final report:
key insights on mental hYGIENE IN EDUCATION an internship project by Nadia Piet in collaboration with The School Of Life (Amsterdam) and University of Applied Sciences Inholland (2017)
FOREWORD Hello and welcome to the final report of my project. Motivated by the worrisome increase of mental health issues among young people, and my personal experiences with the topic, I started this project 4 months ago with the intention to explore and design solutions to help young people establish and maintain their mental health amidst our 21st century context - and what role schools may play in facilitating that. Ever since, It’s been a rollercoaster ride, calendar-bomb and tab-fest of researching data, extracting insights, mapping the system and meeting with experts, students and staff in order to map the issue at hand, the system it operates in and the stakeholders involved. Towards the end of the project, the challenges were focused on how to integrate the practice of mental hygiene within the (higher) education system of The Netherlands. I also partnered with The School Of Life, as I believed, and have by now confirmed, that their philosophical yet pragmatic approach to emotional intelligence can contribute greatly to the practice of mental hygiene.
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The preparatory + design research concluded in: 1. novel insights that may serve as a framework to guide mental health support for students, 2. and a handful of tangible solutions that meet both user and business (or public) needs. Although in the limited time span of the project I did not achieve to execute these services, it is only a matter of time before they will be, as some are currently being developed and progressing towards implementation. So although the first phase ends here, a sequel to the project is sure to come. I immersed myself into the project and everything it brought along, and am now here to report on what I’ve learned along the way. In this booklet I’d like to share with you some of the key insights, the proposed solutions and the process of the project; both as a means of reflection and as a channel for knowledge sharing. I hope this serves as a valuable resource to those concerned with or involved in youth mental health in one way or another, and it may be used to build upon. As you reading this already displays your concern for the matter, I hope the booklet will re-ignite your interest, bring new perspectives and inspire action. Wherever you are in the ecosystem: I believe you too can make a change, and collectively we can work to manifest a healthier and happier future for the current generation - and for all to follow. Enjoy the read, and keep on fighting the good fight. With love,
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SPECIAL THANKS This project and its outcomes would not have been possible if it wasn’t for these people. My special, and well-deserved, thanks go out to: The team at The School Of Life Amsterdam, with a special shoutout reserved for Sadije Bunjaku - for taking me on as an intern to research this - and to Vera Vryens - for providing the beautiful illustrations for this booklet. To Sandra Reeb-Gruber and Mylene Gordinou from IBIS and Hogeschool Inholland - for enabling me to undertake this project in the first place. To Nikkie Gubbels, Rutger Kappe, Vera Habers, Reuben Wijnberg, Martijn Mesman - for giving me platforms to speak on and draw attention to these issues. To Marij Urlings, Johannes van der Vos, Simone Teeuwen, Jolien Dopmeijer, Marielle Horsting (Mental Health Foundation + Depressiegala), Erica van Broeckhuijsen (Samen Sterk Zonder Stigma), Sanne Kooiman - for meeting up and sharing their insights and visions with me. 4
INDEX
Project set-up P. 8 Introducing the issue P. 6
Conclusion + Recommendations P. 20
Key insights / on mental health P. 12 / on millennial minds P. 14 / on education P. 16
Outro + Thank you P. 24 The School of Life x education / intro P. 26 / key insights P. 28 / concepts P. 30
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INTRODUCING THE ISSUE In the past few years, we have seen a strong increase of mental health issues amongst young people. As persuasive as argument can be, urgency for the matter is shown through data. Recent research by LSVB shows that 50% of HBO (bachelor) students within the Netherlands are currently or have recently been struggling with mental health issues. The World Health Organization considers it a global health crisis and predicts depression to be the main cause of death by 2020. This data only confirms my everyday observations. Depression, burnout, anxiety and other psychological problems keep increasing among young people and start affecting them from an increasingly younger age. This trend of deteriorating mental health is worrisome. Considering the magnitude and increase of mental health issues, we may conclude that this is no longer an individual, but a societal problem.
