Study visits

Study visit in Vilnius

On October 7-9, the second pilot visit of all project partners, “MentUwell - Preserving youth mental wellbeing in the wartime migration crisis,” took place in Vilnius (Lithuania). It was the second international meeting of all partners involved in the project after the first one in Poland in September this year. The pilot visit aimed to verify the project methodology and tools, as well as to expand knowledge about current methods of support provided by Lithuanian institutions and organizations to young war refugees from Ukraine.

The host of the international meeting in Vilnius was Mykolas Romeis University (MRU). The WSB Academy was represented by Prof. Artur Fabiś, Prof. Monika Sosnowska-Bąk, Prof. Maciej Witkowski, and Dr. Michał Szyszko.

In Vilnius, the participants of the visit took part in meetings with representatives of the authorities of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Studies of MRU, as well as with teachers and students of the school for refugee youth from Ukraine “Gravitas Schola” operating at the University. The project participants had the opportunity to participate in a typical Lithuanian language lesson with young people studying at school. It was an opportunity to get acquainted with the methodology of practical learning of the host country's language and with the experiences and reflections of teachers.

During the next meeting in the Ukrainian Center based at the Vytautas Magnus University, the project participants had the opportunity to listen to how help for young refugees from the country was organized right after the outbreak of the war and how aid activities evolved. At the same time, it was an excellent opportunity to broaden the perspective of different people's experiences and formulate conclusions about the most effective solutions.

The crucial point of the visit to Lithuania was the presentation and discussion of the methodology and project tools prepared by the partner team from Mykolas Romeris University. It was a series of tools dedicated to working with refugee youth, which included early adaptation to change, finding one's place in a new social group, establishing relationships, and expressing emotions. The common goal of all the tools is to improve and maintain the mental well-being of young people who were forced to leave their country due to warfare. The tools presented are an excellent continuation of those offered during the pilot visit to Poland.

Study visit in Katowice

On 17 September another meeting of the MentUwell project group took place. This time we met in Poland, in a beautiful place - in a branch of the Katowice History Museum in Nikiszowiec with our partners from Romania, Lithuania, Finland, Italy and Ukraine. Our meeting began with an extremely interesting workshop, in which all project participants took part. It provided a lot of reflections on the problems generated by the meeting of different cultures with each other and ways to deal with them. Also presented and discussed were the guides/guides prepared by the international teams for use in working with young refugees by parents, teachers, aid workers, as well as addressed to children and young people in refugee crisis themselves.

It was also a time to present proposals for lesson plans implemented in Polish schools in working with children and young people to sensitize them to the hardships of being in exile for young refugees from their school. We also participated in a lively discussion on supporting young migrants, which included experts from Polish schools and aid institutions involved in directly helping children and young people from Ukraine. Finally, we discussed our next tools, which we will be evaluating in the future in partner countries and our upcoming visits to Lithuania and Romania.

Study visit in Klagenfurt

On 5-9 February, a study visit of all Partners of the project 'MentUwell - Preserving youth mental wellbeing in wartime migration crisis' took place in Klagenfurt, Austria. This was the third international meeting of all the partners involved in the project after the first one in Padua in September 2023 and the second one in Helsinki. The study visit was aimed at learning about system solutions, tools and good practices of direct work with migrants in Carinthia Region.

The international meeting in Austria was hosted by the European Center of Entreptreneurship Competence & Excellence, our project partner from Klagenfurt.  The WSB University was represented by Prof. Artur Fabiś, Prof. Monika Sosnowska-Bąk and Prof. Maciej Witkowski.

In Klagenfurt, the visit participants attended meetings with representatives of governmental institutions and NGOs. Interviews and discussions were held with people working directly with migrants and coordinators of assistance projects for people seeking to stay in Austria. There was also an opportunity to talk to the beneficiaries themselves - migrants who have settled in Austria and who are now involved in helping others in need of support in their new life situation.

The visit to Austria was also an opportunity to design a universal methodology for working with migrants, with a particular focus on young war refugees from Ukraine - which is a main  goal of the project. The intensive study trip was full of discussions about the possibility of adapting the methods learnt in the conditions of Poland, Lithuania and Romania and applying them to support young people from Ukraine. An important element of learning about good practices was the presentation of Ukrainian partners' reflections on the possibility of cultural adaptation of the learned solutions in the case of war refugees from Ukraine.

Study visit in Padua

On 17-19 October 2023, Padua hosted the first study visit planned as part of the project 'MentUwell Project - Preserving youth mental wellbeing in wartime migration crisis'. The international meeting in Padua was hosted by the social cooperative ENAIP and Studio Progetto, the WSB University was represented by Prof. Artur Fabiś, Dr. Maciej Witkowski, Prof. AWSB and Dr. Michał Szyszka. Guests from partner institutions (WSB University, Mykolo Romerio Universitetas from Lithuania, Universitatea De Arta Si Design Din Clujnapoca from Romania, Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University from Ukraine, European Center of Entreptreneurship Competence & Excellence from Austria) had the opportunity to learn about good practices in supporting migrants in Italian non-governmental institutions.

On the first day of the meeting, the Italian partners conducted familiarisation and integration workshops for the partner teams and introduced the guests to, among other things, the legal and administrative regulations of the Italian migrant reception system, the characteristics of the latest changes in the reception procedure and the provision of support to asylum seekers. Representatives of Studio Progetto presented the experimental system for the reception and integration of refugees (SAI) implemented in the Valdango centre. The hosts shared with the project participants information on the vocational training system, social and psychological support offered by their institution to migrants.

On the second day of the stay, a study visit to the ENAIP Terraferma centre took place. Participants attended a workshop on competences needed in working with migrants, learnt about the method of integration of migrants through improvisation theatre, and met with beneficiaries of the centre from Mali, Nigeria and Ukraine.

On the third day, a study visit to the ENAIP centre "Il Sestante" allowed the project partners to look behind the scenes of a social cooperative offering vocational training to migrants intending to work in Italy. The intensive study trip was full of discussions, e.g. about the relationship between migrants and the local community of residents, about the possibility of adapting the methods learnt in the conditions of Poland, Lithuania and Romania and applying them to support young people from Ukraine. An important element of learning about good practices was the presentation of Ukrainian partners' reflections on the possibility of cultural adaptation of the learned solutions in the case of war refugees from Ukraine.

Study visit in Helsinki

On 11-15 December, a study visit of all Partners of the project 'MentUwell - Preserving youth mental wellbeing in wartime migration crisis' took place in Helsinki. This was the second international meeting of all the partners involved in the project after the first one in Padua in September. Both visits were aimed at learning about the legal basis, system solutions, tools and good practices of direct work with migrants.

In Helsinki, the visit participants attended meetings with representatives of governmental institutions and NGOs. Interviews and discussions were held with people working directly with migrants and coordinators of assistance projects for people seeking to stay in Finland. There was also an opportunity to talk to the beneficiaries themselves - migrants who have settled in Finland and who are now involved in helping others in need of support in their new life situation. 

The visit to Finland was also an opportunity to design the last of the project's planned visits - to Austria - and to discuss joint research and the creation of a universal methodology for working with migrants, with a particular focus on young war refugees from Ukraine - which is a main  goal of the project.