The main objective of the StrongerYouth project was to prevent psychological distress and the risk of social exclusion among adolescents and young people by strengthening social, relational and emotional competences through a structured and supervised peer mentoring approach. The project aimed to develop and test innovative tools to identify young people with adequate levels of resilience and social competences, supporting them in their role as mentors for more vulnerable peers. A key objective was also to provide educators and youth workers with methodologies and guidelines to accompany and supervise mentoring pathways, enabling them to act as facilitators and participant observers. StrongerYouth also sought to promote active citizenship, solidarity and a sense of social responsibility among young people, recognising the value of peer based volunteering. Through transnational cooperation, the project aimed to create a replicable and adaptable model for different European educational contexts, contributing to the development of more inclusive, collaborative and youth well being oriented environments.
The StrongerYouth project was developed in response to the growing psychological distress and risk of social exclusion among adolescents and young people in Europe. In recent years, factors such as social isolation, socio economic instability and relational difficulties have negatively affected young people’s mental well being, increasing anxiety, depressive behaviours and social vulnerability. The project originated from the recognition that traditional educational and support services are often overloaded and not always able to identify these needs at an early stage. At the same time, young people tend to seek support within their peer group, which is perceived as a more accessible environment based on shared language and mutual understanding. StrongerYouth therefore addressed the need to develop early prevention actions through peer mentoring, recognising more resilient young people as a resource to support their more vulnerable peers. The project responded to the need to structure this approach by providing tools and methodologies for young people and educators to strengthen social competences, personal resilience and inclusion, while promoting more collaborative and well being oriented educational environments.