Thomas Albers
Thomas works as the international project manager for the Anatta Foundation in the Netherlands where he is the coordinator of this EU funded project on the promotion of Positive Mental Health for European youth. He is passionate about environmental and positive psychology and seeks to combine both research fields in his work and studies. For the Anatta Foundation he delivers trainings for young people to increase wellbeing and people-nature connections. Thomas is also a PhD candidate at the Sapienza University of Rome in social and environmental psychology.
Sebastian Weesjes
I’m Sebastian, a freestyle educator based out of Amsterdam. I believe the most powerful learning is not done through textbooks, but through discovering more about yourself and others. Through my work we focus on that and promote positive mental health.
Feel free to contact me:
Sybren Bouwsma
Sybren Bouwsma contributes to this project by sharing his coaching and training experience in nature aimed at mental health for vulnerable young people. In addition, he is involved in the Anatta Foundation as an organizer of international youth meetings for young people who stutter. Sybren has a background as social researcher, ethicist and has followed various coaching courses.
He currently works as an independent nature coach / trainer and online coach, more information can be found at www.orangeraven.org
Oda Salomons
Oda Salomons is a nature coach, trainer and psychologist.
‘I compare my training room with a playground. Think of when you were a young kid, making a tree house in the wood. The tree house collapses, and you wander: what can I do next time differently? Maybe hammer some extra nails? Don’t think in right or wrong, as we usually criticize ourselves, allow yourself to grow in a playful, free and positive way. Enlarge your strengths instead of looking at what we should improve about ourselves. This is the basis to develop Positive Mental Health.’
Competences that Oda Salomons will bring in the project: experienced trainer and nature coach; theoretical and practical knowledge about Positive Mental Health and experiential learning: learning by doing and reflecting on it; expert in reflective methods, understanding group dynamics; compassion for people, enthusiasm, commitment; creativity.
More about Oda and her company Rewild Yourself, coaching and training in nature: https://rewildyourself.nl
George Lazov
George Lazov, a project manager and coordinator of the Youth Center of creACTive in Kavadarci. Responsible for the daily youth work activities provided at the youth center, and a current ESC coordinator at creACTive. Graduated in film directing, he is responsible for all activities utilizing film-making in supporting youth development and participation. Experienced in delivering trainings to youth workers on how to apply film-making in youth work.
Biljana Vasilevska Trajkoska
Biljana Vasilevska Trajkoska, a social and youth worker experienced in the field of social and youth work in the area of improvement of access to social rights of young people, with particular focus on improvement of access to social rights of young people with fewer opportunities. Biljana is engaged
in different processes related to youth work and young people, member of the National working group for development of youth work policies and is one of the people that drafted the vocational standard for youth workers. Biljana is a co-writer of the first National Quality Standards for Youth Work, National Youth Work Portfolio and the Quality Standards for Youth Centers in Macedonia. Biljana was also involved in the development of the Code of Ethics for youth workers.
Dragan Atanasov
Dragan Atanasov, trainer and consultant, specialized in youth work, cultural diversity, community development and social inclusion. Skilled at conducting researches and assessments, designing and delivering tranings, writing publications, developing policies, monitoring and evaluating programs. Over 10 years of involvement in civil society and international developmental programs. Founder of the Youth Association creACTive and currently a Secretary General of the Union for Youth Work in Macedonia. Author of publications on youth work, volunteering (European Voluntary Service) and mentoring young people. Co-author of the first Youth Work Portfolio and Quality Standards for Youth Work in Macedonia. Member of the pools of trainers of SALTO-YOUTH SEE and SEEYN, and part of the pool of external experts of the Council of Europe for is Quality Label Program for Youth Centers.
Andrea Gaggioli
Andrea Gaggioli is Full Professor of Psychology at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Milan. His research focus is to understand and measure human experience, using a broad spectrum of methods, instruments, and technologies. At the applied level, his goal is to integrate neuroscience, digital tools, and art to design transformative experiences that improve people’s lives. Prof. Gaggioli carried out his Ph.D. in Psychobiology at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Milan, where he studied the key experiential dimensions of virtual reality (i.e., presence and flow). Over the last 20 years, he has been involved in several projects on VR, AR, artificial intelligence and robotics applications in mental health/wellbeing, neurorehabilitation, education/training. His research has been largely funded by the European Commission. Prof. Gaggioli has published over 150 articles in peer-reviewed journals, including Science and Nature, and served as a keynote at EuroVR, Persuasive Technology, Design & Emotion, Supporting Health by Tech conferences, and several others. His research is regularly featured in international media outlets, including The New York Times, Die Zeit, Reuters, and Scientific American.
Flavia Cristofolini
Flavia Cristofolini in UCSC is adjunct professor in the Faculty of Psychology, an instructor for future teachers in the General Psychology course of Letters and Philosophy and a researcher in the Centre of Psychology of Communication. After graduating in Foreign Languages and Literatures, she was a teacher for 3 decades, and a Trainer of Socio-Affective Education. After graduating in Psychology, she specialized in third generation Cognitive-Behavioral Psychotherapy and Training. She deals with design and implementation of interventions to promote psychological well-being in the non-clinical settings also through the use of new technologies (Positive Technology).
Together with Prof. A. Gaggioli she devised a Positive Education approach, published in 2021.
She coordinates for the ExperienceLab the Erasmus + KA220 (2022-2025) project for the creation of a digital app for the promotion of youth well-being and positive mental health.
Maria Ganeo
Maria Ganeo is a research intern at the ExperienceLab of the Catholic University of Milan where she also graduated with honors in Psychology for Well-Being: Empowerment, Rehabilitation and Positive Technologies. She is a tutor for the Master in User Experience Psychology in collaboration with Politecnico di Milano and Poli.Design. During an internship at the Milan Center for Family Therapy, she developed a project in schools to help adolescents after the pandemic and promote their role as protagonists of our future. She collaborates with ExperienceLab on the Erasmus+ KA220 project for the creation of a digital app for the promotion of youth well-being and positive mental health.
Mattia Minzolini
Graduated with honours in Psychology for Well-being: Empowerment, Rehabilitation and Positive Technology at UniCatt. He specialised in the field of Psychotechnologies by designing Mind Your Time, an application dedicated to promoting Digital Wellbeing and based on an innovative methodological approach to the problem of Hyperconnetivity. In addition, Mattia deals with Sport Psychology and Mental Preparation, also drawing on his experience as a competitive karate athlete, serving in several clubs in the Milan area.