Acronym of the Project: HeWe
The HeWe project was created in response to the increasing mental health challenges faced by students in Vocational Education and Training (VET). In recent years, young learners have been experiencing higher levels of stress, anxiety and emotional pressure resulting from academic expectations, social influences and personal circumstances. These challenges do not only affect their wellbeing but also their performance, motivation and engagement in learning.
Recognizing the importance of addressing these issues within educational contexts, HeWe aims to develop a comprehensive and inclusive framework that promotes mental health awareness, strengthens emotional resilience and creates supportive environments within VET institutions. The project intends to integrate mental health into everyday school practices, ensuring that students have access to tools, knowledge and support systems that help them navigate personal challenges and succeed academically and professionally.
Key Objectives:
- Promote mental health awareness within VET settings.
- Strengthen students’ emotional resilience by providing young people with practical tools and strategies to cope with stress, anxiety and emotional challenges.
- Build strong support networks within institutions.
- Improve wellbeing across learning environments.
- Develop sustainable and inclusive mental health educational resources.
- Empower Educators to Support Student Mental Health.
Project Website: https://hewe.altervista.org/
First TPM and Workshop
The first Transnational Project Meeting, held on 12 and 13 January in Barcelos, Braga, officially marked the launch of the HeWe project. The meeting began with an overview of the project objectives and timeline, and roles and responsibilities were confirmed. The Dissemination Plan, including the communication processes and deadlines, was reviewed. The structure of Pillars 1 and 2 was agreed, and procedures for meetings, minutes and deliverables were established. The meeting ensured a shared understanding of the work ahead, aligned expectations and quality standards for implementation, and strengthened collaboration between partners.
On the second day, a workshop was organized involving eight participants from Portugal, Italy and Sweden, including teachers and trainers from the VET sector. The main objective of the workshop was to collect participants’ perceptions and experiences regarding mental health and well-being in VET, and to identify needs and challenges in current educational practice.
The session started with a presentation by Mobility Friends, which introduced the organization and provided an overview of the project objectives and activities. EGI then introduced the Mental Health and Resilience Framework and addressed risk factors observed in the VET context. Both partners presented the results of the pre survey, and the discussions allowed participants to share challenges and good practices from their professional contexts. The reflections shared confirmed the relevance of the topic and reinforced the need for teacher training, practical resources and structural changes to promote healthier and more supportive learning environments in VET.
