On October 24 and 25 took place in Rome the second transnational meeting of the European project SunMentors, hosted by CIAPE, the Italian Centre of Lifelong Learning, one of the partners of this ambitious initiative aimed at supporting students’ mental health by training university staff. This meeting marked a crucial step in defining and compiling the curriculum modules, that will be developed to build skills for assistance and support in educational settings.

Curriculum Objectives

The project’s curriculum is designed to prepare university staff to recognize and address student mental health issues, with a specific focus on common disorders such as anxiety and depression. The program aims to provide essential knowledge and tools for identifying distress signals and responding appropriately, thereby contributing to an inclusive university environment that prioritizes student well-being.

During the meeting, partners worked on the macro and microstructure of the curriculum. The macrostructure covers key themes such as mental health awareness, crisis management, psychological first aid, destigmatization, and communication. Each module includes specific objectives, in-depth content, and practical activities.

In the microstructure, each course is broken down into more detailed components, including topic descriptions, learning objectives, expected outcomes, and supplementary resources.

Throughout the workshop, participants focused on completing the modules and defining key content. The compilation was guided by a collaborative approach, dividing the modules among partners, with each partner responsible for specific content areas. The Curriculum includes practical exercises (such as role-playing and crisis management simulations) and self-reflection questions to stimulate analysis of key issues .

Toward Inclusive and Digital Training

One of the final objectives is to digitize the curriculum to provide accessible training through an e-learning platform dedicated to the project. This digital transformation, planned for 2025, will extend the program’s accessibility

The meeting marked an important step forward for the SunMentors project, consolidating a methodological and content-based foundation for a curriculum that aims to transform how universities address and support student mental health.

On October 24 and 25 took place in Rome the second transnational meeting of the European project SunMentors, hosted by CIAPE, the Italian Centre of Lifelong Learning, one of the partners of this ambitious initiative aimed at supporting students’ mental health by training university staff. This meeting marked a crucial step in defining and compiling the curriculum modules, that will be developed to build skills for assistance and support in educational settings.

Curriculum Objectives

The project’s curriculum is designed to prepare university staff to recognize and address student mental health issues, with a specific focus on common disorders such as anxiety and depression. The program aims to provide essential knowledge and tools for identifying distress signals and responding appropriately, thereby contributing to an inclusive university environment that prioritizes student well-being.

During the meeting, partners worked on the macro and microstructure of the curriculum. The macrostructure covers key themes such as mental health awareness, crisis management, psychological first aid, destigmatization, and communication. Each module includes specific objectives, in-depth content, and practical activities.

In the microstructure, each course is broken down into more detailed components, including topic descriptions, learning objectives, expected outcomes, and supplementary resources.

Throughout the workshop, participants focused on completing the modules and defining key content. The compilation was guided by a collaborative approach, dividing the modules among partners, with each partner responsible for specific content areas. The Curriculum includes practical exercises (such as role-playing and crisis management simulations) and self-reflection questions to stimulate analysis of key issues .

Toward Inclusive and Digital Training

One of the final objectives is to digitize the curriculum to provide accessible training through an e-learning platform dedicated to the project. This digital transformation, planned for 2025, will extend the program’s accessibility

The meeting marked an important step forward for the SunMentors project, consolidating a methodological and content-based foundation for a curriculum that aims to transform how universities address and support student mental health.