Our team just returned from the Unplugged Training in Izmir, Turkey: an #ErasmusPlus project focused on understanding and addressing compulsive digital habits such as internet and gaming addiction, gambling, and social media overuse, while promoting healthier digital practices among young people. In five enriching days of non-stop activities, our participants: 👉 Explored storytelling, coaching, and art-therapy as creative tools for digital well-being.👉 Reflected on their own digital habits through introspective workshops — including sessions on FOMO (Fear of Missing Out), FOJI (Fear of Joining In), and JOMO (Joy of Missing Out) — to enhance self-understanding.👉 Learned new facilitation techniques and exchanged non-formal education methods with youth workers from across Europe. This experience helped our participants acquire new tools they can use in their daily work, and also gave them the chance to reflect on their own practices for a better understanding of the youth they support. They are now ready for the next phase of the programme: group and individual mentoring sessions, before applying everything they’ve learned to design and lead youth workshops in their own communities.
Sometimes, all you need to create magic is the right ingredients: young hearts filled with motivation, an ambitious project, a dedicated team, and stunning desert dunes. Mindful You(th) gave us the opportunity to share that magic together, stepping away from our everyday lives to explore what lies beyond. By the end of our Youth Exchange, we successfully reached our key objectives: As Loredana, one of our participants, beautifully summed it up:“After being used to office life for so long, this made me appreciate what’s outside. I now realise what the important things really are, and how a small effort of positivity can make my life go well.” The desert left a profound mark on each of us, providing space to reflect, prioritize our well-being, and return home with renewed commitment to these newfound insights. And for that experience, the Coconuts are deeply thankful.
The time has finally come for one of our most exciting projects ever! We’ve arrived in Merzouga, Morocco, surrounded by the awe-inspiring sand dunes and the profound silence of the Sahara Desert. We couldn’t ask for a more perfect setting to dive deep into the topic of mental health and mindfulness both in theory and practice! In a world buzzing with constant noise and daily pressures, Mindful You(th) youth exchange is a unique opportunity for young people to take a breath, reconnect with themselves, and explore the power of mindfulness and meditation in promoting mental well-being. After a long journey from Marrakech, we’ve settled into our charming Saharan hotel and begun getting to know our participants through fun icebreakers and energizers while slowly starting to tackle the main topic of the programme. During the following days, we’ve shattered mental health stigmas through a dynamic world café activity. Participants also showcased their creativity, revealing the prevalence of mental health issues and existing stigmas in their communities through creative mediums like theatre, poetry, and storytelling. And how can we forget the magical meditation sessions amidst the mystical vastness of the Moroccan Sahara? A truly unique opportunity for all of us to reconnect
Throwback to the snowy hills of Finland and enchanting town of Kuusamo! From December 13 to 21, 2023, and in partnership with Oivanki Kuusamo participants representing Coconutwork took part of an erasmusplus Training Course that reshaped their perception of the work of educators. The primary goal of the project, Adventure Education, was to share tools and concepts related to adventure and outdoor activities, enhancing the quality of youth work in the realm of mental health with a focus on mindfulness and peacebuilding. What did our participants take away from this experience?
Our team just returned from the Unplugged Training in Izmir, Turkey: an #ErasmusPlus project focused on understanding and addressing compulsive digital habits such as internet and gaming addiction, gambling, and social media overuse, while promoting healthier digital practices among young people. In five enriching days of non-stop activities, our participants: 👉 Explored storytelling, coaching, and art-therapy as creative tools for digital well-being.👉 Reflected on their own digital habits through introspective workshops — including sessions on FOMO (Fear of Missing Out), FOJI (Fear of Joining In), and JOMO (Joy of Missing Out) — to enhance self-understanding.👉 Learned new facilitation techniques and exchanged non-formal education methods with youth workers from across Europe. This experience helped our participants acquire new tools they can use in their daily work, and also gave them the chance to reflect on their own practices for a better understanding of the youth they support. They are now ready for the next phase of the programme: group and individual mentoring sessions, before applying everything they’ve learned to design and lead youth workshops in their own communities.
Sometimes, all you need to create magic is the right ingredients: young hearts filled with motivation, an ambitious project, a dedicated team, and stunning desert dunes. Mindful You(th) gave us the opportunity to share that magic together, stepping away from our everyday lives to explore what lies beyond. By the end of our Youth Exchange, we successfully reached our key objectives: As Loredana, one of our participants, beautifully summed it up:“After being used to office life for so long, this made me appreciate what’s outside. I now realise what the important things really are, and how a small effort of positivity can make my life go well.” The desert left a profound mark on each of us, providing space to reflect, prioritize our well-being, and return home with renewed commitment to these newfound insights. And for that experience, the Coconuts are deeply thankful.
The time has finally come for one of our most exciting projects ever! We’ve arrived in Merzouga, Morocco, surrounded by the awe-inspiring sand dunes and the profound silence of the Sahara Desert. We couldn’t ask for a more perfect setting to dive deep into the topic of mental health and mindfulness both in theory and practice! In a world buzzing with constant noise and daily pressures, Mindful You(th) youth exchange is a unique opportunity for young people to take a breath, reconnect with themselves, and explore the power of mindfulness and meditation in promoting mental well-being. After a long journey from Marrakech, we’ve settled into our charming Saharan hotel and begun getting to know our participants through fun icebreakers and energizers while slowly starting to tackle the main topic of the programme. During the following days, we’ve shattered mental health stigmas through a dynamic world café activity. Participants also showcased their creativity, revealing the prevalence of mental health issues and existing stigmas in their communities through creative mediums like theatre, poetry, and storytelling. And how can we forget the magical meditation sessions amidst the mystical vastness of the Moroccan Sahara? A truly unique opportunity for all of us to reconnect
Throwback to the snowy hills of Finland and enchanting town of Kuusamo! From December 13 to 21, 2023, and in partnership with Oivanki Kuusamo participants representing Coconutwork took part of an erasmusplus Training Course that reshaped their perception of the work of educators. The primary goal of the project, Adventure Education, was to share tools and concepts related to adventure and outdoor activities, enhancing the quality of youth work in the realm of mental health with a focus on mindfulness and peacebuilding. What did our participants take away from this experience?