During the week from 09 to 13/05/2022, the 6th and last

mobility was implemented at the Gymnasium Keramotis

within the Erasmus + strategic partnership project
KA229, with the general title “Healthy Bodies! Healthy
Minds! ” and meeting topic: “Social Health”.

Our educational unit welcomed 12 teachers and 23

students from schools Romania (“Colegiul National de
Informatica Spiru Haret” - Suceava), Poland (“Szkola
Podstawowa w Zespole Szkol w Skolyszynie” - Skołyszyn),
Italy (“ITE P. Savi” - Viterbo), Turkey (“Karaman Lisesi” -
Karaman) and Spain (“Colegio Los Olivos” - Malaga),
fulfilling - we believe successfully - the objectives of the
meeting.

The aim of the meeting was to approach and raise awareness of students' social health. During the week students
and teachers participated in lectures, debates and workshops all these offering participants the opportunity to
improve their social health.

First day of activities

On the first day of the mobility in Keramoti - Kavala -

Greece, the participating students and teachers took
part in the welcoming ceremony was held in school,
where students and teachers were entertained with the
accompaniment of traditional music and enjoyed local
delicacies and sweets (an integral part of the hospitality
and kind sponsorship of parents and students of school).
In the reception area, students participated in ice
breaking activities and a workshop on ”Role of Empathy
in Social Health”,which were held by Mrs. Saridou Maria,
social worker of Gymnasium Keramotis. In this
workshop, the students divided into groups, each drew a
heart, colored it and wrote in the center of the heart the
name of another child in the group as well as words of
empathy for him/her. At the end of the workshop
students exchanged the hearts. Finally, participants
presented useful and interesting information about the
Social Health (the importance of social health and how it
is cared for, including suggested activities, examples and
conclusions) and the results of the questionnaire based
on the topic of the project meeting - social health.
Second day of activities

On the second day of the mobility in Keramoti - Kavala -

Greece, students and teachers watched the Egyptian
short film entitled "L'ALTRA PAR". The film described how
people are isolated in technology and forget one of the
best things in life, human interaction, empathy and love.
This was followed by a discussion on the concepts of
communication, human interaction, empathy, negative
patterns, the influence of technology (social media) in
everyday life and a workshop entitled "Social Media: How
it affects you emotionally, physically and
mentally?",which was coordinated by the social worker of
Gymnasium Keramotis Mrs. Saridou Maria. Students
created collages with communication, human interaction
and empathy messages.

Having a ton of friends on social media

doesn’t ensure or even promote high-
quality relationships — a key
requirement for balanced social health.
As humans, we need significant, close
interpersonal connections to be socially
healthy. We thrive on being able to
connect and socialize with our closest
people. Having social empathy means
being able to understand the other
person, communicate with him or her
and make him or her feel better.
The rest of the second day was dedicated in cultural
activities and educational trip in island of Thassos
(Museum, Ancient Agora, Ancient Theater and Old Port).

Third day of activities

During the third day, participants visited the city hall of Nestos,
where its representatives talked about the activities they organise
in order to improve citizens’ social behaviour. The third day,
participants took part in cultural activities and educational trips.
Also they visited, the location Toxotes (path of the river Nestos),
Porto Lagos (St. Nikolaos Church) and the city of Xanthi (folklore
museum and old town). Travelling enhances social behavior, so can
have positive effect on health.
 Fourth day of activities
Social health has aim to a positive effect on self-esteem
and improves students' participation in the learning
process. The fourth day a lecture, discussion and workshop
on the hazards of the internet were held by Mrs. Pavlidou
Nancy, Psychologist and by Mrs Athina Zografou, Social
Worker. The aim of the activity "Social health and Internet
use as a means of adaptability - Positive points and
Potential Hazards for adolescents and children" was to
raise awareness about social health, the role it plays in the
development of children and adolescents, and the use of
the Internet as social health tool and helper (how the
internet has a positive effect on the socialization and
adaptation of adolescent children).

