Nordic Youth Peers
October 5, 2024
Duration: October 2024 – December 2025
Funded by: Erasmus+
The Nordic Youth Peers project aims to strengthen the mental and social wellbeing of young people, especially those in vulnerable situations. By connecting youth work and mental health expertise across borders, the project supports young people in building meaningful peer connections and accessing help in safe, inclusive online environments.
Objectives
- To transfer knowledge and good practices between two organizations active in youth work and mental health.
- To increase organizational capacity for assisting young people through digital tools and peer support approaches.
- To create safe online communities that foster wellbeing and social inclusion.
Activities
The project will bring together youth workers and mental health professionals to exchange experience and develop digital methods for supporting young people. Planned activities include:
- Partners meeting in Iceland to launch cooperation and plan the project.
- Online Core Training in Intentional Peer Support, equipping youth workers with peer-based support skills.
- Transnational seminar in Finland focusing on digital youth work and peer support.
- Running an English-language category on the Sekasin Gaming platform, offering a moderated space for youth in Finland and Iceland to connect safely.
- Piloting an online platform for youth in Iceland, designed to promote wellbeing and peer connections.
- Webinar on digital youth work and peer support, sharing lessons learned with a broader audience.
Expected results
The Nordic Youth Peers project will:
- Enhance youth mental and social wellbeing through knowledge exchange between Traustur Kjarni (Iceland) and Sekasin Gaming (Finland).
- Strengthen digital and peer support capacities of both organizations and their youth workers.
- Equip youth workers with practical tools and understanding of Intentional Peer Support and digital engagement.
- Foster lasting cooperation between the partner organizations and lay the foundation for future Erasmus+ collaborations in the field of youth wellbeing.
- Deliver a replicable model for digital peer support and cross-border collaboration in youth mental health.