🧠YoungMinds: Bridging School Mental Health Through the Power of Cinema🧠

It is official! The YoungMinds project (Enhancing teachers’ skills in fostering mental health in children and young people) has been launched to transform how mental health is addressed in classrooms across Europe. Funded by the Erasmus+ programme, this 30-month initiative uses the emotional and visual power of cinema to break down stigmas and promote the psychosocial well-being of students.

🎬Why Cinema?🎬

Mental health can be a sensitive and complex topic to navigate in a traditional school setting. YoungMinds believes that films and documentaries are innovative educational resources that can spark empathy, stimulate critical thinking, and facilitate open dialogue on issues like anxiety, depression, and bullying. By focusing specifically on European audiovisual productions, the project offers a more realistic and diverse portrayal of mental health challenges compared to mainstream commercial narratives.

🎓The YoungMinds “Toolbox”🎓

Until March 2027, the project consortium will develop a comprehensive set of practical tools to support the educational community:

• European Film Booklet: A curated selection of at least 20 films and documentaries that explore mental health issues constructively.

• Teacher’s Handbook: Ready-to-use lesson plans designed to integrate mental health literacy into various school subjects.

• Capacity-Building Course: A 50-hour blended training program to equip teachers with the skills to use cinema as a pedagogical tool.

• “Mental Health on Screen” Events: School-based film festivals where students, parents, and local communities can watch films and debate mental health topics together.

👥A Powerful International Partnership👥

Coordinated by the Croatian organization Mala filozofija, the project brings together experts in mental health, audiovisual education, and critical thinking from four countries:

• Croatia: Mala filozofija and Prirodoslovno – graficka skola.

• Portugal: INOVA+ and Agrupamento de Escolas de Terras de Bouro.

• Greece: KARPOS and 4th High School of Chalkida.

• Lithuania: Psichikos sveikatos perspektyvos and Kėdainių r. Akademijos gimnazija.

The YoungMinds project does not just talk about mental health; it empowers students to express their own “young minds” through short-video workshops, where they can create their own narratives and film critiques.