Thus, a presentation entitled "Let's go surfing

with safety" was held, in order to promote the
safe and positive use of digital technology among
young people. The goal was to cultivate safe
internet browsing skills, with responsibility,
respect, critical thinking and creativity. Students
were first introduced to the benefits of the
internet and then the risks were analyzed, such as
inappropriate content, seduction, violent games,
bullying, harmful behaviors, addiction, alienation,
privacy, deception, social networks etc. Particular
importance was given to know what is internet
addiction and what are the symptoms. Finally,
reference was made to the ways in which
adolescents can be protected. At the end of the
presentation there was a discussion about social
health and how it is affected by the excessive use
of the Internet.
An experiential activity followed, which aimed to raise awareness regarding internet security issues. Initially, the
students were divided into four groups of four - five people from different countries. Each group was given a
different scenario that they were asked to work out. The scripts were about seduction, intimidation, inappropriate
content and interception of personal data. Each group read their script and then, after answering some helpful
questions, presented it to the plenary. It emerged from the discussion that young people had the opportunity to
work out the effective and secure internet use.

After the activities ended, students and teachers

visited the archaeological area of Philippi at Kavala
(Ancient Theater and Archaeological Site, Saint
Lydia of Philippi (Baptistery).
Last day of activities

On the last day of the activities, the participants visited

sights of Kavala (Imaret, the house of Mohammed Ali
and the old castle of the city).
 Finally, students and teachers filled out online
evaluation forms and were given certificates of
attendance.

Students and teachers enjoyed a wonderful

week full of learning activities and new
experiences.
Social health is more than just the prevention of mental illness and
social problems. Being socially healthy means increased degree of
happiness including sense of belonging and concern for others.

As we grow, social ties start building their place in our lives. We

become a part of different communities around us like, school etc.
These positive relations help us build a support system making us
healthier. Social health might seem ignorable and difficult to address
yet it stands as one of the pillars of health.
 One of the most important
things to understand about our
social health is to learn how to
communicate effectively and

Whether you live in a small town or a big city,

2 positively.
Becoming a clear communicator
means effectively conveying
there are many things that you can do to be a
your thoughts, ideas, needs and
part of your community and town. You can
wants. Communicating clearly
participate in events held in your town. Try
helps you manage your time and
and volunteer somewhere weekly or biweekly
your life, to feel good about
so that you can establish relationships with
yourself, and to build
those who volunteer there!
trustworthy relationships with
others.
Without this, it is hard to form
and maintain bonds—even
between strangers.
There is no point in trying to form or create
relationships unless you are yourself! Do what One of the downfalls of social health
makes you happy and fulfills your needs. Being
social comes within you and you will find the
best of people doing things that you love to do.
4 is that you will meet someone that is
not that great. However, every
experience and person is a lesson
If you try to find fulfillment through things that and can prevent you from getting
do not please you, you will not fill your life with hurt in the future. Try to form
the people that you truly need around you. friendships and relationships
through a positive environment such
as social events, yoga class, culture
events, local coffee shops etc.

Spend 20 minutes a day to set a goal for

yourself. Set up a coffee day with one of your
friends biweekly to make sure that you are
fulfilling your social needs. Develop new
hobbies by joining groups of reading, drawing,
writing, yoga etc. Learn new skills like art,
dance, cooking, swimming etc. Travel and meet
new people.
There is nothing wrong with wanting to be
alone but we do not want to get to the point of
becoming lonely.