50% of bachelor students in the netherlands are currently or have recently been struggling with mental health issues LSVB
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Young people are simply not sufficiently equipped with the skills to maintain their mental health amidst the 21st-century context. HBR (Harvard Business Review) recently published an article on ‘Why some people get burned out and others don’t’, attributing people’s ability to handle external pressures to their levels of emotional intelligence. Following this logic, the rise of mental health issues makes apparent the gap between the average levels of EI and the EI required to navigate the challenges of one’s personal and professional lives in today’s world. Besides individual suffering, this development has real implications on society, culturally and economically. With mental health issues increasing and arising at increasingly younger ages, and the pressures of daily responsibility only growing with age, we may wonder how such a development will extrapolate to the public domain once this generation enters, and leads, the workforce? This issue is not limited in responsibility nor impact to the individual or educational spheres, but as much to the corporate and public domain. I believe that in order to build and maintain a constructive society where public health is honored, the young need better preparation to face, participate in, and change, the world.
the world health organization predicts depression to be the main cause of death by 2020 WHO
Project-setup stude n
ts’
u l’s reso rces tso
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ed
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ion syste m
The purpose of this project is to design tangible and sustainable solutions that will allow us to integrate mental hygiene practices within higher public education institutes within the Netherlands, to improve mental health amongst students. Before we can prototype solutions in co-creating with the stakholders, we must do an exploratory research to build a basic understanding of the issue at hand.
To arrive at this outcome, the project is divided into two subsequent streams, a preparatory and design research, both with a different scope and approach:
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• an exploratory research to build an understanding of mental hygiene in the context of higher education. The research consists of both building
• a design research to develop substantiated solutions. The design brief focuses on aligning the needs of students, the limitations
upon existing research through literature review, and drawing new insights from qualitative semistructured interviews with different actors of the ecosystem. It seeks to identify the key themes and infrastructure concerning mental health issues amongst students. It ultimately answers the question:
of the education system and TSOL resources through a design thinking approach. This will result in a handful of concepts that suggest feasible, viable and desirable ways in which TSOL can contribute to the practice of mental hygiene within the existing education system. It ultimately answers the question:
“how may we best assist students in practicing their mental hygiene (in order to improve mental health) (within the context of higher education)?”.
“how may applied philosophy, as practiced at TSOL, be integrated within the context of higher education to facilitate the practice of mental hygiene amongst students?”.
STAKEHOLDER MAP
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DISCLAIMER 1: Complexity. Please keep in mind the nature and complexity of the topic of mental health. The question of what constitutes a healthy mind, and how to obtain it, is one that has occupied humanity since the beginning of time. For the advancement of the project and the intervention design, certain compromises have been made and limitations must be acknowledged. Complexity and individualization of the topic is (partially) disregarded. Certain premises and assumptions will have to be adopted, even when opposing views may be equally substantiated. The domain of mental health, even though referred to as a whole, will be narrowed down to a handful of key functions. 2: Impact. The solution(s) developed is not intended nor expected to resolve the problem altogether, nor for the whole demographic, but merely to be a part of the solution and contribute to the overall mental health of the students. The solution also aims to be preventive, not restorative. In order to ensure effectivity, the solutions must remain in a state of continuous iteration. 10
3: Scope. Although my research was targeted specifically at bachelor students within The Netherlands; I believe the insights can be applied to a much broader context and audience, and say a lot about the challenges we’re facing in contemporary times.
Premises The project and research are built on a handful of hypotheses that have been researched and confirmed prior to further research. These premises, based on my literature review, are outlined and referenced below: • Research has shown that some mental health issues can be prevented. A focus on mental health promotion and universal prevention is one of the most efficient and effective measures to approach mental health from a public health perspective.
• Research has shown that there is a significant relationship between emotional intelligence and mental health. From these research findings, we may conclude that people with higher emotional intelligence generally have better mental health.
