The pace of life is getting faster, and achieving goals and being successful are usually the top priorities. This breakneck pace is not limited to adults; it also affects young people and children, who feel increasing amounts of pressure from various sources.
For this very reason, Aida Hasović, Bosnian language teacher at Dobrinja High School and a participant of the Learn, Think and Act! UMiD training for teaching and professional staff in secondary schools decided to launch a local civil initiative that will help students deal with problems. Recognizing the needs and problems of the students she works with, Aida focused the initiative on mental health, offering a variety of workshops for children and young people.
During the first semester, Aida developed new skills, methods, and techniques for engaging students through training organized by the Institute for Youth Development KULT. In the second semester, she organized a series of psychosocial workshops that helped students learn about processing emotions, their rights in the classroom, and many other important topics. Under the guidance of Aida and fellow teachers, the students worked on visually expressing their emotions and reflecting on themselves. The result was a fantastic exhibition of artistic and literary works that describe and illustrate their experiences from the past five months.
“Leading the “Youth Mental Resilience” initiative was an extraordinary experience for me. I am very grateful that the idea finally became a reality. Together with students and teachers, we created a space for open communication about mental health. The students learned to recognize and manage emotions, and together with their teachers they created a safe space for talking about mental health. This opportunity helped us all feel empowered to face mental health challenges and learn how to seek help. “The biggest reward for me is hearing the students say after the project that they would like to have more workshops like this in the future,” says Aida, beaming with pride.
The five-month mental health initiative was concluded with a panel discussion, “Building bridges: Partnership of the NGO sector and schools for improving the mental health of students and teachers,” held yesterday in the amphitheater of the Dobrinja High School. The teachers and students had a chance to hear the valuable insights shared by Irma Hastor, a music teacher at Dobrinja High School who also participated in this initiative. Azra Frlj, president of the Association for Psycho-Social Support and Better Future “Progres,” provided administrative and mentoring support to Aida in implementing the idea. Namir Ibrahimović from the Step by Step Center for Educational Initiatives, who conducted training modules with the Institute, also contributed.
Students were eager to participate in the conversation and shared their opinions and impressions, and this engagement shows that the workshops are necessary. After the panel discussion, students opened an exhibition of their artistic and literary works, which will remain in the school hall.
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