Second Transnational Meeting of the Young Minds Project Held in Terras de Bouro, Portugal
The second transnational meeting of the Young Minds Erasmus+ project took place on May 7th and 8th in the scenic landscape of Terras de Bouro, Portugal, hosted by Agrupamento de Escolas de Terras de Bouro . Partners from eight organizations across four European countries convened for two days of collaboration, discussion, and cultural exchange. The meeting aimed to review the progress made, coordinate activities, and ensure the project’s objectives to improve mental health education among young people are on track.
Joining Forces for Inclusive Education
Representatives from all partner organizations gathered to discuss the development of key work packages. The main focus was on finalizing lesson plans, planning teacher training modules, and aligning communication and dissemination strategies. Four secondary schools participated in the meeting: Agrupamento de Escolas de Terras de Bouro (Portugal), Prirodoslovno-grafička škola (Croatia), Kėdainių r. Akademijos gimnazija (Lithuania), and EPAL Korydallou (Greece), joined by four partner organizations: Petit Philosophy (Croatia), INOVA+ (Portugal), PSP (Lithuania), and KARPOS (Greece).
Crafting Lesson Plans with Impact
The partner organizations presented their draft lesson plans, which are being collaboratively reviewed. The lesson plans focus on engaging high school students in discussions around critical thinking, philosophy, and mental health. Inclusive learning guidelines will be incorporated to ensure accessibility for all students. These plans will be finalized and translated by July 11, 2025, in preparation for the upcoming pilot phases.
Building a Future-Ready Teacher Training Course
The project team outlined the development of a four-module teacher training course, totalling 50 hours. This course will combine synchronous sessions, self-study, and face-to-face meetings. Teacher recruitment is planned to begin by September 2025, with defined admission criteria to ensure active participant engagement.
Looking Ahead to Upcoming Deliverables and Meetings
By July 2025, partners will submit the final versions of the lesson plans in English, along with translated versions in their national languages. These materials will serve as essential resources for the teacher training and pilot phases. The lesson plans are closely linked to selected videos on mental health, which will be available on the project website. Some examples of these videos include the thought-provoking Floyd on the effects of mental health on young people, available here, an insightful documentary on mental health titled The Secret Mind available here, and an engaging short film The Invisible Illness available here. Identifying key mental health topics is also part of the ongoing work. The next online consortium coordination meeting is scheduled for July 11, 2025, while the third transnational meeting will take place in Lithuania on February 26-27, 2026.
We extend our sincere thanks to Agrupamento de Escolas de Terras de Bouro for their warm hospitality and to all our partners for their dedication and enthusiasm. This meeting marked a valuable step forward in our shared mission to support young minds across Europe.
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