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Description
The main aim of the project is to implement an effective support mechanism for youth with behavioral and emotional difficulties, thus contributing to the improvement of their well-being and mental health. At the same time project will seek to strengthen community-based mental health services for young people in 9 project municipalities. This will be achieved through the establishment of an effective mechanism for the assistance - methods and integrated services to vulnerable youth (youth with behavioral and emotional difficulties) and their families.
Expected project results:
- Developed guidelines for an assistance mechanism that will help to improve the work of local professionals (in cooperation with 9 Lithuanian municipalities) with youth and their family members. The guidelines will include practical training methods and service descriptions - methodological advice for local professionals.
- In order to implement the established assistance mechanism, trainings will be organized and carried out in 9 municipalities for youth (youth with behavioral and emotional difficulties) and their families.
- In order to implement the developed aid mechanism methodology, aid mechanism implementation trainings will be carried out for 99 local specialists from 9 municipalities (Jurbarkas, Klaipėda district, Mažeikiai, Palanga, Plungė, Rietavas, Skuodas, Šilalė, Tauragė). After tese trainings all professionals will be prvided with an opportunity and all the necessary support to apply this method in their direct work with youth in the most suitable environment.
This project will help to address various public health issues by reducing health inequalities. It will also help to strengthen the competencies of local professionals and will improve the quality of health services provided to youth from vulnerable groups.
Summary of project results
The processes of globalization occurring in the social sphere have inevitably transformed societal life. The changing daily environment has had a significant impact on each of our habits, needs, especially influencing our personal development, learning abilities, and cultural participation competencies. Recent reading studies have revealed a trend that, although we read various types of texts extensively, the consumption of printed text, i.e., book reading, is significantly decreasing. Adolescence challenges. During the adolescent age, children and young people undergo numerous changes, making it difficult to comprehend; relationships with parents change, new authorities are sought, and friends become especially important. Social networks have a significant negative impact, offering unrealistic life standards and aspirations, so reliable guides are needed for children''s orientation. Project aims for valuable literature reading to become a helpful aid for children and adolescents in shaping their identity and relationships with the environment. Impact of the pandemic. The tension caused by remote learning, isolation, restricted social interactions has already affected children – there is an increase in psychological and psychosomatic consequences, sedentary lifestyle effects, and cases of IT dependence. Therefore, by promoting reading through games, we aim to create a tool for building relationships and mutual assistance, encouraging children to communicate, emphasizing the importance of communication, and increasing empathy towards each other. The public library of Panevėžys County Gabrielė Petkevičaitė-Bitė, together with the libraries of Kaunas and Klaipėda counties and Norwegian partners, implemented the project "Innovative Solutions for Promoting Reading in Lithuanian Libraries for the Development of Social Relationships of Children and Youth with the Environment" to address the issue of adolescent non-reading. As part of this project, a virtual game was created, accessible in a free mobile application, satisfying children''s desire to play online games, while integrating elements promoting the reading of valuable literature and solutions to psychological and social problems.
The project implementation team realized that a single solution would not be sufficient to address the problem. Therefore, they created a comprehensive reading promotion package called "Draugoteka," which consists of a virtual reading promotion game, an educational program, and a themed bookshelf. The entire comprehensive package was designed to ensure the engagement of 5th to 8th-grade students in reading activities throughout the year. The game, educational activities, and books explore particularly relevant and sensitive topics for adolescents, such as self-discovery, building social relationships, the world of values, and bullying.
One of the project''s objectives was to ensure the involvement of adolescents living in rural areas in reading activities. To make thematic book collections accessible, 39 book vending machines were acquired and placed in the regions of Panevėžys, Kaunas, and Klaipėda, near libraries, their branches, and schools. This way, the project team ensured that adolescents could obtain the books needed for the game in the most convenient way without having to go to the library. The virtual reading promotion game "Draugoteka" introduces players to five different characters: Saule, Jonu, Klaudija, Elijumi, and Luna. Each character experiences different stages of life and faces various social problems. The goal of the game is to befriend these characters. The game scenario is constructed as a chain of events based on the player''s choices. Through conversations, players and characters touch on various social topics, explore issues, and seek solutions in books, learning to identify with book characters. The educational program consists of five educational sessions, and its content is constructed as a chain of events based on choices. The program aims to contextualize the content of the interactive reading promotion game "Draugoteka" and strengthen the skills of analyzing the content of the book collection. In implementation of 41 Program financed activities a total of 3,821 users have installed the virtual game "Draugoteka" on their mobile phones, 15,490 pupils participated in educational activities (planned - 12,285) among which 14961 pupils living in regional or rural areas.. The total number of participants in various project activities is 17,500 participants (planned - 13,815). Project reached 44 % of local beneficiaries participating in the activities (planned – 30%).
- Children and youth living in regional and rural areas, who by participating project activities have increased their skills in building social relationships, capacity in coping with various social problems, strengthen the skills of analyzing the context of books. Also by getting more interactive, more conveniently accessible library services.
- The county public libraries participating in the project became the leaders of the municipal public libraries of their territory by creating an interactive reading tool that meets the needs of the teenage reading group. Also 32 libraries that have been given reading impact tools that have become more attractive to young readers.
Summary of bilateral results
The Lithuanian partner group worked with the partner AS Black Book, conducting virtual meetings for the confirmation of essential decisions. The Norwegian partners formulated and presented the game concept, design guidelines, and a recommended literature list to be included in the game. During visits on April 20-23, 2022 (Lithuanian partners to Norwegian partners) and May 23-26, 2022 (Norwegian partners to Lithuanian partners), final coordination work on the game scenario took place. The joint Lithuanian partner research group prepared and conducted the study "Identification of Reading Skills and Social Relationship Issues of 5th-8th Grade Students." It was translated into English and provided to Black Book partners as material for the game development process. The Lithuanian partner group collectively formed the game''s book collection (the list of literature was compiled considering recommendations suitable for the game from all partners'' submitted literary works). Initially, the joint list consisted of around 60 book titles, but with the unanimous agreement of the partners, the optimal list now consists of 20 book titles. There is no possibility to continue cooperation with the Norwegian partner as they have ceased their activities.