The pandemic, quarantine and distance education have created issues of social distancing and disengagement from the learning process for both students and teachers. Lack of equipment and learning difficulties created insurmountable obstacles for some students. The pandemic highlighted the need for digital skills and adaptation to new learning situations. It was therefore deemed necessary to receive specialised training in order to recognise and deal effectively with the symptoms of burnout and disengagement. We also wanted to support 'school life advisers'. We set five clear objectives: 1. to improve the performance of students with a reduced interest in learning; 2. to improve the mental health of the whole student community; 3. to prevent drop-outs; 4. to improve the professional and personal development of teachers themselves; 5. The European orientation of our school.
Our school is a regional school with students from mainly rural families, while a large percentage of them are children of immigrants. About 7% of them have certified learning difficulties and need a differentiated educational approach and support. The pandemic has further highlighted the needs due to the lack of a supportive environment, and its consequences have led to mental exhaustion for both students and teachers. In order to be able to face the challenges presented, for several years we have been successfully participating in a number of European Programmes (Erasmus+ KA2 and KA1), mainly focusing on inclusion and equal opportunities, democracy and digital skills. During the pandemic, we continued to participate in these projects, but not without difficulties. With this project we want to recognize and address burnout in order to support our students to overcome the effects of the pandemic, on learning and socialization. Our school has acquired a solid European-oriented identity, which we aim to foster further.