• The extremely high prevalence of mental health issues in students provides evidence for this being an at-risk population. In addition, they are in a formative phase and prior to entering the workplace which makes
• Various school-based long-term interventions have proven to be effective. Schools can play an important part in providing support as they have access to large groups of students, who spend a lot of time in
this time the most suitable to establish a healthy mental foundation.
their environment and are (partially) responsible for preparing them for their participation in society.
Definition of key terms • Mental health - a person’s condition with regard to their psychological, emotional and social well-being. Conventionally defined as a hybrid of absence of a mental illness and presence of mental well-being. • Mental hygiene - the practice of maintaining, restoring and optimizing one’s mental well-being.
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KEY INSIGHTS ON
MENTAL HEALTH
As I interviewed people to discuss mental health issues amongst students and the topic of mental health at large, I witnessed many of them struggle. Struggling to find the right words, but also struggling to talk openly about these topics; that although are such a massive part of our daily experiences, seem to comprise a surprisingly small part of our conversations. Once the unfamiliarity had worn off, most found it a great relief to have these talk and happily opened up; which led me to the following insights. 12
THE BLIND SPOT OF MENTAL HYGIENE We all learn how to take care of our bodies from a young age. We sleep to rejuvenate, eat vitamins to avoid sickness, dress warmly when cold out, brush our teeth to keep them clean, work out to build up strength. Knowing how to maintain a general level of vitality is considered general knowledge amongst most. But when it comes to our minds, we seem to know so little. Most of us have no clue how to keep it healthy, and we’re not sure where to go to figure it out either. Shifting the focus to mental hygiene as a practice to simply maintain our health mentally, in addition to physically, would make the conversation around mental health about everybody, and help destigmatization. I believe finding a long-term solution to mental health issues would require the inclusion of psychological, emotional and social elements into our scope of health.
THE POWER OF VULNERABILITY By starting this project and aligning behind the mission, students started to reach out to me with their humble cries for help. They just needed to talk, and all ended up being heartfelt interactions. But one may ask why they came to me, an acquaintance student or even stranger, and not to their close friends? I think the answer lies in the latent yet deep-rooted stigma surrounding mental health, and the false norm of succes and effortless happiness we all strive for. Our meritocratic culture seems to have banned vulnerability, imperfection, and failure from public display and in that; we are fooled to think we are terribly alone in our struggle. If we would feel safe to stop hiding behind our Instagram feeds and open up, we would find recognition in, and ...
support with one another, and ultimately acknowledge these parts of life as inevitable and natural. I believe it would help greatly if we could simply facilitate spaces and moments to have these conversations again.
clinical connotation Although mental health is in itself an all-encompassing term, its frequent use in the context of clinical psychology has led many people to associate the term with mental illness, rather than the cultivation of mental health. This connotation is inhibiting, adds to the stigma and might lead people to think this topic has nothing to do with them. If we wish to facilitate better and more accessible conversations around mental health, the terminology will need re(de-)fining. 13 8
KEY INSIGHTS ON
MILLENNIAL MINDS
Where each generation faces its own opportunities and challenges of the time, we can not deny that the millennial generation, although carrying the same human nature in their core, is exposed to a radically different reality than those before us. Coming of age in a time of rapid change, technological advancement, uncertainty, complexity, globalization, and other developments that changed our world in ways irreversible, has also changed in ways irreversible. The following insights are about culture and considerations specific to our times. 14
The Anxious Generation Millennials have said to be the most anxious generation ever and I wish I could say it wasn’t so. The definition of anxiety is ‘worry or an unsettling feeling about something with an uncertain outcome’. This ‘something’ is basically our lives, since it is hard to be certain of anything at all in a world of ever-increasing change, connectedness and complexities. In addition to the uncertainty, we face incredible amounts of choices, full responsibility, information overload, a disappearance of the private domain, and a plentitude of other side-effects of modern advancement. Considering this, it is not strange that the younger generation is accompanied by an omnipresent sense of anxiety. The implications of such levels of anxiety on both mental and physical health are worrisome. Not expecting developments to settle down anytime soon, I believe our generation needs to learn how to cope and thrive amidst our 21st century context.
our artificial counterparts are nearing
dismissed as spoiled
Artificial intelligence and robotics are forecasted to take over 40% of existing jobs within the next 15 years. These are not limited to simple, administrative tasks, but will also affect high-level problem solving and management positions. In an age of computational automation, productivity is no longer a resource and intelligence no longer a scarcity. The capacities that still have the potential to differentiate our species from AI computational counterparts are those of creativity (for now), emotional intelligence, empathy, morals and connection. I believe in response to these developments and its forecasted impact, emotional and social skills should be appointed more priority in our youth’s development.
