The training course developed within the HEARTS project represents a dynamic and interactive learning experience designed to empower youth workers in the field of mental health through the use of digital and AI tools.
Over several intensive days, participants engaged in a structured programme that combined theory, practical application, reflection, and collaborative learning. Each day was carefully designed to build upon the previous one, gradually strengthening participants’ competences, confidence, and ability to apply new tools in their everyday work with young people.
The training brought together youth workers from different countries and backgrounds, creating a space for intercultural exchange, peer learning, and the sharing of experiences and good practices. Through workshops, group activities, simulations, and discussions, participants explored innovative approaches to supporting mental health in a digital environment.
This section presents the training process day by day, offering insights into the methodology, activities, and key learning moments. It reflects not only what was learned, but also how participants experienced the journey — from initial expectations to practical application and future planning.
Day 1 – Building Connections in the Digital Age
The first official day of the HEARTS training began in an atmosphere of openness, curiosity, and positive energy, setting the foundation for a week dedicated to exploring the intersection of mental health, youth work, and digital innovation. Participants from Croatia, Serbia, Hungary, and Belgium gathered for a full day of interactive learning activities focused on trust-building, communication, teamwork, and digital inclusion.
The morning session, “Getting to Know Each Other,” facilitated by EMA, encouraged participants to move beyond formal introductions and connect on a more personal and reflective level. Through creative icebreakers and interactive exercises, participants explored the relationship between identity, communication, and digital culture. Instead of introducing themselves through professions or nationalities, participants were invited to describe themselves using personal characteristics and values, which immediately created a more authentic and emotionally safe environment.
One particularly engaging activity invited participants to compare their current mood to a digital tool or application. Responses ranged from humorous to thoughtful — from “Spotify searching for the right vibe” to “Google Maps trying to find direction.” This playful metaphor-based exercise helped participants reflect on emotions and self-awareness while also connecting the training themes with everyday digital experiences.
In pairs, participants then created “Digital Snapshots,” short visual and reflective presentations about each other using drawings, keywords, emojis, and symbolic representations. Some used paper and markers, while others experimented with digital tools such as Canva and collaborative boards. The session emphasized active listening, empathy, and curiosity, while also highlighting how digital tools can support meaningful human interaction when used thoughtfully.
The energy continued to grow during the group energizer activity, where participants invented AI-inspired team names and presented them through chants, sounds, and creative performances. Names such as Empathy.exe and Mindful Uploaders brought laughter into the room while reinforcing the training’s central idea: technology should support connection, not replace it.
Later in the morning, participants worked on their personal “Digital Me Cards,” reflecting on their strengths as youth workers, their digital skills, and areas they wished to improve during the training. These visual identity cards formed a collective “Digital Identity Gallery,” allowing participants to explore similarities, differences, and shared goals within the group.
After lunch, the focus shifted toward teamwork and communication during the Digital Team Building session organized by Novotarium. Participants were divided into four teams and introduced to two playful digital tools — Spaceteam and Actionbound — designed to strengthen cooperation through gamified challenges.
The first activity, using the mobile game Spaceteam, immediately filled the room with excitement and chaos in the best possible way. Participants had to communicate quickly and accurately while simultaneously following digital instructions to “keep the spaceship running.” The activity tested concentration, teamwork, adaptability, and communication under pressure, while also demonstrating how simple digital games can become powerful tools for group bonding.
The second part of the session transformed the training venue into an interactive digital quest through Actionbound. Teams completed a series of creative missions using QR codes, photo challenges, quizzes, and short video tasks placed around the venue. Participants collaborated intensely, solved problems together, and supported one another throughout the challenge. Beyond the competitive aspect, the activity demonstrated how digital tools can encourage movement, creativity, collaboration, and engagement in youth work settings.
During the debriefing discussions, participants reflected on how communication changes in digital environments and how such activities could be adapted for work with young people in their local communities. Many highlighted that the combination of technology and teamwork created a strong sense of connection despite the fast-paced nature of the tasks.
In the afternoon, Studio B facilitated the session “Sharing Youth Work and Training Practices,” where participants exchanged experiences from their own organizations and communities. Through small-group work and collaborative poster creation, participants presented successful projects and methods related to youth participation, digitalization, mental health, inclusion, and online safety.
