Toolkit for Educators: Workshops and activities for empowering out-of-the-box entreprenurial thinking for deaf and hard of hearing youth
Description
The second educational material created within the “Taking Matters Into Our Own Hands: Employment and Entrepreneurship” project is a comprehensive Toolkit for Educators, titled “Workshops and Activities for Empowering Out-of-the-Box Entrepreneurial Thinking for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Youth.” This resource has been carefully developed for professionals such as youth workers, educators, social welfare personnel, employment sector experts, and civil society actors who engage with deaf and hard of hearing youth, as well as individuals with communication barriers.
Its core aim is to equip these practitioners with a variety of adaptable, ready-to-use workshops and interactive activities that can enhance the entrepreneurial mindset and career readiness of their target groups. The toolkit features 10 standalone workshops and 15 educational activities, each designed using non-formal education methods that are highly participatory, visual, and inclusive.
Workshop methods include brainstorming, design thinking, team-based problem-solving, financial simulations, and pitching exercises. Each session is detailed with implementation guidelines, necessary materials, and time recommendations, while also remaining adaptable to the specific profiles and needs of participants. Tools such as SCAMPER, mind mapping, and dot voting are used to support creative development and decision-making processes.
This toolkit has been tested across four countries—Croatia, Germany, Italy, and Estonia—through the collaboration of the Association of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing of the City of Zagreb, Youth Power Germany e.V., Istituto Universitario Carolina Albasio, and Learning Library OÜ. It is accessible in five languages and available permanently on the project’s website (empower-employ.eu), making it an accessible and long-term resource for fostering inclusion and empowerment in the field of youth entrepreneurship.
This manual is available in more 4 Languages:
The project “Taking Matters Into Our Own Hands: Employment and Entrepreneurship” addresses the significant employment challenges faced by young people with hearing disabilities and communication obstacles, who are more than twice as likely to be unemployed compared to their hearing peers. With over one million individuals in Europe affected, many are stuck in low-skilled and underpaid jobs despite their potential.
This initiative focuses on two key areas: empowering young people with hearing disabilities to develop entrepreneurial skills and self-employment opportunities, and equipping youth workers with the knowledge and tools to support these individuals in overcoming barriers, tapping into their competencies, and becoming active participants in the job market.
Von der Europäischen Union finanziert. Die geäußerten Ansichten und Meinungen entsprechen jedoch ausschließlich denen des Autors bzw. der Autoren und spiegeln nicht zwingend die der Europäischen Union oder der Europäischen Exekutivagentur für Bildung und Kultur (EACEA) wider. Weder die Europäische Union noch die EACEA können dafür verantwortlich gemacht werden.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.