Although data shows otherwise, millennials are accused of being lazy, entitled and spoiled. As a result of this stereotype, a lot of mental health issues amongst my generation are not taken seriously. We are told to ‘man up’, and internalizing this voice has kept many with mental health issues from speaking up or seeking help. By acknowledging this, I hope we can become a bit more cautious in disregarding them at first glance.
no more apps PLEASE Just because we are millennials, doesn’t mean we want the solutions to each and every problem to be served in a mobile app. We still crave reallife connection over another minute spent on our devices. 15
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KEY INSIGHTS ON
EDUCATION SYSTEM
Education holds the power to shape, or break, a nation. Where the education system of The Netherlands excels in plenty areas, some others are in desperate need of an update to meet the standards of modern times, and of a paradigm shift towards human resources to honor a more holistic, human-centered approach to the students and staff. I spoke to many of the different stakeholders in the ecosystem of education and the institute and have unfolded the following insights from the concerns, ideas and visions they shared with me. 16
PRESSURES ON TEACHERS & STAFF Mental health challenges are not exclusive to the students. Teachers and other education professional suffer from stress and have the highest burn-out percentage of any industry; because of high demands, and because they are often personally invested in their work. Carrying such a great responsibility, it’s vital to honor and support the mental health of education professionals.
imPACT ON STUDY PROGRESS
DEBATE ON WHERE RESPONSIBILITY LIES
Mental health is at the foundation of all human functioning and flourishing, and especially the cognitive. It is proven that mental health issues amongst students have a severe impact on their study progress and performance. These delays are a burden to both student and university; and could in part be prevented by offering additional support to those struggling with mental health issues.
Who is responsible for mental health? The individual? The parents? The state? The healthcare system? Education? Employers? It is debatable where the responsibility for public mental health lies. Teachers and other education professionals are therefore not sure whether they should be taking ownership of the issue at all, to what extent, and in what form.
teachers want to help but don’t know where to begin The majority of teachers I spoke to had sensed the shift in students’ mental health. They were concerned and wanted to do something to help, but had no idea what. In their role as lecturers, they are uncertain what their function is in this and what steps would be both appropriate (in the eyes of the university) and helpful (in the eyes of the student) to take. 17 8
THE ROLE OF MENTORS
THE ROLE OF COUNCELOR
Most universities assign students mentors, more commonly referred to as SLB’ers. They are there to guide you in your study progress, and would be the first person to turn to when you’d need assistance. Unfortunately after being matched; student and SLB’er generally maintain very little contact. Because of this barrier, the students often don’t communicate their mental health issues to the university at an earlier stage. Value is wasted because the role is not clearly designed, nor are teachers trained for this role after they are allocated, or granted the time by management to invest themselves and build up relationships with the students.
Students generally wait to visit the counselor until problems have already manifested. Although the role of counselor is an important piece of the puzzle, students don’t seem aware that they can visit the counselors in advance to reach out for help, or turn to the counselor for practical questions that really belong elsewhere (for example with the role of SLB’er). Overall, the SLB’er and counselor need better distinction and integration of their roles to create a cohesive support system for the student.
THE ROLE OF ”SLB” The corresponding module of SLB is a class meant to equip you with the skills you need to progress your studies and ultimately, your professional career. Unfortunately these classes are rarely scheduled or executed. There is no other subject that occupies themselves with these topics.
