Consulting children on issues that affect them is essential, particularly during challenging or transitional periods in their lives. According to Groundwater-Smith (2011), empowering children to express themselves not only combats their invisibility but also informs career choices, support mechanisms, and policies that impact them (Badham, 2004). Achieving this requires appropriate methodological approaches, particularly those that use creative and participatory methods (Ellis, 2017).

In ongoing research funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation in the French-speaking region of Switzerland, we explored children’s experiences of transition using the Mosaic approach. This approach is grounded in six core principles that emphasize active participation, flexibility, and reflective practice. Data collection draws on multiple tools—such as drawings, photographs, discussions, and observations—to capture the diversity of children’s expressions, making it inherently multi-method. A key aim is for the approach to be embedded in professional practice, allowing children’s voices to be heard even without researchers present.

In the workshop, participants will directly experiment with the Mosaic approach on the theme of “empowerment in their professional or family domain,” focusing on a socially relevant question chosen collectively at the start. The workshop is divided into three phases: a presentation phase of the approach and its components (15'), a second creation phase (45 min), during which participants will use various craft materials and photographs to explore the six principles, and finally, an evaluation phase (30 min), during which the adaptations necessary for the specific family or professional context of each participant will be identified.