Final conference: FROM IDEAS TO CHANGE - Mental Health Support for Young People

10 June, 2026, Maribor, Slovenia

Sometimes, behind the words young people say when they say, “I’m fine,” there is much more.

Behind them there may be stress, loneliness, anxiety, pressure, low self-esteem, or the feeling that no one truly hears them. These experiences may differ across countries and communities, but many young people share a similar need: to be seen, heard, and supported before their distress becomes too heavy to carry alone.

This was the starting point of the MEET project final conference, From Ideas to Change: Supporting Youth Mental Health, which brought together project partners, experts, practitioners, organisations, and other stakeholders from the Danube Region.

At the conference, we explored what young people need, how we can better support vulnerable groups of young people, and what we have learned through the MEET project pilot activities. Partners presented practical tools, local experiences, and reflections on topics such as stress and anxiety, emotional literacy, self-image, relationships, empathy, peer violence, digital safety, and social inclusion.

The conference highlighted that youth mental health support cannot be provided by one organisation or one professional alone. It requires connected systems, safe spaces, trusting relationships, and cooperation between education, youth work, social care, healthcare, and local communities.

The MEET project journey has shown that small, practical steps can become part of wider change when they are shared, adapted, and supported by the commitment of people and organisations.

Conference programme

Time	Presentation title	Presenter
10.00 – 10.20	Welcome and Opening	Dušanka Lužar Šajt, Prizma Fundation, Slovenia Stephen Jonathan Halligan, MA/JS, Danube Region Programme
10.20 – 10.30	The MEET Journey: From Local Needs to Shared Solutions	Michaela Bruckmayer, Centre for Social Innovation (ZSI), Austria presentation
10.30 – 10.50	What do Young People Need and How Can We Help Them Get It? Lessons on Youth Mental Health Support from Slovenia	Domen Kralj, The National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ), Slovenia presentation
10.50 – 11.20	Stories That Matter: The Reality of Young People from Vulnerable Groups	Anja Poredoš, Maribor Adult Education Centre presentation Enitë Bajraj, Gustav Šilih Centre Maribor presentation
11.20 -12.10	Real Challenges - Real Solutions Panel discussion with representatives of MEET piloting partners
12.10 – 12.30	Refreshment break
12.30 – 12.50	From Local Practice to Danube Strategy	Luca Szöõr-Fülöp, HETFA Research Institute, Hungary presentation
12.50 – 13.10	Youth Mental Health in Europe: From Local Practices to Systemic Change	Marina Royo Marco, Youth Leadership Programme /Mental Health Europe presentation
13.10 – 13.50	Experience the Solutions: Tools to Promote Mental Health	Laura Fotulová, Technical University of Košice, Slovakia presentation Sabina Majerič, Prizma Fundation, Slovenia presentation
13.50 – 14.00	Commitment act & closing