Project: Your life is a unique story - Training course on grassroots comics 3.1.Venue: Hyvärilä youth centre, Nurmes, Finland Dates: 11-18 October 2011Partners: Finland, Romania, Belarus, Greece, Slovakia, Russia, Czech Republic, SloveniaTotal amount of the participants: 30This training course will introduce a method of grassroots comics and how to use it in youth work. By organizing this training course we want to encourage young people to take initiatives in their local communities and influence on things by using this widely used method of comic making. In this course participants will learn how to use comics and storytelling with youth. One needs only a paper, pen and story to tell. Grassroots method will be used also for promoting Youth in Action program among the youngsters around the Europe.Grassroots comic is a low-tech communication tool for youth workers, trainers and people active in their communities. Participants of the training course can have very little or no experience from drawing, as this method is suitable for everyone. Basics of comic making and techniques are taught. Participants will keep visual diaries before and during the course. A comic blog will be created where all the stories and comics can be shared with the others. Course will include lectures, workshops and creative brainstorming in groups and independently.Grassroots comics have been used by organizations to focus on different issues, such as racism, sexual harassment, girl child rights, school drop-outs, hiv/aids, sanitation, and right to education. These are just a few examples. Any issue, on which one can make a story, can be expressed through grassroots comics. World Comics Finland (WCF) has introduced the method of grassroots comics in global education and in social work.