The Scouts and 4H – together for children and young people’s mental health!
Common between the Swedsh Scouts and 4H is their way of working – ”to learn by doing” as well as their purpose to develop children to engaged, prospeous and responsbile people with a respect for the world around them. Both work to promote a healty way of living for children and youth througho utdoor life and active leisure activity
Mental illness is spreading withing children and youth in Sweden and internationally. Studies show that many children and youth that come to the Scouts and 4H are feeling bad but that both organisation’s closenes to the nature, as well as conversations with te leaders, help the children to silence their hard thougths.
A pre-study conducted by 4H during January – March 2021, identified that the 4H farms are a good place to spend time at for many children and youth with mental health problems. Through conversations and interviews it became apparent that young people with mental health issues feel safe at the 4H farms, as it is a place where they can find a calm spot and feel secure with for example the animials. In one of the interviewed girls’ own words, “they do not judge me”.
The Swedish Scouts run a project called “We are All ears” through which scout leaders learn to talk with participants and receive more in-depth knowledge, tools and possibilities through workshops to practice their listening skills, conversations and gain the ability to identify and catch that child that is feeling bad. The leaders also get educationtal material which they can use in activities with their own scout corps.
During this joint project, the Scouts and 4H will meet at a national level to visit and get to know each others’ work. They will visit Kättilsröds 4H-farm, which has had a great success working with mental health and youth, in order to interview the participants and leaders from the farms “health groups” about what as worked well and what has not. 4H will also be invited to the Swedish Scouts Jamboree and more to learn about the Swedish Scouts work.
The support from Care About the Children will give the Swedish Scouts and 4H the possibility to explore a collaboration, educate the organisation’s respecitve leaders, and jointly work to strenghten children and youth’s mental health. Common between the Swedsh Scouts and 4H is their way of working – ”to learn by doing” as well as their purpose to develop children to engaged, prospeous and responsbile people with a respect for the world around them. Both work to promote a healty way of living for children and youth througho utdoor life and active leisure activity