Working in mixed international groups, participants identified transferable best practices and reflected on what makes youth work activities meaningful, inclusive, and impactful. The session encouraged peer learning and gave participants practical inspiration for future initiatives. Through gallery walks and micro-presentations, participants explored each other’s posters, exchanged feedback, and discussed how different methods could be adapted across cultural and organizational contexts.
The final thematic session of the day focused on Digital Inclusion, once again facilitated by EMA. Participants explored how mental health apps and digital tools are experienced differently by young people from diverse backgrounds, including youth with disabilities, migrant communities, and marginalized identities. Using intersectional “persona cards,” participants analyzed digital mental health applications through the lens of accessibility, emotional safety, cultural sensitivity, and representation.
The discussions highlighted the importance of inclusive design and ethical digital practices. Participants reflected on how language, representation, accessibility, and algorithmic bias can directly influence whether young people feel safe and supported online. Many participants expressed surprise at how easily certain groups can become excluded from digital spaces when inclusion is not intentionally considered.
The day concluded with the first Reflection Time session, where participants gathered in their base groups to reflect on teamwork, communication, and personal learning goals. Together, they created group identities, established collaboration agreements, and discussed how they wanted to support one another throughout the week. The reflective atmosphere allowed participants to slow down, process the day’s experiences, and recognize the importance of emotional safety within the learning environment.
In the evening, participants enjoyed a relaxed social gathering filled with informal conversations, music, and shared laughter. After an intensive and inspiring first day, the group had already begun forming strong connections — both professionally and personally — creating a supportive international community ready for the days ahead.
Day 2 – Digital Transformation, Mental Health, and Intercultural Connection
The second day of the HEARTS training continued with a dynamic and thought-provoking exploration of the relationship between digital transformation, youth work, and mental health. Building on the trust and collaboration established during the first day, participants engaged in intensive discussions, practical exercises, and reflective activities focused on online safety, emotional wellbeing, and the growing role of digital tools in supporting young people.
The morning session, “Digital Transformation and Its Impact on Youth Work,” facilitated by Studio B, invited participants to critically examine how digital spaces influence the lives of young people and the daily realities of youth workers. The session began with a collective brainstorming activity where participants mapped the digital platforms, communication channels, and online tools they currently use in their work. Social media platforms, messaging applications, collaborative tools, and online learning environments quickly filled the discussion space, demonstrating how deeply digital environments are embedded in contemporary youth work practices.
Participants openly discussed both the opportunities and risks connected to digital engagement. While many highlighted the accessibility, creativity, and outreach possibilities offered by digital tools, others reflected on growing concerns regarding privacy, online pressure, misinformation, and the emotional impact of constant connectivity. The conversation naturally evolved into reflections on digital safety and the vulnerability of young people navigating online spaces.
One of the most engaging activities focused on understanding key concepts related to online safety and harmful online behavior. Working in pairs, participants explored terms such as cyberbullying, phishing, trolling, grooming, catfishing, sexting, cyberstalking, and spam. Each pair researched definitions, analyzed real-life examples, and shared their findings through a collaborative digital exchange. The activity sparked important discussions about how rapidly evolving online trends create new risks for young people, while also emphasizing the responsibility of youth workers to recognize warning signs and respond appropriately.
The session then transformed into a rotating World Café dedicated to digital mental health and wellbeing. Participants moved between thematic discussion tables exploring different aspects of online environments and their impact on young people’s emotional wellbeing. Discussions addressed risks faced by youth in digital spaces, the positive and negative effects of social media and online communication, strategies for building digital resilience, and ways to reduce stigma surrounding mental health through online platforms and campaigns.
Throughout the discussions, participants reflected on how digital spaces can simultaneously create connection and isolation. Many highlighted how online communities can provide support, belonging, and opportunities for self-expression, while others shared concerns about anxiety, comparison culture, online harassment, and emotional overload. The collaborative format encouraged participants to exchange experiences from their local realities and identify practical strategies for safer and more supportive digital youth work practices.
