Authors: Elena Vasilica and Nadia Eatough
On the 17th of July, at the Erasmus+ Awards Ceremony hosted by ANEFORE, L’École des Valeurs was recognised for its contribution to non-formal, values-based education and its lasting impact on young people. The award highlights the organisation’s commitment to nurturing resilience, empathy, and civic responsibility among youth — a mission shaped by the dedication of its team, the trust of its partners, and the active engagement of the young people it serves.
One of the key issues L’École des Valeurs has chosen to address is bullying — a pervasive yet often invisible problem in schools and youth environments across Europe, including Luxembourg. Frequently unspoken, bullying isolates its victims and can lead to long-term psychological and social consequences. In this context, the need for open dialogue, stronger support systems, and proactive community engagement is more urgent than ever.
To address this societal issue, L’École des Valeurs launched a project, as part of the broader European initiative Heartguard – Empowering Youth Against Bullying. The project focuses on equipping young people with the knowledge, courage, and empathy to recognise, speak up and take action against bullying.
Our workshops have been held across various schools and cultural spaces in Luxembourg, always creating a safe environment for young people to explore challenging topics. Conducted mostly in non-formal education settings familiar and accessible to youth, these sessions invite participants to step beyond traditional classrooms and engage in open conversations.
Guided by youth workers trained within the Heartguard framework, groups of young people come together to reflect on experiences that affect them deeply, such as bullying and social exclusion. Reflecting Luxembourg’s rich cultural diversity, participants often bring a variety of perspectives.
During the workshops, participants collectively examine real-life questions and scenarios related to bullying, selecting the ones that resonate most with their personal experiences. The atmosphere is one of respect, openness, and empowerment, encouraging young people to share honestly and listen actively.
A powerful part of the process involves participants expressing their insights through creative means, such as developing and performing short theatrical scenes that reveal the emotional impact of bullying. Beyond this, they collaboratively create solution-focused scenarios that offer concrete strategies to confront and respond to different bullying situations. These scenarios serve as practical educational tools for youth workers and educators seeking to replicate these impactful interventions.
Stories shared often highlight acts of courage and kindness: like a young person standing up to reclaim their dignity or peers taking small but meaningful steps to include someone feeling excluded. Such stories ignite deep discussions about the roles we play in bullying — are we bystanders who watch silently, or upstanders who choose to act?
The workshops also encourage participants to grapple with questions such as whether bullying requires repetition to be harmful, or how to seek support when facing difficult situations.
In feedback sessions, young voices resonate with clarity and urgency:
“We should never bully anyone; it’s hurtful and wrong.”
“If you keep it inside, it only gets worse—talk about it.”
“When words hurt repeatedly, they become real; don’t let them define you.”
“Call on adults or authorities when you need protection.”
These messages remind us that our workshops are not just about understanding bullying but about inspiring young people to be more empathetic and kinder to each other.
This activity is part of a wider European effort coordinated through Heartguard, developed by L’École des Valeurs in partnership with a youth organisation from France.
The project is funded by the Erasmus+ programme through Anefore Luxembourg, and supported by community partners, institutions, and youth networks working together to create safer, more empathetic spaces for young people.
The true success of this project lies in its human impact: young people leave the experience transformed — more aware, more empathetic, and more brave. They don’t just learn to recognise and resist bullying; they become kinder, stronger individuals, ready to shape a more respectful and inclusive society.
As part of the project, we, at L’École des Valeurs, have developed educational resources for teachers and youth workers committed to creating safe, inclusive spaces for young people. These practical tools are designed to support your efforts in preventing and addressing bullying, helping you become a trusted reference in your school or community.
L’École des Valeurs is the Luxembourg-based branch of the Scoala de Valori, which has been active in Romania and, by way of collaboration, in other EU countries, for over fifteen years. The institution offers values-based non-formal education for students aged eight to 30. Its programmes are funded by Erasmus+ and endorsed by ANEFORE in Luxembourg.
Explore the resources and learn more about the project here:
🔗 https://lecoledesvaleurs.eu/heartguard/