Wellbeing at school: key takeaways from the 2024 eTwinning conference

Iliana Ivanova, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth opened the first day of the conference. She highlighted the vital role of wellbeing in education, pointing out that ‘wellbeing is a vital part of the [...] whole-school approach of the European Education Area and I know the lengths that teachers go to, aiming to put in place supportive learning environments every single day and provide the conditions for young people to learn and grow in a positive school climate.’

The Commissioner also announced the publication of the 2024 eTwinning book, ‘eTwinning stories: Building wellbeing at school’, and unveiled the annual theme for the 2024/2025 school year: Citizenship education: Celebrating what unites us. Finally, she thanked eTwinners for their outstanding projects promoting wellbeing and student development.

The keynote speaker, Prof. James O’Higgins Norman, UNESCO Chair on bullying and cyberbullying, delivered a thought-provoking address titled ‘Risk and resilience: smartphone use among children and adolescents in schools’. The address sparked lively discussions and debate among participants.

The first day included a prestigious awards ceremony, celebrating the 2024 eTwinning European prize winners in each age category. Each project was showcased with a short video and personal testimonials.

The second day featured a dynamic panel discussion on digital wellbeing with insights from Juliane von Reppert-Bismarck (Lie detectors), Beybin Elvin Tunç (COFACE Families Europe) and Hans Martens (European Schoolnet, representing Better Internet for Kids) on fostering healthy relationships between students and their devices and social media platforms.

On the final day, experts and teachers gathered to discuss the importance of wellbeing in educational settings. They explored various aspects of wellbeing at school and the vital role of a whole-school approach in supporting students

Online and onsite attendees also took part in workshops on critical thinking, integrating art and technology in the classroom, student engagement at school and other wellbeing practices. The winners and runners-up of the 2024 eTwinning European prizes delivered engaging workshops showcasing their successful projects.

A highlight of the conference was the networking activity, which allowed teachers to connect, share experiences and build lasting relationships. The fun and engaging eTwinlandia activity immersed participants as eTwinlandia citizens, where they discussed key wellbeing challenges, resulting in a positive manifesto that underscored the importance of fostering wellbeing in schools across Europe.