The atmosphere remained highly participatory during the session “Mental Health in a Digital Framework,” facilitated by YBB. Participants explored the complex relationship between digital environments and mental health through interactive reflection exercises and collaborative visual work. Using Mentimeter, participants anonymously shared their experiences with digital mental health tools and reflected on how technology influences their emotional wellbeing.
Working in small groups, participants created digital and paper-based collages exploring two contrasting perspectives: digital spaces that negatively affect mental health and digital spaces that provide support, comfort, and empowerment. The creative process generated honest and emotional discussions about social media pressure, unrealistic online standards, addiction to constant notifications, and emotional exhaustion. At the same time, participants identified many positive aspects of digital tools, including online communities, mindfulness applications, emotional support platforms, and increased accessibility to mental health resources.
During the group presentations, participants emphasized the importance of balance and critical thinking when using digital tools. Rather than framing technology as purely harmful or beneficial, the session encouraged participants to explore how digital environments can be redesigned and used more ethically to support wellbeing, inclusion, and meaningful human connection.
In the afternoon, participants took part in one of the most practical and immersive sessions of the training: “Exploring Digital Solutions for Mental Health.” Divided into thematic stations led by different trainers, participants had the opportunity to directly test and analyze a wide range of digital applications designed to support mental health, emotional regulation, self-reflection, and peer support.
One group explored mindfulness and mental health applications such as Insight Timer, MyCompass, and Wysa. Through guided breathing exercises, short meditation practices, CBT-inspired reflection tools, and AI-supported conversations, participants reflected on how digital tools can help young people develop emotional awareness and coping strategies.
Another station focused on mood and habit tracking applications, including Daylio, How We Feel, and MoodFit. Participants experimented with emotional check-ins, mood mapping, and energy tracking while discussing how digital self-monitoring can support emotional literacy and self-awareness when used responsibly.
Participants at the recommendation systems station explored AI-supported journaling and emotional tracking tools such as Reflectly, eMoods, and What’s Up?. The discussions raised important ethical questions regarding personalization, privacy, emotional data, and the limits of artificial intelligence in mental health support. The activity encouraged critical reflection on the balance between technological assistance and genuine human connection.
The final station focused on peer-support platforms including Wisdo, 7 Cups, and TakeMyHand. Through empathy exercises and role-playing simulations, participants practiced active listening and supportive communication in digital environments. The activities highlighted the importance of empathy, moderation, and emotional safety in online support communities, while also demonstrating how digital peer-support tools can complement traditional youth work practices.
Throughout the afternoon, participants continuously reflected on the pedagogical value, accessibility, and ethical implications of the applications they explored. Discussions repeatedly returned to one central question: how can digital tools support mental health without replacing authentic human relationships? This critical perspective remained at the core of the learning process.
The day concluded with another Reflection Time session in base groups, where participants focused on communication, self-awareness, and personal learning progress. Through a creative back-to-back drawing activity, participants explored how communication functions under pressure and how misunderstandings emerge even in simple situations. The exercise led to meaningful conversations about listening, clarity, empathy, and cooperation — all essential competences in both digital and face-to-face environments.
Participants then reflected individually on their learning journey by identifying aspects they felt confident about, challenges they still wanted to improve, and new questions that had emerged throughout the day. The reflective atmosphere encouraged honesty, vulnerability, and mutual support within the group.
In the evening, the educational program transitioned into one of the most memorable social moments of the training — the Intercultural Evening. Participants presented elements of their cultures through traditional food, music, stories, language, symbols, and informal games. The room quickly transformed into a vibrant celebration of diversity, laughter, and exchange.
Participants introduced each other to customs, traditions, and everyday cultural experiences from their home countries, creating moments of curiosity, humor, and genuine connection. Traditional snacks, local music playlists, dances, and cultural quizzes helped break remaining barriers and strengthened the sense of community within the group.
Beyond the festive atmosphere, the intercultural evening played an important role in promoting intercultural dialogue, empathy, and mutual understanding — values that are deeply connected to inclusive youth work and mental health support. By the end of the second day, participants had not only deepened their professional knowledge but had also built stronger interpersonal bonds, transforming the training group into a supportive and collaborative international learning community.
