INTERNATIONAL PROJECT SCHOOL WELL-BEING: “Feeling CARED in School: A Journey Around the World”
The “Feeling CARED in School: A Journey Around the World” project is organized by the Laboratory of School Psychology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA) in collaboration with the ISPA School Psychology Trainers Task Force and the ISPA (International School Psychology Association) Student Organizing Committee.
This new effort has an international scope and constitutesa continuation of the multilevel actions and interventions of the Laboratory of School Psychology (NKUA) to provide psychosocial support to school communities and to promote resilience during the pandemic COVID-19.
The main goal of this international initiative was two-fold:
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To highlight the role of class/school as a place that promotes and fosters children’s resilience especially during trying and exceptional times.
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To inspire other school communities internationally to demonstrate how students can feel cared for in their schools and to exchange experiences and perspectives.
The project encouragedstudents in elementary and secondary education globally to demonstrate how schools function as caring environments, as follows:
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First, a class discussiontook place, regarding the ways in which the school environment is perceived by students as a place that offers support, strengthen them, motivates them to learn, builds their relationships with others, highlights their strengths, provides them with opportunities, respects diversity, can function as a safe place, and fosters acceptance by taking into account the diverse needs of students. The conversation was facilitated by guiding questions that relate to the project’s acronym, CARED, and the discussion topics are recorded in a relevant form.
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In turn, studentscollaborated for the creation of a poster, based on the key points of the class discussion.
This online exhibition includes the projects/art work of classes/schools from various countries, that participated in this international action during the school year 2021-2022.
You can browse children’s projects through the «navigation» menu, by selecting either the title of the project or the country, school, or educational level of participating schools, by clicking on the following link:
https://international-school-project.space/s/posters/page/welcome
Through their responses to the forms but also through their creative expression in the design of their poster, the students highlight the important characteristics of a school that cares for them and takes care of them, being protective in this way for all its members during difficult times. Particularly, students referred to the importance of friendships that unite them,common goals, dreams, and common needs. They expressed the support they receive from their teachers and their classmates in the school environment. Teamwork, acceptance and mutual support are key values that students perceive as uniting, emphasizing in that way the characteristics at the individual and class / school level that can be protective factors especially in difficult times.
We would like to thank all the students and teachers, psychologists and coordinators that participated in this international action. We were moved by the ideas and messages that students shared, which highlighted common needs and possibilities within the school environment, regardless of the location/region/country.