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DECISION-MAKING TOWER It’s an alarming but truthful observation that the majority of decision-makers in the policy and management layers seem strangely out of touch with the students and their concerns. They show little understanding of the contemporary environment our generation operates in, and the trends and developments that will shape our near-future society. All creators should be closely in touch with those they are creating for; education is by no means an exception to that practice.
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“Do the difficult things while they are easy and do the great things while they are small. A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step� LAO-TSE
CONCLUSION The topic of mental health, and more specifically the role of education in the practice of mental hygiene, is a tough one to tackle. Although this research did not accomplish to solve nor simplify this issue – if anything, it has only made more evident the complexities and many actors involved in the system –, I believe it did clarify some of the key themes surrounding the issue. After conducting the many interviews that supported this research, and compiling the insights outlined in the previous chapters, I would like to make the following concluding remarks: 1. There is very little general knowledge on how to stay sane. Unlike with our physical, most of us don’t know how to take care of our mental health. Although awareness and willingness toward the issue has grown, the knowledge and skills still lack. We want to do better, and help others, but don’t know how. 2. There is a stigma on mental health issues, and conversations around struggle and vulnerability in general. The taboo on the rougher sides of life is misleading everyone, and contributing to the isolation and guilt those with mental health issues usually experience. 3. Nobody is decided on where or with who the responsibility of mental health lies. Upon questioning, most initial reactions argue that it belongs to the individual’s and parent’s responsibility. Yet every person, without exception, responds positively to the idea of education taking on a more active role in the practice of mental hygiene and sees how this would benefit society at large. They arrive at the conclusion that, although individuals and parents should take ownership, mental health affects everyone and is therefore a shared responsibility that deserves a place in the public domain. 4. Education needs to become more responsive to the needs of its time and learn to adapt to the changing world around us. An update should include acknowledging the importance of social and emotional skills in ... 20
terms of employability, but also with regards to public health. The resistance to change in the education system is immense. Even when the willingness is there, the levels of hierarchy, processes of bureaucracy and speed of action make it incredibly challenging to arrive at implementation. A lot of potential goes wasted by this unresponsiveness. These are the 4 themes that seem to recur throughout: the lack of know-how, the stigma, the debate on responsibility and the relevance of education. I believe in order to advance the issue and improve mental health and the role of education in facilitating it, these are the areas that need attention and action. A handful of concepts on how such changes can be set into motion are sketched in the recommendations in the next chapter. This may serve as part of a public health approach to reduce the burden of mental illness on the state and improve mental resilience amongst the millennial generation to improve the chances of a prosperous life. Changes can manifest in many different forms and are usually the result of an aggrigation, rather than a break-through, of ideas. The recommendations are by no means all-inclusives and I would like to invite everyone reading this to think of, and put into action, their own solutions and ways of contributing.
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FINAL
RECOMMENDATIONS Change depends on action and behavior, not merely vision and insights. To bring all the insights and the concluding remarks together into a more pragmatic advice, I have written the following recommendations. These are a handful of clearly direction and actionable ideas on where and we may start making a change in terms of integrating mental hygiene practice within education. I hope these may inspire you to get involved and start campaigning for these changes, or to spark new ideas on how you can contribute in your own surroundings. 22
LIFESKilss classes I propose to integrate the practice of mental hygiene within education and even within the curriculum: these are essentially life skills. It would help prevent mental health issues but also cultivate positive mental health, as it equips every student with fundamental knowledge on how to take care of our minds. It will teach, discuss and practice topics such as emotions, thoughts, behaviors, choices, our relationships with ourselves and others, success, happiness, values; and other questions of living. This could be in the form of a designated class, but could also be incorporated in other activities. To begin, any form of integration of mental hygiene would be a step forward at this point. Ultimately, the vision would be that this class guides a continuous practice that starts when you enroll primary school and finishes upon bachelor or masters graduation. • If we speak on the context of higher education within The Netherlands specifically, it might be worth exploring the possibility to host these classes within the module of SLB.
• To ensure the quality and maximum impact of such classes, one could consider outsourcing it to a partner such as The School Of Life who is highly-specialized in such topics.
