MINDtheYOUTH is a two-year project (05/2021–04/2023) aimed at increasing the well-being of individuals through mindfulness, i.e. awareness skills. The project aims to provide young workers with knowledge, skills and competence to use mindfulness as one of the tools for promoting young people's well-being. The project is funded by Erasmus+ of the European Commission, is independently responsible for its content, and is carried out in cooperation between four different countries:

Finland (Sosped Foundation)

Lithuania (ERCC, Education, Research & Consultancy Center)

Cyprus (STANDO LT)

Denmark (AAU, Aalborg University) 

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During the project, the participating countries will jointly develop a mindfulness training package, including a comprehensive curriculum and an application using VR technology to be designed, developed, and published during the project. In addition to these, a manual will also be made with comprehensive information on both mindfulness and the use of the VR application developed during the project. 

Identifying and supporting opportunities for youth work

The MINDtheYOUTH project aims not only to help youth workers find new innovative working methods, but also to highlight the importance of high-quality youth work as a promoter of young people's well-being. Mindfulness has been scientifically proven to support an individual's mental health and well-being, but its practice in youth work is still relatively low. This is because people who work with young people themselves do not feel that they master mindfulness methods well enough to teach them to others.

During the project, youth workers and young people will be involved in the project through various international and national interviews, workshops and retreats. First-hand knowledge from participants in each project country will help to create a tailor-made package for the target group and thus promote the use of the training package even after the project has ended. International cooperation contributes to the creation of an educational package that can be used in Europe and even globally, regardless of nationality, color, or geographical location. The training package will be translated into different languages and will be free to download from the project's website.

MINDtheYOUTH – sources of innovation and well-being

VR (virtual reality) is a fast-growing field of technology with huge potential for health and social care professionals as well. The project involves VR technology specialists who already have experience in combining VR technology and mindfulness-type exercises. The VR application will be a learning environment for mindfulness, the appearance and usability of which will be influenced by its future users: youth workers and young people.

For Finland, Lithuania, Cyprus and Denmark, the project is a valuable opportunity to create new kinds of international cooperation and learn new things from each other.

Sustainability and exploitation plan