On May 12, 2026, the nonprofit organization Young Agents of Change held a hands-on workshop titled «Resilience Workshop: Creative Self-Care Techniques» at the Bila Tserkva Vocational College of Service and Design.

It was a space where people could slow down a bit, take a breath, and pay attention to their own emotional state. Together with the participants, we talked about mental health, emotional self-regulation, and ways to take care of ourselves in our daily lives and at work.

During the workshop, we explored practical self-care tools, worked with creative techniques, and examined how creative practices can help reduce stress and emotional tension. We paid special attention to the practice of wood painting—a technique that helps you feel better, ground yourself, and live in the moment through creativity.

During the event, participants also reviewed the guide «Using Creative Techniques in Psychological First Aid to Support Young People», developed as part of our international PACT project.

We would like to extend our sincere thanks to the Bila Tserkva Vocational College of Service and Design for their cooperation and warm welcome, as well as to all participants, speakers, and guests for their openness, trust, and the supportive atmosphere we created together.

The PACT project is being implemented by Young Agents of Change in partnership with The Academy of Fine Arts of Naples, Action Synergy, Trakų rajono veiklaus jaunimo asociacija, Universidad de Sevilla, Georgian Youth Development Association – GYDA, MilleniuM Training and Development Institute, Youth Development Center of Armenia and financed by EU.

Last week, our participants took part in a 5-day Training of Trainers on Psychological First Aid in Yerevan.

Together with teams from Italy, Greece, Spain, Lithuania, Moldova, Georgia, and Armenia, they learned creative techniques, practiced innovative approaches to improving mental health, and shared their experiences working with vulnerable youth.

What activities did the youth workers learn during the training?

Theater and storytelling as tools for support

Visual art for self-expression

Movement and physical practices for regulating emotions

Psychological First Aid: In Practice, Not Just in Theory

Now, the participants will be able to use new creative methods in their work with young people in their communities

The PACT project is being implemented by Young Agents of Change in partnership with The Academy of Fine Arts of Naples, Action Synergy, Trakų rajono veiklaus jaunimo asociacija, Universidad de Sevilla, Georgian Youth Development Association – GYDA, MilleniuM Training and Development Institute, Youth Development Center of Armenia and financed by EU.

From January 18 to 24, a training course for trainers was held in Chisinau as part of the PACT project, dedicated to Psychological First Aid (PFA).

Representatives from Italy , Greece , Spain , Lithuania , Moldova , Ukraine , Georgia and Armenia took part in the training , united around a common goal — to strengthen the capacity of youth workers to support young people in crisis and vulnerable situations

During the week, participants:

– mastered the principles and approaches of Psychological First Aid;

– practiced practical skills for providing immediate emotional and psychological support;

– learned how to work with young people who have experienced stress, loss, displacement, or war;

– discussed ethical boundaries of assistance and the role of youth workers in crisis contexts;

– were preparing to pass on this knowledge to others — in their communities and coaching teams.

The training focused particularly on working with young people from vulnerable and conflict-affected communities, where the need for basic psychological support is a daily reality.

After completing the training, participants received methodological materials, tools, and support from the PACT project to continue their activities at the local level, conduct training sessions, and support other youth workers and young people.

The PACT project is being implemented Young Agents of Change in cooperation with The Academy of Fine Arts of Naples, Action Synergy, Trakų rajono veiklaus jaunimo asociacija, Universidad de Sevilla,Georgian Youth Development Association – GYDA, MilleniuM Training and Development Institute, Youth Development Center of Armenia and is funded by the European Union.

On March 27-28, the Young Agents of Change team visited Naples , where they participated in the first offline meeting of the Psychological First Aid and Creative Techniques – PACT project

This initiative, co-funded by the EU, is designed for youth workers, young people and organisations working with youth.

Why is psychological first aid important?

Today’s youth often face stress, crisis situations, and traumatic experiences. At such moments, it is important not only to provide support, but also to use effective methods that will help stabilize the condition and find internal resources to overcome difficulties.

What was discussed in Naples?

Together with international partners from Greece, Italy, Spain, Georgia, Ukraine, Moldova, Lithuania and Armenia, we worked on:

A methodological guide to psychological first aid.

A practical toolkit that will help youth workers apply creative techniques in their work with young people.

Analysis of best practices and new approaches that can be implemented in the youth field.

What’s next?

We are preparing unique materials for you that will help support youth in crisis situations. Follow our social media to be the first to learn about the project results!

The PACT project is implemented by Young Agents of Change (Ukraine) in collaboration with The Academy of Fine Arts of Naples (Italy), Action Synergy (Greece), Trakų rajono veiklaus jaunimo asociacija (Lithuania), Universidad de Sevilla (Spain), Georgian Youth Development Association – GYDA (Sakartvelo), MilleniuM Training and Development Institute (Moldova), Youth Development Center of Armenia (Armenia) and is funded by the European Union.

We continue to share inspiring news! 🚀

In November, our organization, together with international partners, launched the two-year project “Psychological First Aid and Creative Techniques (PACT)”. This initiative aims to improve the quality of youth work by developing the competencies of youth workers to provide psychological support to young people.

✨ PACT will help youth workers:
✅ Deepen their understanding of common mental health problems, better recognize signs of depression, anxiety and other conditions, effectively informing young people and reducing stigma.
✅ Provide psychological first aid and understand the basics of support in crisis situations to create a safe environment.
✅ Use art therapy to help young people overcome trauma and safely express emotions through art.
✅ Receive resource support through created digital tools, manuals and training resources.

📅 On November 11, the project’s founding meeting took place, where coordinators from Ukraine, Lithuania, Italy, Greece, Spain, Sakartvelo, Moldova and Armenia worked on key tasks of joint work. They discussed the main principles and strategies of cooperation, defined the role of each partner organization and developed a plan of further actions.

Very soon we will share news and announcements of events!

The project PACT implemented by Young Agents of Change (Україна) and with partners The Academy of Fine Arts of Naples (Italy), Action Synergy (Greece), AY Institute (Lithuania), Universidad de Sevilla(Spain), Georgian Youth Development Association – GYDA(Georgia), MilleniuM Training and Development Institute (Moldova), Youth Development Center of Armenia (Armenia) and its financed by European Union.

#PACT #MentalHealth #ErasmusPlus