StayWell
Innovative Web Approach for Advancing and Sustaining VET Learners’ Wellbeing and Mental Health
Erasmus+ KA2 Cooperation for Innovation and the Exchange of Good Practices
2020-1-LT01-KA202-078016
11/2020 - 10/2022 (24 months)
292.905 €
Lithuania, United Kingdom, Turkey, Bulgaria, Greece, Croatia, Slovenia
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StayWell
The problem of wellbeing has been recently brought to the forefront of the agenda for improving quality of VET in Europe. It is a well-researched issue that VET systems tend to attract more students from social risk groups.
This requires additional attention on wellbeing promotion in VET institutions due to higher rates of disruptive behaviour, poor student engagement and low motivation for learning. However, EU VET providers report limited capacity to provide effective support to students experiencing mild to moderate levels of psychological distress due to adverse fiscal, familial, social and school situations. What could prevent them from mental distress and risk behaviors is social-emotional learning (OECD, 2019), which has been shown to improve VET learners’ social-emotional functioning and academic performance. Yet, for the majority of them, building social-emotional skills remains a matter of luck, depending on whether this is a priority for their teacher and school (Study on Social & Emotional Skills, OECD, 2018).
Thus, StayWell project sets the overall aim to develop an innovative web learning approach for advancing and sustaining VET learners’ wellbeing and mental health through the acquisition of social-emotional skills that would help them study effectively, master their life and enter the job market.
Objectives of the project
- To provide VET learners, teachers and community with a thorough understanding of the factors affecting and skills favoring students’ wellbeing through the development of a pioneering 4-pillar mapping frame of well being.
- To foster VET learners to get aware, verify and continuously improve their level of psychological, cognitive, social and physical wellbeing through the development of a new to date approach for self-reflect upon the skills, which could help them improve their wellbeing and mental health;
- To boost and sustain VET learners’ wellbeing skills through the creation of a virtual challenge-based learning environment to promote wellbeing practices at school;
- To enrich VET teachers’ pedagogical approaches related to challenge-based learning and wellbeing promotion in the classroom through the elaboration of a full-cycle navigation tool to support them in the application, adaptation and transferability of the project innovative web approach.r
Expected Main Results
Knowledge exchange among project partners, coming from diverse professional fields and backgrounds.
Improved capacity of project partner organizations for management and implementation of European projects and large-scale events.
Synergies between project partners representing higher education, vocational education, non-governmental and business sectors.
Expanded networks due to intensified cooperation with VET stakeholders at local, regional, national and European levels.
Quality Management Strategy, determining quality policies and procedures, standards and quality assurance mechanisms relevant to the project.
Dissemination & Exploitation Strategy, specifying target groups and stakeholders; dissemination activities, channels, messages and tools; StayWell website developed and maintained for at least 5 years after the project end, serving as a main medium for project dissemination. StayWell promotional materials, prepared by all partners throughout the project lifecycle for all activities involving project stakeholders.
Wellbeing Mapping Frame Research methodology including: a literature review template; a questionnaire for survey among VET learners; guidelines for focus group interviews with VET stakeholders. StayWell survey report summarizing survey results in all partner countries. StayWell focus groups report summarizing focus groups results in all partner countries.
Theory boxes, Test scenarios, Quick Start Guide, Progress Portfolio, Field try-outs methodological framework and feedback forms.
StayWell Pilot Report summarizing O2 field try-outs results in partner countries Digital Wellbeing Lab.
Project Activities
The general objective of “Project Management and Coordination” is to design an effective and efficient structural framework for all partners to ensure a proper accomplishment of all project-related goals and managing tasks. It encompasses the financial, administrative and contractual components including the risk monitoring and mitigation during the entire project period.
Project quality management is all about the processes and activities needed to determine and achieve project quality, thus being a prerequisite for the successful implementation of the project idea and sustainability of project results. Quality management will be a central element carried out throughout the whole project duration encompassing the work under all project activities.
The dissemination concept involves all activities to strengthen the communication and dissemination between the partners and all activities directed to actually reach the target groups and final users of the project. Sharing results, lessons learned, outcomes and findings beyond the participating organizations will enable a wider community to benefit from StayWell innovative approach.
Project Partners
- VILNIAUS KOLEGIJA – Lithuania – Lead Partner
- PSICHIKOS SVEIKATOS PERSPEKTYVOS VIESOJI ISTAIGA - Lithuania
- Foyle International Ltd. - United Kingdom
- KUTAHYA DUMLUPINAR UNIVERSITESI - Turkey
- EUROPEAN CENTER FOR QUALITY OOD - Bulgaria
- AKMI ANONIMI EKPAIDEFTIKI ETAIRIA - Greece
- MEDNARODNA ZVEZA ZA ZDRAVJE MLADIH - INTERNATIONAL YOUTH HEALTH ORGANIZATION- Slovenia