Erasmus+, Key action 1: training course
Dates: 23—29 March 2026
Venue: Santa Maria da Feira, Portugal
Czech team: 3 participants – youth workers
Please read the info-pack.
Hosting organisation: Portuguese Red Cross – Sanguedo Branch
Project report:
Hello everyone! Greetings from the Czech team! We recently had the incredible opportunity to step out of our daily routines and participate in an inspiring Erasmus+ project called “Supporting Minds”. In today’s fast-paced world, taking care of our mental well-being is more important than ever, and we were incredibly excited to explore this crucial topic alongside amazing people from Romania, Greece, Portugal, Spain, Germany, Italy, and our own Czech Republic.
The core of the project was beautifully designed to address modern-day challenges. We focused deeply on burnout prevention, setting healthy boundaries, practicing self-care, and exploring a nature-based approach to mental health. Our main goal was to learn how to actually deal with these issues in our everyday lives, and thanks to the fantastic organization and our highly knowledgeable coordinator, we definitely achieved that! Through engaging group works, deep discussions, and interactive workshops, we were able to break down these complex topics. One of the absolute highlights was taking our sessions outside. Sitting together on the grass and discussing mental well-being under the open sky perfectly captured the essence of the “nature approach” and made the whole learning process feel incredibly organic.
What did we take away from this experience? So much! The project gave us completely new perspectives on how to handle stressful situations. Most importantly, we significantly improved our communication skills. We learned practical tools on how to properly approach, talk to, and support someone who might currently be in a dark mental space. We realized that empathy, active listening, and providing a safe space are sometimes the most powerful things you can offer to another human being.
Throughout the whole project, the atmosphere was simply wonderful. Everyone treated each other with deep respect, and it was glorious to see these seven different nations cooperating, sharing personal stories, and realizing that mental health struggles are universal—no matter where we come from, we are all in this together.
For us, this project was not just a one-week getaway; it was the beginning of a new mindset. Now that we are back home in the Czech Republic, we are ready to turn our ideas into reality. We can start by setting healthier boundaries in our own lives and using the education we gained to help those around us. Everything is up to us!
A massive thank you to every single person and organization who allowed this project to happen. If youth exchanges like this didn’t exist, they would definitely have to be invented!
Honza Š.
