← Back to the blog Non-formal education · Partner project 17–19 August 2026 · with SNJKU
Finding words through images.
“Tell us how you feel” sounds like a simple invitation. In a new group, especially one where people speak different languages, finding the words can take time. Sometimes it helps to begin with an image instead.
17–19 August 2026 38 participantsThree days of It is OK!: the group, the flipchart and the cards taking shape.
That was the idea behind a set of Dixit-style visual cards developed together by the Student Network of Linz (SNL) and the Student Network of Johannes Kepler University (SNJKU). The cards offer open-ended pictures rather than fixed questions or correct answers. One image might bring a feeling to mind for one person and a memory, need or opinion for someone else. Each participant decides what their chosen card means to them.
The card activity was part of It is OK!, SNJKU’s Erasmus+ youth exchange on emotional resilience, self-discovery and creative expression. From 17 to 19 August 2026, 38 young people took part in three days of activities using the cards for self-expression. In small groups, participants used the images as starting points for reflection, storytelling and learning from one another. Facilitators invited them to choose a card and explain the connection they saw, instead of requiring an immediate answer to a formal question.
Introducing the cards: what they are and what the groups will make.Participants drawing their own cards on the floor of the seminar room.
Many ways into a conversation
This approach leaves room for different ways of taking part. A participant can start with a colour, a detail or a scene before finding the words for a wider experience. Another person may see the same card differently. Listening to those interpretations can open conversations about belonging, challenges and perspectives without asking anyone to share more than they wish.
Visual prompts can be especially useful in an intercultural group. They give participants time to think and offer another starting point for those who are less confident speaking or are using a language that is new to them. The cards do not remove every barrier, but they can make the first step into a conversation easier.
✦ What we learned
When young people can choose their own starting point, more kinds of stories can enter the room.
What comes next
For SNL and SNJKU, the three days were also a chance to test the cards as a tool for non-formal education. We plan to use participant feedback and facilitator observations to refine them for future youth activities.
☀ The full story
Read more about It is OK!
SNJKU has the story of the whole youth exchange. Want to use the cards in your own activity? Write to us.
