RIJEKA, PRIMORJE-CORJE COUNTY, CROATIA: JANUARY 28TH AND 31ST 2022.

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The Closing National PROMEHS conference was organized and implemented by the PROMEHS project team for Croatia, with the support of the Faculty of Teacher Education at the University of Rijeka, the Department of the City Administration for Education of the City of Rijeka, and the Department of Education of the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County. 

The first part of the Closing National PROMEHS Conference was held online, on January 28th, 2022, from 1 to 4 p.m.

The aim of the first part of the conference was to present the PROMEHS curriculum, its implementation and evaluation, and to discuss the possibilities of its sustainability. The conference was opened by the PROMEHS project manager for Croatia, prof. dr. sc. Sanja Tatalović Vorkapić, and all participants (173 in total) were greeted by representatives of the Faculty of Teacher Education in Rijeka, the University of Rijeka, the Government of the Republic of Croatia, the City of Rijeka, Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, and the National Agency for Education. After introductory speeches by representatives of various institutions and representatives of educational policies, two plenary lectures were held: a lecture on project results that showed a significant positive effect of PROMEHS curriculum on the mental health of children and youth and teachers with synergy achieved by the academic community, practitioners, and representatives of educational policies, which was held by prof. PhD. Sanja Tatalović Vorkapić, and a lecture on the possibilities of building your own resilience, which was given by prof. PhD. Majda Rijavec.

Within the lecture of prof. Tatalović Vorkapić was also shown a video that shows the qualitative background of the project and the positive statements of the teachers who conducted the PROMEHS curriculum. After the lecture, a panel discussion was held with representatives of educational policies from the local community, the Croatian Ministry of Science and Education, the National Agency for Education, the Croatian Office of UNICEF, the Croatian Institute of Public Health, and university.

During the conference, all active participants stressed the importance of promoting mental health in kindergartens and schools and congratulated on the success of the project in 32 educational institutions in the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County. Participants of the panel discussion, each from their own aspect, highlighted and discussed the importance of mental health of children and youth in the educational context, especially in the context of the current coronary virus pandemic, and the possibility of systematic implementation of PROMEHS curricula in kindergartens and schools. Given the significant positive results of the PROMEHS curriculum on the mental health of children and youth and educators, the conclusion of the panel discussion is that the introduction of PROMEHS curriculum as a universal prevention program in all kindergartens and schools in Croatia will be supported by the Croatian Ministry of Science and education. With this in mind, the PROMEHS project manager for Croatia will launch a lifelong learning program at the Faculty of Teacher Education in Rijeka, and after completing the necessary training, all interested teachers will be able to implement the PROMEHS curriculum in their institutions.

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Download the conference program

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Dowload the presention by Majda Rijavec

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The second part of the conference was organized with the aim of handing out certificates of appreciation, certificates, gadgets, and additional PROMEHS materials to all principals of kindergartens, primary and secondary schools, and teachers who implemented PROMEHS activities. It was held live, according to epidemiological measures on January 31st, 2022 at the Faculty of Teacher Education in Rijeka in cooperation with the Department of the City Administration for Education of the City of Rijeka. This part of the conference aimed to express gratitude for the openness to contemporary and quality programs to strengthen the well-being of children and youth and teachers, as well as gratitude for the cooperation achieved during the last two years of the project.

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