It isn’t easy to be social and to start new

6 friendships but know that is worth all of the

health benefits. Having healthy social health
levels provide emotional, physical and positive
mental health on all levels. So get out there and
get hugging and making friends since it is
beneficial for your health.
Of course, the way you choose to send your message
matters. But, equally important, if not more
important, is how well you know to pay attention, to
listen, and to receive your interlocutor’s message.
“An effective communication requires genuine
listening, which requires five main aspects: center all
your focus on the speaker, don’t interrupt the
speaker, leave your judgmental side apart, present
your interest in his or her message by adding small
comments like ‘yes’ or ‘I understand,’ and ask
questions to ensure that you’ve fully understood.”
It’s not the same thing to shut up and listen to a
person than to actually be there with your thoughts
and emotions, to be an engaged listener. We never
speak just words. Most of the time, the real message
can only be told by our gestures and facial
expressions. Keep this in mind as you listen to others.
The words we choose to speak can
have a great impact on our
message, and they can determine
how effectively it is passed on to
others. For instance, if you’re a
2 team leader and want to let your
team know that you’re in this
together, use pronouns like “us”
and “we” while speaking. This way,
they will start to think of
themselves more like a part of the
team and less like an individual
part of the company. In short:
Words can have a lot of power if
you know how and when to speak
them.
Communication is about expressing yourself. It’s
about sharing your thoughts and feelings with
others in an honest and open way. As well, you
can assert yourself, meaning that you stand up for
your beliefs while respecting the opinions of
others.
4 Most of the time, we are using our
“Being assertive doesn’t mean to be hostile and
demanding. It is more about respecting yourself,
your needs, and values. Knowing how and when
to say a firm ‘no,’ knowing how to express
something negative in a positive way, and how to
receive feedback no matter of its nature.”
When we communicate with each
other, we rarely use only words.
body language—which includes
gestures, facial expressions, voice
tones, eye contact, posture, and
even breathing—to send our
message.
That’s why we must learn to spot
all these nonverbal signs and learn
how to properly use them in order
to send our message as accurately
as possible. Learning to read and
use body language will help you
connect and establish
relationships with others more
easily, because everyone wants to
communicate with a person who
truly listens, cares, and
understands.

Far too often, when we touch on a sensitive

subject, we allow our emotions to lead us in a
conversation. Sometimes, we then forget the
whole point of that conversation, leading to an
unpleasant situation where we say things that
we later regret.
Strong feelings like love and stress can easily
cloud our minds during conversations and make
us no longer think rationally. In these situations,
emotional management techniques can help us
return to a relaxed and rational state and enable
us to engage with others without losing our cool.

Allone we can do so little!

Together we can do so much!
Helen Keller
 Social Health Questionnaire
Results
1. I think my relationship with other people needs to be improved and I strive for that.

2. I derive satisfaction and joy from my social relationships.

3. I feel willing to provide support to others to meet personal goals.

4. I enjoy traveling more when I am with other people.

5. I respect people's privacy.

6. I am insecure in my relationships with other people.

7. I believe that my cooperation with others is important in order to fulfill my goals.

8. My self-esteem is positive in matters related to my responsibilities and duties.

9. It is my principle to respect human rights.

10. I consider social responsibility an important factor in people's standard of living.

11. I feel joy with the joy of the people around me.

12. I can largely feel and perceive what other people think and feel.
13. My participation in school activities gives me satisfaction and joy.

Conclusions
This questionnaire was applied to students aged 13-15 years.

The questionnaire shows the fact that Most of students:

students:
• derive satisfaction and joy from their
social relationships,
• respect people's privacy,
• feel willing to provide support to others
to meet personal goals and
• enjoy to travel when they are with other
people.
The most important point for students to
improve is the insecurity in their
relationships with other people.
• believe that their relationship with other people
needs to be improved and strive for that,
• believe that working with others is important in
order to fulfill their goals,
• consider that their self-esteem is positive in
matters related to their responsibilities and duties,
• respect human rights,
• consider social responsibility an important factor
for people's standard of living,
• feel joy with the joy of the people around them,
• can feel and perceive to a large extent what
other people think and feel and
• participate in school activities with satisfaction
and joy.

In conclusion, we can say that students have a good level in Social Health, but to improve it they can:
• Join community events
• Learn to communicate effectively
• Be their self
• Avoid toxic people and environments
• Not isolate their self (develop new hobbies by joining groups of reading, drawing, writing, yoga etc,
learn new skills like art, dance, cooking, swimming etc. , travel and meet new people.)
• Get Out There and Socialize

Empathy, understanding, and the power

of community can build a bridge to
better social wellbeing for all.
This Erasmus+ project aims to promote a new
attitude and a healthy lifestyle, a strong mind in a
healthy body, not only to teachers and students, but
also in the local, national and international
communities. It is a project aimed at working on the
main problems that most of our students have:
health problems, lack of self-esteem, bullying,
depression, excessive use of the internet...These
problems are caused by bad lifestyle habits that also
have consequences on their school performance. To
achieve all these, the participating schools aimed to
organize and coordinate activities related to the six
dimensions of health: physical, intellectual, social,
spiritual, emotional and environmental.

