HEAL YOUTH
Holistic Approach to Enhance Well-being of Young People
Duration: 01/01/2025 - 30/04/2026
Status: Ongoing
Total budget: 35 288 EUR
Participating organisations:
ART+INN (Lithuania)
MIITR (Slovenia)
Poenta Association (Serbia)
Corbiz (Turkey)
Project website: www.healyouth.eu
Project code: 2024-3-IT03-KA152-YOU-000291971
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Objective
Recent studies also reveal that the most stressed generation is today’s young adults. In fact, mental health problems are common among children and young people in the West, as well as in other parts of the world. The 2012 European Union (EU) Youth Report suggests that almost 10–20% of young people in Europe suffer from mental illnesses, while one out of five struggle with emotional or behavioral problems. Other sources confirm that while the majority of adolescents worldwide are healthy, 20% experience mental health issues. Similarly, a recent report estimates that 15–20% of Norwegian children aged 3–18 years have reduced functioning abilities due to mental problems such as anxiety, depression, and behavioral disorders. Generally, psychological challenges intensify around puberty; due to psychological and biological changes. When growing up, young people face pressures from family, school, and other social contexts to perform satisfactorily and adjust to the rapidly changing pace of development in society.Furthermore, young adults who are responsible for child care may unintentionally pass on their stress to their children, creating a worrying situation for families.We have observed that children often hide their emotional distress from their parents, as they do not want to add to their parents' worries. They strive to please their parents by exhibiting behavior deemed "appropriate" or "socially correct." Young people often dislike being the cause of their parents’ stress. According to a constructivist perspective, young people actively participate in their own development. Additionally, young people interact with their environment based on worldviews that may differ from those of adults. Following this theory, we see young people as agents of their own well-being, with the growing ability to be partners in wellness alongside their families, peers, and society. The project aims to increase the quality life of young individuals. Especially using yoga as tool but there will be activities for young people to heal their life style.
The project aims to promote the physical, mental, and social well-being of young people by utilizing yoga as a holistic tool to help them manage stress, develop resilience, and improve self-regulation, fostering their overall personal development and social integration.​
Activities
During the 7-day youth exchange in Rome, the project implemented a structured non-formal learning programme integrating movement-based practices, mindfulness, creative expression, and peer connection to support young people’s well-being. Activities included daily yoga and meditation sessions (Kundalini, Vinyasa, Yin, Yoga Nidra), guided breathing techniques, workshops on sleep, nutrition, and healthy routines, and a trekking experience incorporating nature-based mindfulness and reflective photography. Participants also engaged in intercultural learning through a Cultural Night, developed teamwork and digital skills by creating PSA videos, and contributed to a co-design process using tools such as 5W1H to generate youth well-being project ideas. The programme fostered trust, self-awareness, and community-building through group-building activities, creative reflection exercises (e.g., the “butterfly” transformation metaphor), and a Youthpass recognition process.
Participating organisations
Women Awareness Up (Coordinator)
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The organization works to prevent and combat gender-based violence, support at-risk groups, and promote gender equality and minority rights. It develops non-formal education methods and explores new community and urban space models to raise awareness and reduce all forms of violence.​
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ART+INN (Partner)
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Organisation’s mission is to bring the world of art and the world of science together in order to create a prosperous and sustainable synergy of innovation, creativity, and mass entrepreneurship.
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MIITR (Partner)
​www.miitr.eu
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MIITR is a non-profit organization that works with its network of many public organizations (cooperation with municipalities, ministries, governmental agencies, universities, and other public institutions), non-governmental organizations, businesses, and other partners to build a just and sustainable world. It develops sustainable business strategies and solutions through consulting and cross-sector collaboration.
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Poenta Association (Partner)
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Poenta is an artist-run organization and also functions as a unique support group for artists. We collaborate with school teachers, librarians, and individuals interested in participating in artistic projects. Additionally, we are eager to engage in projects related to human rights and environmental protection that utilize artistic tools and methods. Our offerings include event organization expertise, festival management, and support for artistic projects. We are seeking partnerships and collaborations with those who share an interest in promoting the arts, fostering creativity, and addressing social and environmental issues through artistic means.
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Impact Hub Stockholm (Partner)
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Impact Hub Stockholm is part of the global Impact Hub network, made up of 100+ local impact communities. We are changemakers united by the core belief that entrepreneurship can change the world. Socially, environmentally, and financially sustainable businesses are how we shape a better future for people and planet. And we know that impact-driven people thrive when they are part of a collaborative ecosystem of innovators. So together we will get there, with trust, courage, and collaboration.
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GO Alive (Partner)
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GO Alive empowers young people through a range of non-formal learning experiences, including hosting the annual Kozani Youth Fest, coordinating international volunteering via the European Solidarity Corps, and leading Eurodesk youth information efforts. Also, GO Alive is hosting Erasmus+ university students for internship from all over Europe. The NGO organizes workshops on mindfulness, leadership, digital skills, environmental awareness, intercultural exchange, and social inclusion; supports projects in sustainability like Green out of the Box, human rights, and mental wellbeing; and promotes youth participation in civic life and policy dialogue, while also fostering active citizenship, creativity, and cross-cultural collaboration.
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CORBÄ°Z Corporate Business Solutions is a private company based in Istanbul, Turkey ; founded at 2016. The company’s main fields of work are business development and providing corporate solutions to its customers. The company generates various projects and implements in a wide scope such as entrepreneurship, youth training, culture and intercultural activities. CORBÄ°Z generates and implements socio-cultural projects and offering various training services in field of entrepreneurship, corporate social responsibility and inter-cultural dialogue. With its broad network of partners and stakeholders, the company has achieved to implement more than 50 projects with universities, municipalities, public bodies and NGOs. The projects had contained intercultural trainings, STEM education, entrepreneurship, craftsmanship and various vocational trainings. CORBÄ°Z continues its projects and activities with its specialized human resources for all needs of enterprises, NGOs, public and educational institutions.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
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Results
In this project, young people will learn to fill their free time with meaningful activities, developing their imagination, and those who see the results of their creative efforts will become more productive individuals. They will discover new areas of interest and increase their creativity. Through activities that encourage movement, participants will try various sports activities, developing teamwork skills while having fun and staying active. With the guidance of experts, participants will learn about healthy eating and become more conscious about their dietary choices. The project will use yoga as a tool to present a holistic approach. Young people will contribute to both their physical and mental development through healthy eating, sleep, sports, meditation, and yoga. Additionally, non-formal methods will be used throughout the project to enhance the participants' core competencies. By preparing meals themselves, the young people will realize that they can make practical and healthy food choices, increasing their motivation to reduce fast food consumption. The project considers yoga a supportive tool that can motivate young people to make lifestyle changes, such as accepting and recognizing the need for rest and relaxation, as well as understanding the value of appropriate sleep habits. The opportunity to relax seemed to empower them and improve their ability to self-regulate, which is also sleep related. Participants who take active roles in activities and exercises will break down their prejudices, improve interpersonal relationships through friendships formed during the project, and develop their ability to express themselves more confidently in public through group presentations. Thanks to the training provided on Erasmus+, participants will increase their knowledge and become more motivated to engage in similar projects, gaining interest in developing and executing their own projects. Additionally, participants will gain numerous benefits from the project, including keeping up with youth sector developments more closely. As they interact with different cultures throughout the project, participants will develop communication skills with young people from different countries and show a greater desire to continue these cross-cultural connections. Throughout the daily activities, young people will communicate in English, improving their English language skills, and as their interest in the language grows, they will also become more motivated to learn other foreign languages.