3rd SERN Thematic wall

youth and inclusion

The third SERN Thematic Wall (STW) focused on the theme of Youth and Inclusion. This theme is aligned with the SERN strategy priority of fostering Inclusive Communities and delivering Services to Vulnerable Groups. The STW started in September 2024 and encompassed three primary tracks, each addressing crucial aspects of youth development and well-being.

The theme of Youth and Inclusion underscores our commitment to creating inclusive environments that support and empower young people. It emphasises the importance of integrating youth into community planning and services, ensuring they have access to spaces and resources that cater to their needs, and promoting their overall well-being. This initiative is crucial in addressing the challenges faced by vulnerable youth groups and fostering a sense of belonging and inclusion within the community.

Urban Planning and Youth Friendly Spaces

This track explored the role of urban planning in creating spaces that are accessible, safe, and welcoming for young people. It addressed the design and implementation of youth-friendly public areas, emphasising the need for inclusive recreational and social environments that encourage active participation and engagement of youth in community life.

Mental Well-being of Young People

Focused on the mental health challenges faced by young people, this track aimed to promote strategies and practices that support mental well-being. It covered a range of topics, including mental health awareness, access to support services, and the development of resilient and supportive community networks that help mitigate the impacts of mental health issues among youth.

prevention of school dropout

This track addressed the critical issue of school dropout rates among young people. It examined the underlying causes of school dropout and explored effective interventions and policies to prevent it. The discussions highlighted best practices for keeping students engaged in their education, providing support for at-risk youth, and ensuring that every young person had the opportunity to complete their education and achieve their full potential.

Awareness and education campaigns/initiatives

9 October 2024

This webinar presented inspiring initiatives and campaigns from Sweden and Italy aimed at promoting active listening to young people and combating mental health stigma among youth. The discussion explored school-based suicide prevention strategies, highlighted key initiatives, and addressed the major challenges faced in promoting mental health awareness and support for young people.

training week in linköping

November 2024

In November, SERN organised the Training Week on Youth and Inclusion, hosted by the Municipality of Linköping. This initiative, part of the SERN Accreditation Project and the SERN Thematic Wall (STW), demonstrated our commitment to addressing key challenges for our communities such as mental health and inclusion for children and young people, through training activities.
Our training provided participants from the Italian children’s social services sector with a unique opportunity to learn from Swedish practices. Activities included:
  • Presentations on Linköping’s welfare system and innovative mental health strategies for young people.
  • Study visits to schools and organisations like BRIS, which advocates for children’s rights and mental well-being.
  • A day in Mjölby, exploring student health services and participating in interactive workshops.
  • Group discussions and team activities, where participants exchanged ideas and developed two project themes to be further explored in the coming months.
What did participants say about the experience?
“𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑟𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑣𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑚𝑦 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑛𝑒𝑒𝑑𝑠. 𝑊𝑜𝑟𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑛 𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑑 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑡𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛, 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑐ℎ𝑜𝑜𝑙 𝑜𝑟𝑔𝑎𝑛𝑖𝑠𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑗𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑠 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑛𝑠𝑝𝑖𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑚𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑖𝑚𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑝𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑟𝑒𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑘 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑎𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑠.”
“𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤𝑙𝑒𝑑𝑔𝑒 𝑔𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑑 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑐𝑟𝑢𝑐𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑚𝑦 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑓𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑔𝑟𝑜𝑤𝑡ℎ 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑐𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑟𝑒𝑓𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑜𝑛 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑘 𝑝𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑒𝑠, 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑒𝑥𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑠, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑒𝑥𝑝𝑙𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑑𝑖𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑚𝑜𝑑𝑒𝑙𝑠.”
“𝐴𝑠 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑙 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑙𝑡ℎ 𝑓𝑖𝑒𝑙𝑑, 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑣𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑑 𝑘𝑒𝑦 𝑝𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑟𝑒𝑓𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑖𝑚𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡.”

prevention of school dropout

11 December 2024

The webinar explored how schools and local authorities can collaborate to prevent early school leaving. This session presented projects and initiatives that highlighted impactful strategies to foster positive change in the social and educational structures within communities.