RE-DEFINING ROLES
ADDITIONAL STAFF SUPPORT
I propose a re-definition and modified application of the roles of teachers, counselors and SLB’ers. A strong support system would require better flow and (dis)integration of their roles and knowledge. Also taking into consideration their current workloads, management needs to grant them the time and training to provide this support.
Staff carries the responsibility of providing support to students, while simultaneously struggling with similar issues themselves. They need additional training and support in order to fulfill these roles as they are expected to, without sacrificing their own mental health.
THINK TANK A think tank should be formed in which all the different stakeholders of this concern can come together to collaborate on solutions.
WE CAN ALL CONTRIBUTE Although the final say in a lot of these changes lies with management and policymakers, we should never forget that we can all contribute in our own ways, major or small, to the mental health of those around us. 23
OUTRO
Although a rather wicked issue, and one incredibly difficult to change: I truly believe in the importance of integration of mental hygiene practice within education. It has been quite a ride doing this project and although there were more roadblocks than anticipated upon its commencement, I’ve also learned more than I could have expected; about the nature of humanity, the value of philosophy, the potential of education, and myself. It has opened doors that I was happy to take a peak behind, and offered me stages I was happy to speak upon. I close this project as you close this booklet, but am determined to keep contributing to this issue. I can’t do it alone though. If you feel affected personally or are involved professionally, please do join the cause simply by spreading awareness, maintaining your own health, supporting those in need and keeping your eyes open to all insights and potential solutions. If you are any of the stakeholders or decision-makers in the system, consider yor power. Through critical though and collaborative action, I hold the belief that we can shape a brighter future for the next generation, and all those to come. With love,
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WHAT’S NEXT? As mentioned in the foreword, this was merely the first phase of the project. Although it is coming to an end, my efforts to integrate mental hygiene into education won’t seize here. These are a two forms in which I am confident the project will carry forward: I will keep on learning more, and aim to implement solutions around the topic of (student) mental health, and human flourishing at large, in the 21st century. I will carry my passion and vision into my work as an (educational) designer, facilitator, consultant, blogger, and whichever other roles I take on. I’ll be involved with other initiatives focused around student mental health and remain available as a speaker, designer and advisor on the topics of student mental health and the future of education.
CONTACT
The School Of Life is committed to the development of emotional intelligence through an accessible, interactive and self-inquisitive approach. This makes them the ultimate partner to provide such classes and content in the educational sphere: to students, and staff alike. Together with them we’ve formulated an offering and we’re now looking for educational institutes to take the leap and implement these with us. I believe a lot of people would benefit to see a partnership between TSOL and education institutes materialize and I will keep campaigning to make this happen.
contact@nadiapiet.com | nadiapiet.com | @nadiapiet
FURTHERMORE Because of design considerations, some sources, additional information and nuances have been left out or simplified. Should you want to know more about anything discussed in this booklet: contact me to request more information and I’d be happy to elaborate.
THANK YOU I want to thank you for your interest both in this topic at large, and the insight of my project in particular. I hope you’ve found some new insights and inspiration by reading this, and may use these as fuel to continue your own contributions. 25
EDUCATION The School Of Life is an organization devoted to developing emotional intelligence and trying to answer the great questions of life. They execute this mission in unique ways, and ways which I dare say would make them the ultimate partner to facilitate the practice of mental hygiene in schools. Together with The School Of Life I decided to tackle this challenge of integrating their offering into public higher education. I set out to map the different stakeholders’ and design solutions amidst this sweet spot. The insights on this goal and the offering to cater to students and staff this led to, will be presented in this chapter. I believe each individual deserves the experience The School Of Life offers, and I look forward to see partnerships between TSOL and education institutes materialize and benefit all. 26
WHY THE SCHOOL OF LIFE IN SCHOOL? Both in method and content, The School Of Life seems to me the ultimate partner to provide their classes and content in the educational sphere: to students, and staff alike, to help support in their practice of mental hygiene. There is a handful of unique characteristics in TSOL’s approach that I think would be especially helpful to students & staff, which are: • Tackles real-life questions • Helps implement change • Embraces uncertainty • Considers multitude of perspectives • Offers no quick-fixes • Starts the conversation • Brings philosophy to all
There are classes that would be particularly suitable to the themes students and staff face, such are: • De kunst van het gesprek • Kiezen doe je zo • Oplossingsgericht denken • Boost je zelfvertrouwen • How to find a job you love • Rust in je hoofd • Beter omgaan met stress • Vernieuw je denken • Hoe maak je het verschil
KEY INSIGHTS on
THE SCHOOL OF LIFE x EDU
To test the waters, I talked to many of the different stakeholders in the education system to see how they perceive TSOL and its potential value. From the perspectives of students and staff, a few points stood out.
