Project author:

Antonela Mrsić, School of fine arts Split

Project co-authors:

Lucija Bižaca, High school V. gimnazija Vladimir Nazor Split

Anamarija Jukić, Architectural and geodetic technical school Split

Project goals

The project is implemented with the aim that young people recognize, name and explore happiness as a part of mental health taking in consideration the International day of happiness that takes place 20th March. 

This project has an aim to raise awareness about mental health and to offer students a way of socialization and contact in pandemic circumstances. The project is based on self-reflection activities and group work, communication, and collaboration. Mental health is one of the most important topics nowadays and it earns that reputation. On the other hand, it is usually a stigmatized topic, so one of the aims was a destigmatization of this topic by educating students about it and offering them a safe environment to express themselves. Activities are planned in such a way as to disseminate the project and its impact in the partner schools and between students that are not participating in the activities themselves by the presentation of the materials and products. Empowering positive emotions and learning about mental health is a lead to the positive development. All of these things are highlighted even more in this situation when the students lack of contact and interpersonal relationships. The main point of this project and motivation was the International day of happiness which presented a finale of the project.

Aims:

1. Present mental health topic and positive emotions as a part of it.
2. Present the importance of positive thinking and happiness in life.
3. Empower students to think about the specific things that make positive impact on their life and make them happy.
4. Encourage students to share their reasons for happiness with others and in that way to feel as a part of a large European community.
5. Encourage students to think positively.
6. Mark the important international days to be an active part of global community.
7. Use different digital tools as a opportunity to connect with people around the Europe.

Expected results:

1. Students will develop the awareness of how important are the positive feelings.
2. Students will empower their positive emotions.
3. Students will become aware of the importance of mental health and the impact of the positive emotions on mental health.
4. Students will actively worki on their mental and emotional health.
5. Students will understand the importance of marking the important dates.
6. Students will develop competences for working in a multicultural environment.
7. Students will develop their digital skills.
8. Students will develop positive connection with their school.

Project description:

The project will be implemented with the aim that students develop the sense for the happiness as a precondition for mental health and explore things that make them happy in order to mark the International day of happiness and to keep in mind useful information about positive development even after the International day of happiness.

All project participants implement activities on the same topic, but in a way chosen by students and teachers.

Joint activities are also part of the project.

After all the activities we do an evaluation of the project and completed activities.

The project has an educational function.

We will educate young people about happiness, mental health and marking the important international days. At the same time they will develop self-regulation and self-management as a way to take care about their mental health.

Activities with young people will contribute to increased knowledge and awareness of high school girls and boys involved in the project and encourage them to actively work on their mental health, to develop the awareness of how important are the positive emotions and their impact on the mental health. Also, they will be able to develop competences for working in a multicultural environment since it's an international project and develop digital competences since we will work with digital tools.

Regarding all that, they will be given the opportunity to think about their personal resources in a safe space, discuss and learn about happiness as s something that we can find in everyday situations and as a something we can share with others.

In the same time they will be able to understand the importance of marking the international dates and  they will be able to develop a positive connection with their school as they will be able to actively contribute to the school atmosphere.

For the activities to be carried out by topics, teachers will be able to select and download the proposed materials such as forms, brochure etc. and conduct them with their team, following the dynamics of the group and the curriculum, as agreed with their students. 

Each activity should be documented (photographed, videotaped, written material saved, etc.).

All project participants, as a group, create a joint product in the form of an E-book Manual for happiness that will contain messages, knowledge, skills… that they want to pass on to peers related to the topic of the project. Other way of sharing products will be via Padlet so all the participants can share them in their own school. All the final products will be exposed on their page.

              The project will be shared on Twinspace, on the project's Facebook page, Instagram profile, school's pages and other available platforms of the participants' choice throughout the activities.

Communication will be via official Whatsapp group and meetings will be held on Zoom platform.