Building a modern school community

An important field of human activity linked to mental health is education. Education does not only mean disseminating knowledge, offering courses, and getting a degree in order to find a job; it also entails interaction within a school community forming the basis of the educational course. This somehow creates a path for self-awareness and freedom within a school community, the cell of each common location, collaborating with the local community by giving to, and receiving feedback from, each other. Likewise, teachers and students, and vice versa, are subjected both to educating and at the same time learning from each other.

Even starting in kindergarten, students learn how to coexist with others outside their own family environment. Moreover, through play, they learn how to know both themselves and others. They acquire ways to relate to others, to understand the sense of boundaries in relationships, and experience emotions beyond those they until then knew within their safe family environment, while also gaining new experiences. Here, students learn about love, friendships, and later in higher grades have some experiences. This is where new members of society are shaped and formed; soon, through their behavior, they will contribute to determining a modern society. Children are not raised only by their parents and close or extended family members; a school community also plays a part as regards their upbringing. A teacher showing affection during students’ difficult personal moments will offer guidance, while helping them see their limits when he or she points out their abilities, rewarding them for their virtues.

A school is a living organism, a community where theatrical acts take place on its public stage, and students become exposed to others. This is where the strongest friendships are made, while patterns for the ones το follow are formed. Children acquire intense experiences that play a part as to how their psyche and character are developed—a school is like a second family.
Until recently, the idea of accepting the existence, or signs, of mental illnesses at a young age was almost prohibited, even considered as “taboo” in society. However, in today’s world the official diagnostic criteria (WOH, DSM) for mental disorders (e.g. childhood depression) include children aged 6-12.

Like any structured environment, a school has rules and regulations; it is a setting of social exposure where symptoms, possibly concealing an underlying mental disorder, or other types of behavior might surface, that would require special care. The family itself is often unable to recognize these signs. A school community, as a living organism made up of sets of groups interacting with each other, is either directly or indirectly involved in dealing with such incidents. Treatment is usually time consuming; as a result, the support is insufficient and left to the dedicated efforts of school teachers, who often do not have the special knowledge necessary to deal with the problem. At the same time, the family’s active participation and involvement in managing the problem plays a decisive role.

Likewise, within the framework of our specifically-devised programs on mental-health, wellbeing, awareness and de-stigmatisation of mental illnesses, a school community can play a leading role, whereby acting as a live agent, it first itself enjoys the good things as a result, and then through interaction with the greater community contributes in facilitating them.

Events such as the pandemic, economic insecurity, fragile family and social relationships, cause feelings of insecurity and fear to emerge, resulting in a wave of violence, affecting even a school community. As a core and representative part of society, it is always at the forefront, while similar phenomena manifest directly within it. Unfortunately, both the educational community and parents’ associations, neither having the appropriate additional training, nor the proper knowledge and support, remain helpless at the mercy of events.

While Marshall Rosenberg’s “Non-violent Communication” method was chosen for crisis management, Michel Lobrot’s Non Directive intervention approach [NDI] was selected for enabling collaboration and interaction, while highlighting life values as defined by Diana Tilman .
NDI is a form of psychotherapy, counseling, pedagogy, and encouragement of groups. As a whole, it constitutes the philosophy of people, their relationships, their perception and attitude toward life, all based on the intensity of their experiences, emotions and desires, as well as on having respect for the autonomy and freedom of everyone, regardless of age, gender, personal and social characteristics and particularities. Instead, relationships based on communication, personal involvement, meeting and interacting with one another are formed.

“Nonviolent Communication” is a process that helps us free ourselves emotionally, and enjoy our relationships both with ourselves and others. The “Language of Nonviolent Communication” is a new language that enables us to build meaningful and balanced relationships, and thus coexist with those around us under altered dynamics.

The international educational program “Life Values in Education” (Living Values Education Program ), came about due to a need in reducing the negative impact that increasing violence, social problems, and lack of respect for others and the environment have on children. Through stories, discussions, activities and games, children get in touch with values such as peace, respect, love, responsibility, happiness, cooperation, honesty, humility, tolerance, simplicity, unity and freedom.

The meetings have an experiential nature and the number of participants is set at 20. Participation is free of charge.
Moreover, apart from the school community, through our programs we also seek to create a network of, and collaborate with, agencies having similar issues such as culture, and the environment. All are represented by HEIs [Higher Education Institutions], cultural centers, and organizations concerning health, and the environment. Through these collaborations we get certain feedback, in turn acting as a dynamic force in the psychosocial development of the community.

Actions:
Within the School Community: Teachers’ Group, Parents Group, Counseling, Dealing with, and managing, crises, Art and Community programs, including exhibitions of students’ works on mental health issues.
Organisers: Networking with HEIs, the Acropolis Museum, the Archaeological Ephorate of Athens, the School Life and Education Museum, Museum of Children’s Art, Cultural Centers and exhibition spaces.
Authorities: Municipality of Athens, Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs, Ministry of Health, Region of Attica.