The COPE project aims to counteract the negative effects of conflict and the COVID-19 crisis on youth mental health by enhancing protective factors through digital peer support and art-based learning. The project offers young participants educational tools and interactive opportunities designed to foster inclusion and recognition. Through hybrid self-directed skills training, guided by youth professionals, young people can connect with peers in a supportive environment, building resilience and improving mental well-being. This approach empowers youth to manage stress and develop coping skills in a structured yet flexible setting, leading to long-term positive impacts on their mental health. The main objectives of the project were: Research: To understand the effects of war, conflict, and COVID-19 on young people's mental health. Promoting Social Cohesion: To foster diversity, social solidarity, and resilience among youth in response to crisis. Empowering Youth Workers: To build youth workers’ capacities to support young people in managing stress and anxiety. Creating Psycho-Emotional Education: To develop a heritage-led course focused on supporting emotional health through art. Enhancing Employability and Mobility: To establish
The COPE project was initiated to address the escalating mental health challenges among youth, significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing war in Ukraine. These crises have severely disrupted daily routines, social stability, and future outlooks, especially for vulnerable groups such as young refugees in Europe, including the thousands who fled to the Czech Republic. The WHO ranks depression as one of the top health issues for European youth, with suicide as a leading cause of death for those aged 10–19. The COPE project responds to these urgent needs by developing innovative, arts-based peer support methods and a digital learning platform to strengthen young people’s mental resilience. A focus is placed on equipping youth workers with skills to support mental well-being through digitalized tools, while also creating pathways for skills recognition that enhance youth employability and mobility. By prioritizing the needs of youth at risk of social exclusion and those affected by war, COPE promotes sustainable mental health solutions and capacity-building across communities, preparing young people to cope with current and future challenges.