Caring Universities

What was the main goal of your project?
The project focuses on improving education by enhancing the mental wellbeing of VU students through the Caring Universities initiative, in which VU Amsterdam plays a leading role. This initiative provides an online platform with activities aimed at creating a more balanced student life. Students can work independently on their wellbeing, supported by trained peers, and participate in workshops. Short surveys help raise awareness about mental health, while personalised feedback supports 1-on-1 sessions with student psychologists, leading to an improved academic experience. These methods provide students with tailored feedback specific to their situation, along with suggestions for next steps.

What concrete results have you achieved with your project?
Through our online guided self-help programmes, we have helped many students improve their mental wellbeing. They are satisfied with the platform, find it easy to use, and the initial results are promising. At the same time, we contribute to scientific research, which further strengthens the quality of our programmes. With multiple surveys, we gained valuable insights into student wellbeing and provided many students with personalised feedback on their mental health and possible next steps. The data from the surveys has also helped us to develop and offer various programmes tailored to student needs.

What did you personally find the most beautiful or special moment during this project? 
We regularly receive positive and encouraging feedback from students, which of course, makes the entire team very happy. Recently, we also had a deep-dive interview for the NPO festival, where one of our e-coaches was present. Hearing the personal stories from students about how they contribute in their own way and how these experiences become a positive part of their life and academic journey, shaping their future careers, is truly heartwarming.

How has this project contributed to the improvement of education at VU Amsterdam?
By integrating a training programme for e-coaches (Low Intensity Treatment) into the psychology curriculum, we provide students with the opportunity to gain practical and clinical experience in the field of low-intensity treatments. In doing so, we support a large number of students in addressing common issues that help boost their resilience. Furthermore, the modules developed to support students with specific challenges have been integrated into various curricula, offering every student the opportunity to develop skills that enhance the overall resilience of this group.