Unriddling the puzzle. Enhancing the awareness of mental health Erasmus Project

Project Title

Unriddling the puzzle. Enhancing the awareness of mental health

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 : School Exchange Partnerships

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2018

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Pedagogy and didactics; Inclusion – equity; Health and wellbeing

Project Summary

“Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood.” (https://www.mentalhealth.gov. 01.03.2018)
Schools have an excellent chance to offer the possibility of a positive influence on child development in critical and sensitive periods. This responsibility has to taken seriously. Schools work closely with parents one the one side and local municipality on the other side. There is an old saying: “It takes a village to raise the child!”

By this project we believe that the participants have nourished their feelings and senses regarding Mental Health and Well-being. We looked closely the school’s and teacher’s role in dealing the issue and adapting it into school’s teaching-learning environment. Inclusion is one of the keywords in this project. Partner schools have already implemented Social Skills learning-teaching programs. The form and the frequency in program actions vary from country to country but it is integrated to schools’ Curricula. We see therefore the strengthen of this project. This project allowed partner schools to develop and improve their Programs and Pedagogical aims.

The target group who had directly benefit were students and teachers in three partner schools. The travelling students were in age 14-17.

Main objective in this project was to raise awareness of Mental health and well-being. There were several target groups involved in this project – students, parents, teachers and staff, local community, other schools and educational institutions. There was a balance between web-based activities (social media, web page) and activities done at spot (in schools with and without partner schools involved).

There are three partner schools in this project – Estonia, France and Portugal.

There were planned and held following TLLA activities:
1. “Mental health in schools. The guidance and competence of the teacher.” Held in Estonia and 4 teachers from every partner country were participating.
2. “Water – in and out. Our physical Health”. Held in Portugal, 8 students and 2-3 teachers were participating from every partner school.
3. “Riding and the Field – the arena for activities to promote our Mental Health”. Held in France, 8 students and 2-3 teachers from every partner school.
4. “Learning with senses”. Held in Estonia, 8 students and 2 teachers were participating from every partner school.

One activity which was planned as the last mobility did not happen because of the Pandemic situation in the world.
5. A social experiment which aims to explore impacts to young people, especially focused on virtual life and social media. Planned to be held in France and simultaneously on virtual channels (vlog, blog…). Travelling 2 students and 1 teacher from Estonia. Other students and teachers from partner schools were panned to participate online.

Improved mental well-being of young people should contribute to reducing school to early school leaving / drop-out, strengthening their personal confidence, improving educational efforts and enhancing self-esteem. There are several preventative strategies established in schools which have a real effect of reducing the occurrence of mental disorders. Strategies are combined with other approaches schools have implemented.

There are four major dimensions which support the healthy life quality:
Health: Make informed, healthy choices that support physical and emotional well-being.
Home: Have a stable and safe place to live.
Purpose: Engage in meaningful daily activities, but also volunteering, caring for your family and being creative.
Community: Build relationships and social networks that provide support.
Those aspects were dealt with in the project and all four aspects were touched and target groups involved.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 81903 Eur

Project Coordinator

Kuusalu Keskkool & Country: EE

Project Partners

• Agrupamento de Escolas de Montemor-o-Velho
• AGR LEAP ST GABRIEL NANTES OCEAN