Erasmus+ – HOPEs Project
Happiness, Optimism, Positivity & Ethos in schools
Project Description:
Positive Education (PE) and Character Education (CE) are two current movements in education. School intervention programmes based on PE and CE have proven to be beneficial for students, teachers, and schools in terms of both achievement and wellbeing. However, the majority of teachers and schools in Europe are not familiar with the principles and methods of the two approaches.
The HOPEs (Happiness, Optimism, Positivity and Ethos in schools) Project, suggests that schools should not only focus on academic achievement but should also care for children’s well-being, ethos, and happiness. Research findings suggest that educators undergoing a PE intervention have fewer negative emotions, reduced feelings of depression, and an increase in positive states of mind (Kemeny et al, 2012). Some teachers report that they are more capable of managing their classrooms and maintaining supportive relationships with students after completing a PE training programme.
The aim of HOPEs is to apply the principles, methods, and techniques of PE and CE in school settings across Europe. This will be achieved by developing an innovative educational package with the active participation and dedication of 8 strong organizations in 6 participating countries.
Duration:
2016 – 2018
The Research Team:
The multidisciplinary project team is drawn from six different European countries and includes Cyprus Pedagogical Institute (Cyprus), ICEP Europe (Ireland), Institute of Development Ltd. (Cyprus), Panteion University (Greece), Positive Psychology Training Ltd. (UK), GrantXpert Consulting Ltd. (Cyprus), University of Malta (Malta), and ISPA (Portugal).
Funding:
The project is funded under the Erasmus+ Strategic Partnership initiative.
Project Objectives:
• To develop, test and publish an innovative educational programme on PE and CE
• To enrich teachers’ personal and professional development based on 6 modules: self-awareness, character education, positivity, resilience, positive relationships, and happiness
• To familiarize primary school teachers with the principles, methods and techniques of PE and CE so as to create a positive culture in schools
• To create and publish the online HOPEs training programme
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission under the Erasmus+ Programme. This publication [communication] reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