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System insights FIGHT THE SYSTEM
BRAND AWARENESS
The resistance to change in the education system is immense. Even when the willingness is there, the levels of hierarchy, processes of bureaucracy and speed of action make it incredibly challenging to arrive at implementation.
From the people I spoke to, most were familiar with TSOL so we can conclude brand awareness is high. Although not everyone is well-informed on what exactly TSOL does, positive association and curiosity is sparked upon mentioning the name.
CAREFUL ACQUISITION
APPLIED
Upon mentioning a company name when inquiring about possibilities, the interaction is quickly deemed as acquisition. Caution is advised in regards to speaking in commercial, sales-like terms.
Student insights
The TSOL as a philosophy institute is strongly associated with abstract questions of ethics and meaning. Argumentation is needed to help people see the pragmatic side of applied philosophy, the practical and professional benefits that may flow from its practice and the relation of mental hygiene to academic, and overall, success.
The content does resonate
YOUNG-IFY
By showing students the TSOL videos and including them in workshops I facilitated, I tested their responses to the TSOL approach. The themes discussed and questions asked strongly resonated with themes in the student’s lives. Almost always, it sparked a conversation about the topics and students expressed the need to discuss afterwards.
Some adaptations would be necessary in a sense that many students found the use of language and some of the references to be too academic and outdated. By including more references to pop, youth and internet culture, in addition to the more classical sources, and by hiring younger and hipper teachers, the overall appeal can be altered to feel more young and forward-focused. 29
CONCEPTS Below are a handful of potential concepts that can be served as an offering to cater to students and staff and integrate mental hygiene within education.
Staff training
Student classes
What: 2,5 hour classes (much like the professional workshops) Who: staff including lecturers, but also counselors and mentors/SLB’ers Where: either at school’s facility or on Frederiksplein Why: ripple effect on other staff and students + served under the branch of professionalizing (offering a service within their existing HRM system) Furthermore: workshops can be anywhere between off-the-shelf and fully customized, depending on needs. potentially even series of classes can be aggregated for the different roles.
What: 2,5 hour classes (much like the classroom) Who: students in large groups Where: either at school’s large lecture halls or on Frederiksplein (but would have to be smaller groups) Why: hosting large groups makes it financially viable + interaction remains as its done in duo’s + thematic workshops will resonate with themes in students lives Furthermore: participation in classes can be voluntarily or as part of SLB or other designated life skills module.
Other • Participate in some sort of think tank around the topic of student mental well-being and the role of education in developing emotional intelligence. 30
• Offer some kind of structured discount to education professionals and / or students visiting the regular The School Of Life classes.
HOW By engaging with and becoming a player in the educational ecosystem. By refining the offering and actively approaching educational institutes to form partnerships. By building up and utilizing existing relationships with education professionals (decision-makers and staff) to increase chances of collaboration.
CONCLUDING I am still convinced of the value that The School Of Life can offer to students, staff, and society at large. I see grand possibilities, although incredibly challenging to indeed implement. I aspire for these insights and concepts to help The School Of Life ahead and hope the team continues to seek out and manifest opportunities for the integration of their offering into education.
“All who have meditated on the art of governing mankind have been convinced that the fate of empires depends on the education of its youth� ARISTOTLE