MP4s stands for Mindfulness Practices for Students in Society
Facts
Grant awarded by :
Erasmus+ French National Agency
Type of project:
Erasmus+ Cooperation Partnerships in Higher Education (KA220)
Project number:
2021-1-FR01-KA220-HED-000027504
Duration:
November 2021 - October 2024 (36 months)
Budget:
395 447 EUR
Background
Why such a project?
Student mental health problems have increased worldwide over the past decade, and the COVID-19 pandemic has made the situation worse.
The proportion of students reporting mental health problems rose in western countries, with at least 70% of US, Canadian and UK students saying they had suffered. Over three-quarters (76%) of Brazilian students also reported having mental health issues related to COVID-19. In European countries, where no comprehensive survey was found, a number of articles state that the COVID-19 crisis is taking a heavy toll on the mental health of students in France, Italy, Portugal, etc.
Help students
MP4s plans to address this urgent need to empower students to deal with current and future challenges in a reflective manner and to help them manage strong emotions such as: ecological anxiety, fear of others, workload stress and anxiety about the future.
Mindfulness as a solution
MP4s consortium largely relies on previous EU funded projects collaborations as well as teaching collaborations among the above-mentioned partners, and a shared one-year training as certified mindfulness teachers with Mindfulness Training Institute (UK) for three others.
ULS and UNICA have been working together in the Erasmus+ Strategic Partnership project “Teach With Erasmus+ / TWE+”, the success of which laid the basis of this present cooperation.
Discover MP4s expected outcomes
in the RESULTS and PRODUCTION section
Why MP4s
Project description and objectives
Consortium
MP4s is an Erasmus+ Cooperation Partnerships project organised by a consortium of eight European Institutions:
- Institut Polytechnique UniLaSalle (UniLaSalle), France - the coordinator
- Vilnius University, Lithuania
- Conhecer-Se, Portugal
- Universita degli Studi Roma Tre, Italy
- Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portugal
- Consorzio Scuola Comunità Impresa – CSCI, Italy
- Ocak izi dernegi, Turkey
- UNICA - Network of Universities from the Capitals of Europe, Belgium
Goals
MP4s aims to help students deal with their emotional difficulties through mindfulness practices and training, encouraging compassion for self, others and the planet within higher education institutions, promoting non-technical skills and accelerating the social and climate transition.
MP4s will develop and provide an open access set of resources for students and academic staff; to support the integration of mindfulness practices; and training into all types of courses; to support the well-being of students and to encourage them to act for the planet and for others with kindness.
Deliverables
MP4s deliverables will be produced in different languages that will allow university students to develop competencies such as: awareness, understanding and working with thoughts and emotions, understanding interconnectedness and developing an inner sense of gratefulness and care for the planet.
These are key competencies to be developed by students in order to adapt and contribute to our societies and our planet.