Nicole Haya Kerswell

Learning Assistant at ICS Tenca, Milan, Italy

Workshop Information:

Participants attending this session will need to bring their device and have a chatGPT and Canva account

This session is about empowerment from the inside out - from imagination to reality. 

It invites educators to reconnect with their inner child, rediscover imagination, and harness creativity as a powerful tool for teaching, healing, and inspiration. 

Nicole will demonstrate how she has used low-cost, accessible tools such as Canva and AI to design resources that encourage student self-expression and emotional wellbeing. 

Participants will be invited to try these tools themselves, reflecting on how they might be implemented in their own schools by both pupils and educators. This session directly supports Early Years, Primary, and Leadership audiences .

Nicole will also share examples of creative resources she has developed for children, including:

• All About Me Creative activity and coloring book (preschool)

• Manga-style adventure notebooks (ages 6–12)

• 12-month Manga Adventure journal (ages 8–12)

• Self-expression composition books (students of all ages)

Session Outcomes:

By the end of this session, participants will:

• Understand how to integrate affordable, high-impact creative tools, including AI and Canva, into teaching practice to boost student engagement.

• Reflect on their own inner child to spark ideas for inspiring creativity and expression in both themselves and their students.

Bio:

Nicole Haya Kerswell is a Learning Assistant at ICS Tenca in Milan, a creative self-publisher, and a former business professional with international experience across media, finance, and education. She is the creator of NKVibe, a collection of journals and activity books that nurture imagination, self-expression, and emotional wellbeing in children, including Journals, manga-style notebooks, and self-expression composition books. Nicole is currently developing the BeyondAlone journal series, inspired by her own journey of reinvention. She is passionate about the quiet power of creativity to spark transformation - helping both educators and students reconnect with imagination and discover their voice.