Our goal was to promote emotional wellbeing and mental health awareness in adult education through the development of inclusive, participatory, and non-clinical educational resources. We aimed to provide adult educators with tools to approach mental health topics confidently and sensitively, and to empower learners to reflect on their emotions, recognize signs of distress, and adopt self-care practices. The project also intended to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health by normalizing open dialogue and integrating these discussions into everyday learning contexts. By encouraging a more compassionate and human-centered approach to adult education, we sought to create a replicable model that partners and other institutions could adopt. Furthermore, the project aimed to strengthen European cooperation and the exchange of good practices in the field of adult mental health education.
We applied for this project to respond to the increasing need for mental health education and support in adult learning environments. The COVID-19 pandemic intensified feelings of anxiety, isolation, and emotional vulnerability across all age groups, but particularly among adults facing social, economic, or personal difficulties. Our partner organizations, working in the field of adult education and community support, identified a lack of tools and structured opportunities to address mental wellbeing in a safe, accessible, and educational way. The need to equip both learners and educators with basic mental health literacy, and to foster environments where emotions and psychological challenges could be discussed without stigma, became a shared priority. The project aimed to fill a gap in existing educational approaches by focusing on self-awareness, emotional expression, and preventative care—ensuring that adult educators feel seen, supported, and empowered in their personal growth