The Greek mobility took place between 9th and 13th May 2022 and the topic was Social Health. Due to good
conditions of travelling and less restrictions in participating schools, this LTT activity was attended physically
by all partners.

The first day started with the welcome ceremony, headmaster's and Greek coordinator’s speeches, artistic
performances and a school tour. Students, in national teams, presented their local work - presentations on
Social Health, definitions, what happens if this health dimension is affected, what can be done and what the
results are if people are involved in activities which improve it. Divided in transnational groups, students
were involved in ice breaking activities, knowing each other better, improving their social health. A
workshop was organised, on the topic Role of Empathy on Social Health, where students learnt about the
importance of it in general wellness. The second part of the day was dedicated to the power point
presentations with the results of social health questionnaire applied in each school.
The second day started with a workshop on the topic of Social Health and Social Media. Participants debated
on the role social media has on people’s wellness and behaviour, about the positive parts of social media, its
drawbacks and how this affects our social life and social health, emotionally, physically and mentally. An
educational trip was organised for participants to improve their social health because travelling enhances
social behaviour, having lots of positive effects on our health when discovering new places, working in teams
outdoors, socialising with the others.

During the third day, participants visited the city hall of Nestos, where its representatives talked about the
activities they organise in order to improve citizens’ social behaviour. A visit to Xanthi was also organised and
participants were involved in group work activities which aimed to improve their collaboration, team work,
practical skills and creativity.

The fourth day a lecture was held with the topic was Social Health and the Internet use as means of
adaptability. The aim was to make participants conscious about the way the internet affects their social
health and all the drawbacks it has on their social life. Students were also given real life situations with the
negative effects of the internet and they came up with practical solutions. Participants visited the historical
site of Phillipi.

During the last day of activities, a management meeting was organised, an evaluation questionnaire was
applied and certificates were awarded. A tour of the Imaret and the house of Mohamet Ali was organised,
students getting in touch with the Greek culture and civilisation, spending time with the other participants,
improving their social skills, discussing, asking questions and receiving answers, practicing English.
Participation in this mobility offered participants the chance to improve their knowledge on Social Health
which is an important health dimension.

Unfortunately, not all relationships are healthy. Some of

the reasons are the toxic relationships, the bad
influences and that people are always changing. Having
healthy relation involves good communication, empathy,
and care for family, friends and colleagues. Being self-
centered, violent and alone have ill effects on health
causing stress and depression which are a threat to self
and others. Social isolation and social exclusion, both are
causes of poor chances of survival with a decreased
degree of quality of life, depression and increased risk for
chronic diseases. These in turn can lead to poor physical
and mental health.
Social health is the ability to form satisfying interpersonal
relationships with others. It also refers to the ability to
adapt comfortably to different social situations and act
appropriately in a variety of settings.
Remaining social has many health benefits;
social interaction is particularly important
for maintaining optimal physical and mental
health, and for forming new interpersonal
relationships. Human beings are social by
nature; people not only want interactions,
they demand them. And that is what makes
social wellbeing a vital element of our overall
well-being. If we do not have strong
relationships in our lives, our ability to live
automatically becomes limited.
However, today, people often let their social welfare fall to a bare minimum. They fail to leave enough time
to work on developing and maintaining these social ties. Healthy relationships have an impact on the
mental and physical state. They can help us manage stress, live longer lives and become healthier.

Whatever your age or stage of life is, don’t take relationships for granted. Value the friendships you have
and keep developing new ones. Your physical and mental health will thank you for it and your quality of life
will reflect it.

When we give attention to our physical,

environmental, emotional, spiritual, financial,
educational, and occupational wellbeing, we
improve our social wellbeing, too.
“The European Commission's support for the production of
this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the
contents, which reflect the views only of the authors, and
the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use
which may be made of the information contained therein.”