Day 2 – Digital Transformation, Mental Health, and Intercultural Connection
The third day of the HEARTS training course marked a major transition from exploration and reflection toward active creation and facilitation. After spending the previous days critically examining the relationship between digital environments and mental health, participants were now invited to become creators of meaningful digital youth work practices themselves. The programme combined practical experimentation with digital tools, collaborative workshop design, peer facilitation, and reflective learning, creating an intensive and highly participatory learning journey focused on innovation, wellbeing, and responsible digital engagement.
The day began with the session Exploring Digital Solutions for Mental Health, where participants worked in four thematic stations dedicated to different categories of digital tools supporting emotional wellbeing and mental health. Through experiential learning and guided activities, participants explored the pedagogical, ethical, and practical value of digital mental health applications and reflected on how such tools could be integrated into everyday youth work practice.
The opening activity, “Invisible Backpack,” created a calm and emotionally aware atmosphere. Participants reflected on the emotions, thoughts, and stress they were “carrying” into the day and considered what they wished to leave aside in order to fully engage in the learning experience. This grounding exercise helped establish emotional safety and readiness for deeper exploration.
Participants then divided into four groups and rotated into specialized stations led by trainers.
At the Mental Health Apps station, participants experimented with applications focused on mindfulness, emotional regulation, and cognitive support. Through guided breathing exercises, short meditations, and AI-supported reflection activities using apps such as Insight Timer, MyCompass, and Wysa, participants experienced firsthand how digital tools can support relaxation, self-awareness, and emotional reflection. Discussions focused not only on usability and accessibility, but also on the limitations of AI-based emotional support and the importance of balancing technology with human connection.
The Mood & Habit Trackers station introduced participants to tools such as Daylio, How We Feel, and MoodFit. Through emotional check-ins, mood tracking, and habit monitoring exercises, participants explored how digital tools visualize emotions and patterns over time. The session generated rich discussion about emotional literacy, self-monitoring, sustainable self-care routines, and the potential pressure or benefits created by constant digital tracking of wellbeing.
At the Recommendation Systems station, participants explored how AI-based systems personalize emotional support through journaling prompts, pattern recognition, and coping strategy suggestions. Using applications such as Reflectly, eMoods, and What’s Up?, participants critically reflected on the role of artificial intelligence in emotional wellbeing. Conversations addressed personalization, ethics, algorithmic influence, and the ongoing debate between technological support and authentic human interaction.
The fourth station, Digital Peer Support Platforms, focused on empathy, active listening, and online community support. Through roleplays and simulations using platforms such as Wisdo, 7 Cups, and TakeMyHand, participants practiced supportive online communication, anonymous peer support, and emotionally safe interaction in digital spaces. The activities highlighted the importance of empathy, moderation, trust-building, and safeguarding when working with young people online.
Throughout all stations, participants were encouraged to critically assess not only the opportunities offered by digital tools, but also their ethical implications, accessibility, inclusiveness, and potential risks. Trainers continuously emphasized that digital tools can complement, but never replace, professional mental health care and authentic human relationships.
The session concluded with a collective debriefing activity called “Learning Hashtags,” during which participants summarized their experiences through creative hashtags such as #DigitalEmpathy, #MindfulTech, #AIandMe, and #SafeOnlineSpaces. This playful reflection activity captured the diversity of insights gained throughout the morning and highlighted the growing confidence of participants in navigating digital wellbeing tools.
In the second part of the day, participants moved from exploration to creation through Digital Lab I. Working in diverse international teams supported by trainers acting as mentors, participants were challenged to design their own workshops for young people focused on mental health preservation through digital and AI tools. Each group selected a specific issue relevant to young people aged 16–25, such as stress management, online pressure, anxiety, self-esteem, or digital balance.
Using workshop design templates and drawing inspiration from the tools explored earlier in the day, participants collaboratively developed complete workshop concepts including objectives, methods, activities, digital tools, debriefing questions, and expected learning outcomes. Trainers supported the groups by mentoring rather than directing the process, encouraging creativity, inclusion, and practical applicability.
The atmosphere during the Digital Lab was highly collaborative and dynamic. Participants exchanged perspectives from different national and professional contexts, negotiated ideas, distributed roles organically, and experimented with innovative approaches to youth work. The process strengthened teamwork, facilitation skills, creativity, and confidence in integrating digital tools into educational activities focused on mental health.
