Mindful Scouts is an Erasmus+ project created to explore how the Scout Method and nature-based learning can support the mental health and well-being of young people. The full title of the project is “Foster mental health of young people by using the scout method”, while Mindful Scouts is the acronym and public name used in communication and dissemination.
The project was funded under KA210-YOU – Small-scale partnerships in youth, a type of Erasmus+ project that supports international cooperation between organisations working in the youth field. Erasmus+ is the European Union programme for education, training, youth, and sport, designed to encourage learning, cooperation, innovation, and the exchange of good practices across countries. In this context, Mindful Scouts brought together partners from Slovakia, Spain, and Greece to work on a shared European response to growing mental health challenges among young people.
The motivation behind the project came from a very real and urgent need. Across Europe, many young people face increasing levels of stress, anxiety, uncertainty, social isolation, and emotional pressure. At the same time, youth workers, educators, and trainers often need more practical and accessible tools to support them in a meaningful way. The project responded to this challenge by looking at the Scout Method not only as a traditional educational framework, but as a valuable approach for promoting resilience, reflection, teamwork, personal development, and connection with nature.
The partnership was built around complementary expertise. Slovenský skauting brought strong experience in scouting, outdoor education, and direct work with young people. Amigos de Europa contributed expertise in youth work, inclusion, and quality processes. InnoSpark added digital innovation, dissemination, and the development of online educational resources. Together, the partners worked to create resources that are practical, adaptable, and relevant to different youth work realities.
One of the main strengths of the project was its focus on creating concrete and usable results. The partnership developed a multilingual Toolkit/Ebook, a companion reflection tool called My Diary, and an Open Educational Resources (OER) platform where the materials can be accessed online. These resources were designed for youth workers, educators, trainers, scout leaders, facilitators, and young people, with the aim of improving the quality of youth work while supporting mental well-being in a practical and non-formal way.
The Mindful Scouts Toolkit includes background sections on youth work, mental health, and the Scout Method, as well as 6 training modules, 30 practical activities based on the 10 Scout Laws, 9 case studies, and an evaluation and improvement section. It was developed not only as a handbook, but as a living educational resource that can be used in local workshops, group sessions, training courses, outdoor activities, and international projects. The Toolkit is complemented by My Diary, a separate reflection tool that helps participants record emotions, learning moments, gratitude, challenges, and personal goals throughout the process.
Another important project result is the OER platform, which ensures that the materials are openly accessible, easy to navigate, and available beyond the end of the project. This digital space supports sustainability and wider dissemination, allowing practitioners and organisations outside the direct partnership to benefit from the results as well.
The project also included local activities in all three partner countries and an international Learning, Teaching and Training Activity (LTTA) in Slovakia. These activities were essential for testing the methodology in practice and collecting feedback. They showed that the Mindful Scouts approach is flexible and transferable: it can be used with young people directly, with mixed groups of youth workers and youth, and in different local and cultural settings.
At its core, Mindful Scouts is about creating safer, more meaningful, and more reflective learning spaces for young people. It shows that mental health support in youth work does not always need to come through formal or clinical approaches alone. It can also be supported through trust, participation, teamwork, reflection, values, and connection with nature.
By combining European cooperation, non-formal education, scouting values, and practical tools, the project contributes to stronger youth work and healthier youth development. Mindful Scouts is therefore not only the name of a project, but also a shared vision: helping young people grow with greater self-awareness, resilience, and well-being.