Mental health is becoming more and more a dominant discourse in youth work. One – positive – reason for this is that the taboos surrounding mental health are slowly evaporating. Many young people are interested in techniques and skills to understand, balance and control their mind outside of a simple health/sickness dichotomy. At the same time, the pandemic has led to an increase in mental health conditions especially concerning youth. And crucially when working with young people from a war area, negative consequences on their mental health are obviously to be expected.

In the past two years, debates among the multipliers of trilateral exchanges have clearly shown a demand for input, reflection and methodology in this area. Facilitators in youth work are very often confident in methods, programs, group dynamic or trouble shooting – but “counselling” or “therapy” is not normally within their comfort zone.

This professional exchange brings together multipliers of international youth exchange from Ukraine, Poland and Germany from schools and non-formal learning institutions. We will focus on three major influences on young mental health today:

• the war(s) of our time
• the changed shared experience due to the pandemic
• the changing realities of digital natives

How can we give space for mental health in international exchange settings? What are the chances and the limitations that our projects have to influence the mental health of our participants positively? How can we react, if participants either show behaviour that seems to point to an affliction of the mind or talk to multipliers about this? Is it possible – or even wise – to create projects that deal explicitly with mental health?  

The seminar will be held in English.

Target Group:   Multipliers in education and social work

Date:                    08. - 10.04.2024

Facilitation:       Kirsten Dallmann and Alex Sliusarenko, Bildungsstätte Bredbeck

Costs:  

Participants from Germany pay 30,00 € including food and accommodation in double rooms and program. 20,00 € fee for single rooms.

Participants from Poland and Ukraine are free of charge, including program, food and accommodation in double rooms. 20,00 € fee for single room. Travel costs can be partially refunded. Please contact us for further information.

Cooperation:     LIKHTAR,Deutsch-polnisches Jugendwerk

Pedagogically Responsible:        Kirsten Dallmann