The following session, Digital Lab II, focused on testing and refining the workshops created earlier. Each group facilitated a short demonstration of one part of their workshop while the remaining participants acted as young people participating in the activity. Trainers observed the simulations and prepared constructive feedback.
The workshop demonstrations revealed a remarkable diversity of ideas and approaches. Some groups focused on mindfulness and emotional check-ins using digital tools, while others explored peer support, online identity, digital balance, or AI-supported emotional reflection. Participants practiced facilitation techniques, communication skills, time management, and group engagement strategies in a supportive learning environment.
After each simulation, peers and trainers provided feedback using the “+/Δ” method, highlighting both strengths and areas for improvement. This process encouraged reflective learning, constructive communication, and mutual support among participants. Discussions also addressed important ethical dimensions of digital youth work, including privacy, consent, emotional safety, and the responsible use of AI-based tools.
The day concluded with the regular Reflection Time sessions held within the Base Groups. The team-building activity invited participants to reflect on their current emotional state through symbolic thinking by answering the question: “If my feeling were an object, what object would it be?” Participants expressed themselves through drawings and metaphors, creating space for emotional awareness, empathy, and mutual understanding.
Participants then revisited their HEARTS Training Objectives Worksheets and reflected on their personal learning progress, challenges, and emerging questions. Through structured sharing rounds, they exchanged reflections about teamwork, communication, facilitation experiences, and the practical application of digital tools in youth work. The Evaluation Tree activity once again allowed participants to anonymously assess the emotional safety, cooperation, recognition, and learning atmosphere within their Base Groups.
Overall, Day 3 represented one of the most practical and empowering stages of the HEARTS training course. Participants not only deepened their understanding of digital wellbeing tools, but also transformed into active designers and facilitators of innovative mental health activities for young people. The combination of experiential learning, peer collaboration, creativity, and critical reflection created a powerful environment for developing new competences in digital youth work and strengthening participants’ confidence in using digital and AI tools responsibly, ethically, and meaningfully.
The day ended with a strong sense of accomplishment, creativity, and shared ownership of the learning process, while the growing connections among participants further strengthened the supportive international learning community that had developed throughout the training course.
The day concluded with another Reflection Time session in base groups, where participants focused on communication, self-awareness, and personal learning progress. Through a creative back-to-back drawing activity, participants explored how communication functions under pressure and how misunderstandings emerge even in simple situations. The exercise led to meaningful conversations about listening, clarity, empathy, and cooperation — all essential competences in both digital and face-to-face environments.
Participants then reflected individually on their learning journey by identifying aspects they felt confident about, challenges they still wanted to improve, and new questions that had emerged throughout the day. The reflective atmosphere encouraged honesty, vulnerability, and mutual support within the group.
In the evening, the educational program transitioned into one of the most memorable social moments of the training — the Intercultural Evening. Participants presented elements of their cultures through traditional food, music, stories, language, symbols, and informal games. The room quickly transformed into a vibrant celebration of diversity, laughter, and exchange.
Participants introduced each other to customs, traditions, and everyday cultural experiences from their home countries, creating moments of curiosity, humor, and genuine connection. Traditional snacks, local music playlists, dances, and cultural quizzes helped break remaining barriers and strengthened the sense of community within the group.
Beyond the festive atmosphere, the intercultural evening played an important role in promoting intercultural dialogue, empathy, and mutual understanding — values that are deeply connected to inclusive youth work and mental health support. By the end of the second day, participants had not only deepened their professional knowledge but had also built stronger interpersonal bonds, transforming the training group into a supportive and collaborative international learning community.
Day 4 – From Preparation to Facilitation: Bringing Digital Mental Health Workshops to Life
The fourth day of the HEARTS training course represented the culmination of the participants’ intensive learning journey, transforming ideas and workshop concepts into real facilitation experiences. After days of exploring digital wellbeing, mental health tools, AI-supported platforms, and collaborative workshop design, participants were now invited to step into the role of facilitators and actively implement their own educational activities. The day focused on strengthening facilitation competences, refining workshop structures, building confidence, and deepening participants’ readiness to apply digital and AI tools in real youth work contexts.
