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CAM - Creativity and Arts for Mental health

2024-3-IT03-KA153-YOU-0002823942024Mobility of youth workersongoing
Countries: IT|TR|FR|HR|PL|ES|LT|LV|MK|HU · Grant: €34,402
Physical and mental health, well-beingQuality and innovation of youth workCreativity, arts and culture

Objectives

The training course "CAM - Creativity and Arts for Mental Health" is specifically designed to enhance youth workers’ LifeComp skills to promote mental health and well-being through creativity and the arts. Through this course, youth workers will gain a deeper understanding of the needs of young people, especially those with fewer opportunities. They will also enhance their active listening skills and learn how to create safe, supportive relational spaces where young people feel seen, heard, and valued. This will be achieved through an immersive learning experience that emphasizes Performing Arts and Experiential Learning. In line with the latest publication, “ID Talks_Article_Supporting Young People’s Wellbeing” by SALTO-YOUTH Inclusion and Diversity, youth work plays a critical role in helping vulnerable young people navigate life challenges during key developmental stages. In this context, youth workers, educators, and artists who work in the field are tasked with raising awareness and focusing on the competencies that support youth mental health. To guide this, the LifeComp framework will serve as a compass for identifying these key competencies, which will form the foundation for the development of this learning activity. Drawing on Project xx1’s expertise, art and creativity are powerful tools to help young people develop emotional awareness, self-regulation, empathy, critical thinking, and a growth mindset, fostering a sense of belonging within their communities. At the core of the training is the "Learning by Doing" approach, based on David Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle, in alignment with the European Youth Work Agenda. This approach includes: a balanced integration of cognitive, emotional, and learning dimensions; a deep connection between individual and group learning experiences; participatory and learner-centered methods; a focus on learning through intercultural exchange; reflection and evaluation of what has been learned. The training will emphasize a hands-on, experiential approach, encouraging participants to actively engage in their learning process. By balancing cognitive, emotional, and social aspects of learning, the course will create opportunities for both individual and group growth. Participants will be at the center of the learning experience, engaging in both theoretical and practical exploration of Mental Health and the LifeComp framework, allowing them to refine their ideas, challenge biases, and develop new approaches and strategies. By the end of the course, participants will be more creatively equipped to support the mental and emotional well-being of the young people they work with, helping to foster inclusive, supportive, and transformative environments in Youth Work. Objectives: To promote quality and innovation in non-formal education among organizations, youth workers, and young people, aligned with the Erasmus+ European Youth Goals; To develop creative strategies and techniques that foster inclusive and engaging practices in Youth Work, promoting well-being, mental health, and LifeComp skills; To enhance youth workers' empathy and active listening skills, encouraging the development of less competitive and more collaborative mindsets; To reflect on the learning process and explore how the course’s practices can be adapted to different local, national, and European contexts. All four objectives align with Youth Goal #5 (Mental Health & Wellbeing) and the "Mental Health in Youth Work" initiative, a long-term project by the National Agencies of Erasmus+ Youth and the European Solidarity Corps. CAM will help normalize mental health as a positive resource, improving mental health literacy among youth workers. It also aims to promote self-awareness and less competitive mindsets by emphasizing the value of authenticity and uniqueness while fostering appreciation for individual skills and strengths. Lastly, the course seeks to increase the number of projects addressing mental health within European Youth Programs. The consortium of partners, composed of organizations that are already addressing these issues both locally and internationally, has played a crucial role in identifying the needs, impacts, and outcomes for this initiative.

Project partners (10)