ThrivingSchools: A Systemic, Whole School Approach to Mental Health and Well-being

ongoing

"Research consistently shows the links between school climate, student and teacher well-being, social and emotional competencies, and academic performance. The ""Thriving Schools"" proposal draws on principles from Positive Psychology, Social and Emotional Learning (SEL), and Whole School Approaches to create supportive environments that foster the well-being of both teachers and students. Public education authorities, universities, research centers, and NGOs from Greece, Italy, Cyprus, and Romania collaborate to build on past initiatives, directly contributing to the call’s priority of promoting well-being at school for all teachers, staff, and learners. The objectives are to promote mental health and well-being literacy, develop a positive school climate, and empower educators with innovative practices and resources. These will be achieved through an evidence-based framework, extensive capacity building for teachers, and the implementation of the PERMA model and Positive Psychology interventions. Each school will establish a core team of Well-being Champions who will work with a coach to implement a yearly plan of activities. A randomized controlled trial will assess the impact of the intervention on schoolteachers’ well-being, job satisfaction, self-efficacy, children’s well-being, outcomes, and school climate. A total of 40 schools, 400 teachers, 2000 learners, and 500 parents will engage in this research. Evidence-based policy and practice recommendations will be disseminated widely. The proposal’s relevance to the program is demonstrated by its focus on improving educational outcomes, equity, and well-being for all learners, and alignment with EU priorities and policies such as the Council Recommendation on Pathways to School Success, “A systemic, whole-school approach to mental health and wellbeing in schools” (Cefai et al., 2021), and the recent EC (2024) report on “Wellbeing and mental health at school: Guidelines for school leaders, teachers and educators”."