The programme began with the session Final Preparation: Finding Digital Solutions, dedicated to the final refinement of workshop concepts developed during the Digital Labs. Through a short presentation, trainers introduced the key elements of effective workshop design, including clear objectives, logical structure, timing, participant engagement, facilitation methods, and evaluation techniques. Particular attention was given to balancing educational goals with emotional safety and meaningful participation when addressing mental health topics with young people.
Following the introduction, participants worked individually, in pairs, or in small groups to finalize their workshop scripts and prepare visual materials for facilitation. Using templates, flipcharts, sticky notes, and digital resources, participants carefully refined their workshop flow, clarified instructions, adjusted activities, and prepared the materials needed for implementation. Trainers circulated among the groups, providing guidance, answering questions, and supporting participants in translating their ideas into realistic and engaging learning experiences.
The atmosphere during this preparation phase was focused, collaborative, and creative. Participants exchanged ideas, tested activities, discussed timing challenges, and reflected on how to make their workshops more interactive and inclusive. Through the Gallery Walk and peer feedback process, workshop scripts were displayed around the room, allowing participants to move freely, review each other’s work, and provide constructive comments using sticky notes. This peer-learning element encouraged mutual inspiration and helped participants identify both strengths and areas for improvement in their workshop designs.
The final reflection and revision phase enabled participants to integrate the feedback received and further strengthen their workshop concepts. Many participants highlighted that listening to other groups’ ideas broadened their perspectives and inspired new approaches to facilitation, digital engagement, and mental health education.
The second part of the day focused on practical implementation through Facilitating Workshops – Round I. Participants remained in the same working groups established during the Digital Labs, while trainers took on the role of observers and mentors. Two groups facilitated their workshops for the rest of the participants, who actively engaged as youth participants in a realistic simulation environment.
Each workshop lasted approximately thirty minutes and included both the activity itself and a short reflection segment. Participants facilitated sessions focused on topics such as emotional wellbeing, stress management, online pressure, peer support, self-awareness, and healthy digital habits, integrating various digital and AI-based tools explored during previous days.
The facilitation sessions demonstrated significant creativity, preparation, and confidence. Participants experimented with interactive digital exercises, emotional check-ins, roleplays, AI-supported reflection prompts, and collaborative online activities. Trainers carefully observed group dynamics, communication styles, emotional safety, participant engagement, and the ethical use of digital tools.
After each facilitation session, participants and trainers engaged in structured feedback rounds using the “+/Δ” method, focusing on strengths and suggestions for improvement. Feedback emphasized clarity of facilitation, time management, inclusion, emotional responsiveness, and the balance between digital tools and human interaction. The supportive atmosphere encouraged honest reflection while reinforcing participants’ growing confidence and competence as facilitators.
The learning process continued with Facilitating Workshops – Round II, where the remaining groups facilitated their workshops following the same structure. The session opened with a light “Emoji Check-in” energizer, inviting participants to express their current emotional state before beginning the second facilitation round. This simple activity contributed to maintaining emotional awareness and group cohesion throughout the intensive programme.
The second round of workshop facilitation further highlighted participants’ development in communication, adaptability, creativity, and leadership. Participants demonstrated increasing confidence in guiding discussions, managing group energy, facilitating emotional reflection, and integrating digital tools meaningfully into educational activities. The workshops reflected a wide range of approaches and methods, showing how digital and AI tools can support mental health education in engaging and accessible ways.
During the feedback sessions, trainers highlighted notable progress in facilitation skills compared to the previous days. Particular attention was given to moments of empathy, inclusion, participant engagement, and ethical awareness. Participants also learned extensively from observing one another, recognizing different facilitation styles, communication approaches, and methods for creating emotionally safe learning spaces.
The session concluded with a collective wrap-up and celebration of the learning journey. Participants reflected on the patterns and insights emerging across all workshops and discussed which facilitation competences they had strengthened the most. Many participants emphasized increased confidence in using digital tools for mental health-related youth work and recognized the importance of balancing innovation with empathy and safeguarding.
