CHEER

<< Background >>We applied for this project due to the crisis related to the coronavirus epidemic, which had a very negative impact on young people in Europe. The fight against the epidemic and the restrictions imposed weakened the mental well-being of the youth. Many of them perceived this situation as a loss of the most important time in their lives – their youth. As a result, young people experienced numerous mental health issues, remaining without institutional or social support. These problems directly affected their education and career development. Furthermore, we were unable to foresee all the long-term consequences of this situation. However, it was certain that it was a negative period for an entire generation that needed support and new energy to overcome these difficulties. Additionally, those working with young people also faced many challenges, both due to the impact on their own mental well-being and the lack of appropriate educational tools and skills.<< Objectives >>Through the implementation of this project, we aimed to improve the mental health of young people by stimulating their creativity and harnessing their youthful enthusiasm. The initiative sought to combine two seemingly distant areas—health and creativity—into one holistic program for youth. Primarily, the project was dedicated directly to this age group, involving young people in leading activities and supporting their peers. The core of the project was a serious approach to contemporary youth issues related to mental health, resulting in burnout, depression, and a lack of social activity. The path we proposed to young participants was through creativity and art, which not only allowed them to find peace but also to make changes in their professional and personal lives. Effective support for youth required improving the competencies of educators and applying innovative education. The project aimed to provide such educational tools and enhance the qualifications of those working with young people.<< Implementation >>The CHEER project created self-help tools for young people in the form of CHEER CARDS decks, which contain innovative and diverse activities aimed at developing creativity and improving mental health. These cards were tested by young people during the youth exchange and were periodically disseminated (two decks), which ensured that from the beginning of the project our results had an impact on the target groups. The supporting activity was a series of educational recordings on mental health issues and methods of stimulating creativity, which were presented on social media.The most extensive result was a podcast available in the national languages of the partner organisations' countries, aimed at developing competences and promoting good educational practices. Some educators were trained during an international course and national dissemination workshops. Trained educators were involved in multiplication activities, which allowed reaching a wider group of young people. The activities were disseminated through health campaigns, including two pan-European Challenges for creativity and mental health of young people.<< Results >>The project had a positive impact on the mental well-being of young people, which enabled activities focused on creativity as well as personal and professional development. By directing the results primarily towards young people with fewer opportunities, it improved their educational, social, and professional situations. In this context, the project contributed to reducing educational disparities that were exacerbated by the pandemic.As a result of the tools available on the website cheer.education, young participants have continuous access to a comprehensive educational tool (cards) along with a developmental series of recordings. During the project, youth were also able to benefit from these resources through educators and youth leaders, relying on their experience and knowledge. An accompanying result was the improvement of the competencies of educators and youth leaders in working with young people. Through workshops, educators learned how to strengthen the mental health of youth, diagnose problems, support groups, and stimulate creativity in the spirit of non-formal education. To support this process, an educational tool (podcast) was also created, which addressed the mental well-being, needs, and challenges of educators.