To assess the effectiveness of the our EI learning nuggets in a real-life enviroment, a pilot test was conducted focusing on five of the ten skills addressed by the project (emotion management, self-steem, adaptability, stress management, social awareness). These skills were practiced through various activities designed and implemented by the youth workers from all CURIE partners.
The pilot test took place on May 27, 2025, at the technical institute Zespół Szkół nr 2, located in Wroclaw, Poland. It engaged over 100 students, of which 72 have actively participated in the following feedback and data gathering.
The purpose of the activity was twofold:
1. Capacity building for youth workers: to provide them with practical opportunities to apply EI theoretical concepts on which they were trained beforehand, enhancing their ability to manage emotions, navigate relationships, and create positive group dynamics.
2. Impact on young people: to engage high school students in experiential exercises that not only supported the youth workers’ practice but also introduced the younger participants to Emotional Intelligence as a lifelong skill for personal growth and social inclusion.
On the side of youth workers, the workshop was successful not only in raising self-reported Emotional Intelligence skills across all domains, but also in demonstrating that practical, participatory learning enhances motivation, resilience, and the ability to apply EI in real contexts with youth.
On the side of the young students involved, the feedback was overwhelmingly positive, as participants showed great interest in the topic and in the possibility of new iterations of these workshops.