Mental health & Making

Trashycle

Initial Plan and Design of the Project

The Trashycle project was born during a creative brainstorming by 3 organisations, Sosped (FL), TransfoLAB (ES) and CoLab House (GR), coming from the Mental Health sector, the Creative sector and the Youth Work sector, who decided to explore the positive effects of circular economy and the maker movement on the mental health of the youth.

During this Erasmus+ funded project (KA2, Small Scale partnership), we will initially co-design a pilot program of capacity building and problem-solving activities for the youth, aiming to alleviate mental health and exclusion risks through methods that involve circular, social, participatory economy and the maker movement.

Following this stage, the pilot program will run with the involvement of the youth beneficiaries from Culture House Virta in Tampere (Finland), to test the process developed and verify that it offers education on the emerging topics mentioned above, while it also stimulates and inspires engagement in collaborative activities that increase confidence in making a social difference.  

Finally, the program will be applied by a number of organisations in different settings and locations, with the intention to receive valuable feedback, revise our methodology and produce an effective, robust, and flexible program.  

As our ultimate purpose is to allow every interested organisation to implement the final program, we will create tutorials and guidelines that will be disseminated in an open source and open access way online and through dissemination events. This way, youth organisations will be able to inspire and guide the young people to actively participate in their societies by working on global challenges, such as climate change, through local collaborative activities based on creativity, circular economy and the maker movement.  

We are convinced that the mental health and wellbeing of the participants will be substantially improved, while they will also gain useful knowledge in sustainable design, collaborative production and important green skills. Their new skills can also be used for future (self)employment opportunities, while the youth workers that will apply the developed program will be able to introduce innovative, creative and quality activities in their organisations, opening the way to the recognition of youth work.  

Realization

In April and May 2023, five young individuals facing mental health challenges, who participate in activities at Culture House Virta in Tampere, Finland, underwent online training sessions conducted by TransfoLAB BCN. The training covered topics such as circular economy, creative reuse, design thinking, digital design, and co-creation processes. Simultaneously, Sosped accompanied them to exhibitions and events focused on these topics, to enhance their familiarity and empower them to design their own projects.

In June 2023, three members from TransfoLAB BCN and one member from CoLab House visited Tampere for a three-day pilot training of the five participants. The transformation witnessed in these initially reserved and introverted young individuals was nothing short of astonishing. In just three days, they evolved into dynamic, imaginative, and autonomous makers, wholly engrossed in creative activities that captivated their attention and creativity. 

A special thank you to Avoin Paja Inspis for letting us use their amazing facilities and heavy wood work equipment!

The feedback we received from the young participants was both encouraging and touching (check out “Surveys” at the right side of this page).

Meeting in Athens 

All project partners convened in Athens in October 2023 for the third phase of the project, aimed at finalizing the guidelines. These guidelines represent the culmination of the project, intended to assist anyone interested in the subject in taking action. Two young participants from Sosped’s Culture House Virta joined us for this phase to provide valuable insights and assistance in the process. Their input proved instrumental in shaping the guidelines into an inspiring resource for readers.

During the meeting, we also engaged in a meaningful discussion about peer training and the impactful role of culture houses. Participating youth approached the project from both participant and trainer perspectives, as their aim is to continue leading groups focusing on the theme of circular economy.

After the completion of this meeting, the two young participants offered us their feedback once again (check out “Surveys” at the right side of this page). 

Based on their suggestions and ideas, we formulated a comprehensive training program that encompasses all the necessary steps, tools, and technical knowledge required for any organization to develop similar activities within their own programs. We offer this program for free to any organization wishing to contribute to the improvement of young people’s mental health, even if they do not have access to a makerspace or specialized machinery.

LIBRARY

Here you can find the PDF with the Guidelines in English.  It will help you lead your own project for your target groups, as it contains information about planning, specific exercises and know-how on design thinking.

Click here to download the Guidelines

As the Guidelines will be constantly updated, feel free to check out ISSUU, where we have uploaded:

-the updated guidelines (including exercises)

-the presentation on circular economy and making

-the presentation on joining elements

Upcoming: Final Event to Encourage Organizations to Join Our Green Making Initiative

In this concluding event hosted by CoLab House, all interested organizations are invited to our space in Chalandri – Athens on February 24th. Our purpose is to introduce them to the project and provide insights on how to implement it.

Give us your opinion!

We would be grateful to all organisations willing to offer us their feedback on the Guidelines.

Please find the link to the questionnaire here!
Write N/A to the questions related to the training session at the end of the survey.