In the afternoon, participants took part in the session Discussion and Evaluation/Future Steps Workshops, which focused on deeper reflection, evaluation, and consolidation of the learning process. Sitting together in a circle, participants shared emotions and impressions from both facilitating and participating in the workshops. Words such as “inspired,” “challenged,” “motivated,” “creative,” and “empowered” frequently emerged during the opening emotional check-in.
Each workshop group then presented key reflections about their facilitation experience, discussing their original goals, successful moments, challenges encountered, and lessons learned regarding digital tools and mental health support. The discussions generated meaningful exchanges about facilitation methods, emotional engagement, online safety, ethical considerations, and practical implementation in local youth work contexts.
The Peer Gallery Walk further deepened this exchange of ideas. Participants reviewed posters and workshop summaries created by the groups, leaving comments and suggestions under categories such as “What inspired me,” “What could be improved,” and “Ideas for adaptation.” This process reinforced peer learning, mutual encouragement, and collaborative reflection while creating a strong sense of shared ownership over the learning outcomes developed during the training course.
The session also included a formal evaluation process through an online feedback form, allowing participants to assess the programme and reflect individually on their personal development, learning outcomes, and future applications of the acquired competences.
As on previous days, the programme concluded with Reflection Time activities held within the Base Groups. The Day 4 team-building activity invited participants to recognize and appreciate positive moments of communication and cooperation within their groups. Participants reflected on moments when communication with another group member had worked particularly well and identified the competences or attitudes demonstrated in those interactions.
Using the sentence starter “I appreciated ___ in my communication with ___,” participants openly acknowledged empathy, patience, encouragement, creativity, listening skills, and teamwork demonstrated by their peers throughout the training course. These reflections created a warm and supportive atmosphere, reinforcing the sense of trust and connection that had developed within the international learning community.
Participants then continued the structured reflection process introduced earlier in the training course, revisiting their HEARTS Training Objectives Worksheets and reflecting on their personal growth, participation competences, communication styles, and learning goals. The Base Groups once again served as safe spaces for honest dialogue, emotional reflection, peer support, and shared learning.
Overall, Day 4 represented the practical culmination of the HEARTS training journey. Participants moved beyond theoretical understanding and demonstrated their ability to design, facilitate, evaluate, and improve digital mental health workshops for young people. Through hands-on facilitation, peer learning, constructive feedback, and reflective practice, participants strengthened not only their digital competences, but also their confidence, empathy, communication skills, and capacity to create emotionally safe and meaningful learning environments.
The day closed with a strong sense of achievement, professional growth, and collective accomplishment. Participants left the sessions feeling more prepared to apply digital and AI tools responsibly and creatively within their own organizations and local communities, while the supportive atmosphere and strong interpersonal connections continued to reinforce the collaborative spirit at the core of the HEARTS project.
Day 5 – Ethics, Evaluation and Closure
The final day of the HEARTS training course focused on reflection, ethical responsibility, evaluation, and closure of the collective learning journey. After several intensive days of exploring digital and AI tools for mental health support, participants shifted their attention toward critical thinking, ethical awareness, and long-term application of the knowledge gained throughout the project. The atmosphere was reflective but still highly engaged, as participants combined analytical discussions with emotional closure and celebration of the group process.
The day opened with the session “Challenges and Ethics of AI and Safety in Digital Space,” facilitated by EMA. The session addressed one of the most important dimensions of digital youth work: how to use AI-supported mental health tools responsibly, ethically, and inclusively. Through a combination of presentations, dilemma-based group work, and collaborative discussions, participants explored the risks and responsibilities connected to digital wellbeing technologies.
The session began with the interactive icebreaker “Who’s Behind the Algorithm?” Participants reflected on the types of personal data they had already shared online that day, such as location data, browsing patterns, messages, or emotional content. By placing sticky notes onto a “Digital You” silhouette, participants visually explored how much sensitive information is continuously generated in digital spaces. This activity immediately opened important conversations about privacy, trust, consent, and vulnerability, especially in relation to young people using mental health apps and AI chatbots.
Facilitators then introduced key ethical frameworks and research findings related to AI and mental health technologies. Participants explored topics such as GDPR principles, UNESCO recommendations on AI ethics, algorithmic bias, informed consent, transparency, and cultural inclusion. Research examples and real-life cases helped participants understand how AI systems can unintentionally reproduce discrimination, misinterpret cultural expressions, or misuse sensitive emotional data.
