…with Julie Kane

In today's educational landscape, supporting young people's mental health and emotional literacy is more important than ever. We know that many young people are struggling with managing their emotions and this impacts their education in a range of ways.

Julie is a third-year PhD student at Aston University, and discusses her innovative research using zines to support emotional literacy and mental health in young people. Julie shares how her background in psychology and art inspired her to develop creative workshops for primary and secondary students. We discuss the benefits of arts-based approaches, the flexibility and community-building power of zines, and the positive feedback from schools. Julie also highlights practical resources for teachers and her ongoing efforts to adapt and expand this project.

"It's like reading literacy—you can read words but not comprehend them. Emotional literacy involves both naming emotions and truly understanding them." – Julie Kane

Zelp on Breath Education: https://breathe-edu.co.uk/zelp/

Key points of the discussion:

• Research on zines as a tool for improving emotional literacy and mental health in young people.

• Julie's background in psychology and child development, combined with interests in art and creative expression led to this research.

• Definition and importance of emotional literacy in understanding and expressing emotions.

• The role of arts-based projects in enhancing mental health and providing alternative forms of expression.

• Description and characteristics of zines as self-published materials for personal expression.

• The collaborative and solitary aspects of zine-making and its impact on community building.

• Implementation of zine workshops in primary schools and their structure, including psychoeducation lessons.

• Positive feedback from children participating in zine workshops and its effects on their emotional literacy.

• Adaptation of zine workshop materials for secondary school students and the challenges faced.

• Resources and support for teachers to implement zine-making in educational settings, including animated videos and lesson plans.

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