ideas coming to life and what they require from local and governmental stakeholders.
Impact
The 4-day workshop we designed and facilitated garnered high praise from youth participants familiar with such events, thanks to its dynamic engagement and transformative activities.
Moreover, our report served as a cornerstone for the UNICEF Turkey team, informing and integrating vital youth suggestions into their Country Programme 2021-2025.