One of the central activities of the session was the “AI Dilemma Café.” Working in small groups, participants analyzed practical ethical scenarios related to AI-supported mental health tools. Each group received a different dilemma card involving issues such as crisis intervention failures, hidden data collection, biased mood tracking systems, or unsafe handling of confidential information. Participants debated questions of accountability, fairness, privacy, and safety while identifying which ethical principles had been violated and how such situations could be prevented.
The discussions were highly dynamic and demonstrated strong critical thinking skills. Participants recognized that technology itself is never neutral and emphasized the responsibility of youth workers, developers, institutions, and policymakers to ensure ethical and inclusive digital environments. Cultural competence and representation emerged as particularly important themes, especially when discussing how AI systems may fail to understand diverse linguistic, social, or emotional expressions.
In the second practical activity, “Designing Safe Digital Spaces,” participants transformed their reflections into concrete recommendations. Using ethical checklists and collaborative brainstorming, groups created posters outlining practical “Do’s and Don’ts” for ethical AI use in youth work. Their guidelines focused on privacy protection, transparent communication, informed consent, inclusion of marginalized groups, multilingual accessibility, and the importance of human oversight in mental health support systems. The activity concluded with a gallery walk, during which participants exchanged ideas and collectively contributed to a shared Ethical Charter for digital youth work.
The session ended with a powerful reflection circle titled “Ethics as Everyday Practice.” Participants shared personal insights, identified ethical issues that challenged them most, and discussed how they could apply ethical thinking in their own organizations and local communities. Many participants highlighted that this session fundamentally changed the way they perceive digital tools — not simply as innovative resources, but as systems requiring careful, informed, and responsible use.
Following the ethics session, participants moved into the comprehensive Final Evaluation facilitated by Studio B. This final block created space for participants to assess their overall learning journey, recognize their personal development, and celebrate the collective achievements of the group.
The facilitators first guided participants through a short overview of the entire training process, revisiting the key themes explored throughout the week — digital wellbeing, AI-supported tools, emotional literacy, facilitation methods, peer support, workshop design, ethical considerations, and inclusive youth work practices. This recap helped participants reconnect individual sessions into one coherent learning experience.
One of the most creative evaluation activities was the “Learning River.” Participants individually created visual representations of their personal learning journeys using mobile apps such as Canva, PicsArt, or other creative tools. Through symbols, stickers, drawings, words, and photographs, they illustrated important milestones connected to questions such as:
- “I have discovered…”
- “Now I understand…”
- “I feel more confident in this skill…”
- “The AHA moment was…”
- “I need to research more about…”
The activity encouraged deep self-reflection while also allowing participants to express their learning in highly personal and artistic ways. The completed “Learning Rivers” were shared in the common group space, creating a visual archive of the project’s impact and diversity of experiences.
Participants then completed the post-training self-assessment and detailed evaluation questionnaires, reflecting on their progress compared to the beginning of the course. Many participants emphasized increased confidence in using digital and AI tools for youth mental health support, improved facilitation and teamwork skills, stronger awareness of ethical considerations, and greater understanding of emotional wellbeing in digital contexts.
The final collective activity, “Learning Harvest,” created an emotional and symbolic closure to the project. Using photo cards, participants selected one image representing a meaningful learning moment and another representing a challenge or area for future improvement. Sitting together in a closing circle, they shared reflections about personal growth, emotional experiences, new perspectives, and future plans for applying the acquired knowledge in their organizations and local communities.
The atmosphere during the closing session was deeply supportive and appreciative. Participants highlighted not only the practical value of the training content, but also the importance of peer learning, intercultural exchange, empathy, and trust developed during the week. Many described the project as both professionally empowering and personally transformative.
At the end of the day, facilitators summarized the main achievements of the training course and officially distributed the YouthPass certificates. The final moments were marked by gratitude, celebration, and a strong sense of connection among participants and trainers. The HEARTS project concluded with participants leaving not only with new competences and tools, but also with strengthened confidence, meaningful professional relationships, and a shared commitment to promoting ethical, inclusive, and human-centered digital youth work.
