CHildren’s Empowerment, Children’s Solutions Erasmus Project

Project Title

CHildren’s Empowerment, Children’s Solutions

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for Schools Only

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2015

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Health and wellbeing; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Creativity and culture

Project Summary

The aim of the project was to formulate a resource for building children’s self-esteem and emotional wellbeing. The objective was to make it simple to use, easily accessible, transferable across European languages and in line with goals attainable by children up to the age of 13.
There were five schools involved from Belgium, Ireland, Poland, Portugal and Spain (as outlined in 2.1). All schools apart from the Portuguese partners were in the age bracket 4 to 13. Portugal included children from 1 year old.
Children learn to speak about their emotions with their peers through the medium of the Wellbean characters. These characters are placed in various predicaments depicted in colourful scenarios on the books and in the website www.thewellbeans.com . Included in the website are printable activities for each scenario to be worked on in class or at home. Notes and guidelines for teachers, facilitators and parents including warm up and extension activities are available also. Users simply click on each picture to download worksheets for each scenario.
To get to this end product the project was broken into stages which centred around transnational visits.
1/ Children from each country without any guidelines drew what they thought the Wellbean characters might look like. Samples of these characters were brought together from each country and a graphic designer lead the next phase which was to try to make the character that best fitted the overall concept from each country. So the Wellbeans were born.
2/ Children from each country then proceeded to put these characters into scenarios. Hundreds of these scenarios were gathered and sieved through and the team chose the scenarios that best represented the social and emotional situations that the children had outlined. Eventually these were whittled down to 15.
3/ With the consultancy of graphic designers, web designers, art therapists and psychologists the website was designed and populated with guidelines, scenarios etc.
4/ The scenarios were grouped into age appropriate levels and organised to take the shape of a very professional program for well-being for children.
5/ The website goes live and books are printed.
6/ Visits to local and national government in each country take place to create awareness of the program. Participants and VIPs appear on local and national TV and newspapers to disseminate the project.
7/ Through questionnaires and launch events participants are able to ascertain the positivity about the program. There is an enormous awareness of well-being among the school communities of participating partners and tweaks are made to the website according to feedback from parents, children and community members.

The longer term benefits of the project are of course difficult to measure at present. We feel the project has made a lasting impression on a large number of adults and children in terms of strengthening our personal foundations emotionally and equipping us with the fortitude to deal with all that life may throw at us.
The bond between the participating schools is the most amazing outcome. We will no doubt keep in contact and take part in other projects and initiatives together in the future.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 38700 Eur

Project Coordinator

SN Bhrighde Naofa & Country: IE

Project Partners

• O Jardim do Fraldinhas Ensino Pré – Escolar Creche e Tempos Livres Lda
• GO! Maasland
• C.P. MIGUEL PINILLA
• Szkola Podstawowa nr1 im.kpt. Leonida Teligi w Ustce