Voices and Creations of YES Adolescents

Through audio and visual documentation, members of the Youth Advisory Groups of the Youth Engagement Scheme (YES) share, in their own words, what matters to them.

The YES Programme is coming to a close, leaving behind a legacy of creative work that can inspire educators and other professionals. Adolescent members of the programme share their thoughts, experiences, and reflections through original videos and podcasts they created themselves, giving voice to what concerns, inspires, and matters to them. Explore their work and draw inspiration for similar audiovisual initiatives that promote students' mental wellbeing.

YES in 60 Seconds!

A one-minute video that takes us on a tour of the Youth Engagement Scheme (YES) of the Child & Adolescent Mental Health Initiative. It was created from footage gathered during the YES Youth Advisory Groups' meetings in the 2023–24 school year, with original music by the programme's assistant coordinator and musician, Savvas Metaxas. Filming and editing were handled by director Anastasis Mavrogiannis.

"Do We Communicate?" Dialogue Day

In the 2025–26 school year, a nationwide network of Active Schools was created to improve relationships within the school community and help strengthen children's resilience against the challenges affecting their mental health. In April 2026, at the 2nd Model General Lyceum of Athens, we tried something different: 67 adolescents and their teachers from 15 schools across Attica took part in a Dialogue Day coordinated by the adolescents themselves. This video is a "highlight reel" from a documentary that will soon be posted on our YouTube channel and here, showing just how important it is for schools to give children the chance to express themselves, engage in dialogue, and put forward proposals on issues that concern them.

Listening... to the Adolescent View

Members of the YES Programme team discuss the goals, methodology, and content of the Youth Advisory Groups' (ESO) meetings, and how these connect with the Child & Adolescent Mental Health Initiative as well as with secondary schools. The documentary, directed by Anastasis Mavrogiannis, also includes excerpts from short films created by adolescent ESO members during the 2023–2024 school year, as part of a film project titled "How Close – How Far?" exploring adolescent relationships.

End of Another Year – The Big YES Gathering (June 2025)

On Saturday and Sunday, June 14 and 15, 2025, the Youth Engagement Scheme's (YES) annual review meeting took place in Athens, celebrating the completion of that year's programme. It brought together 30 representatives from the Youth Advisory Groups of the 5 cities where the programme runs, 15 partner-educators, members of the coordinating team, and mental health professionals who supported and facilitated the groups' meetings throughout the year. The gathering marked the culmination of a school year full of activities, games, discussions, and creative interventions in schools. And the two-day event captured exactly that: the energy and joy of participation.

Stress and... Action! 4 Videos on Adolescent Stress, by Adolescents

Four short videos, totaling 7 minutes, were created by adolescents as part of YES's film workshop. Centered on the theme of anxiety and stress in adolescence — the Programme's central theme for the 2022–23 school year — small groups of 5 to 8 children in each city (videos appear in this order: Ioannina, Athens, Alexandroupoli, Thessaloniki) worked on their scripts and devoted 8 to 10 hours to filming.

Through the process, the children grew closer, learned about audiovisual production, and crafted a shared message for other children, educators, and parents: "Stress exists in our lives for many reasons. Let's not be afraid, and let's face it together!"

Relationships at School

Faidra, Charis, Alkmini, and Giannis, members of the Athens Youth Advisory Group of the Youth Engagement Scheme (YES) 2023–2024, discuss their relationships within the school setting and the power dynamics that develop within them. The video was created by the young people themselves, as part of the Group's related project.

What Does YES Mean to Me?

A video featuring recordings made by the adolescents themselves — members of the 5 Youth Advisory Groups of the Youth Engagement Scheme (YES), in the cities where it operates: Athens, Thessaloniki, Heraklion, Ioannina, and Alexandroupoli. Video design and music: Savvas Metaxas.

5 Podcasts: Growing Up in a Digital World

Social media is everywhere in adolescents' lives today. But what do young people themselves actually think about it? Prompted by CAMHI's major report, "Growing Up Digital: An Evidence to Policy Synthesis" on the digital ecosystems in which today's adolescents in Greece are born and raised, members of the YES Programme's youth groups from five Greek cities spoke openly about the influence social media has on their lives. The result is five separate podcasts, one voice from each city (in the order in which they appear): Athens, Thessaloniki, Alexandroupoli, Heraklion, Ioannina.

"Take Five" Photography Project: When Images Find Their Voice

During the 2024–2025 school year, the YES Programme's Youth Advisory Groups (ESOs) explored the theme of adolescent "Profile." As part of discussions about self-image and everything connected to it, we gave the ESO members small disposable analog (film) cameras and asked each of them to take 5 photographs on subjects related to their personal "Profile." The cameras were passed from hand to hand throughout the year, with the children carefully choosing what to capture, without the option to post the photo instantly, view it right away as with a phone, or delete it. When the photos were developed at the end of the year, we asked members who wished to share a few words about what their photos show and how they connect to their own sense of self. In this video, you'll see their photographs and hear, in their own words, how the adolescents describe them.

The YES Programme at the World Health Organization Event (2025)

On stage at the World Health Organization's "Growing Healthier Together" event, on Saturday, May 10, 2025, CAMHI's panel presented the YES Programme through adolescents' experiences, creative dialogue, and practical examples, showing how youth participation leads to more meaningful and effective mental health interventions. Taking part in the presentation were Savvas Metaxas, Coordinator of the Athens Youth Advisory Group and YES Educational Activities; Katerina Pronoiti, Head of Administrative Monitoring and Support for the YES Programme; and two students and members of the YES Youth Advisory Group, Faidra Kosteletou and Christos Patelis.

Conversations on Adolescence with Members of the YES Programme

What does it mean to be a teenager today? What are the joys, the struggles, the challenges — and how do young people themselves see the world around them? In these videos, members of the Youth Engagement Scheme (YES) speak in their own words about their lives, social media, the power of collaboration, and the importance of having a voice. They share experiences, reflections, and their own messages to young people everywhere. Featured, in order of appearance: Giorgos & Aimilios (Ioannina – Soufli), Larissa & Eirini (Ioannina), Athina & Angeliki (Heraklion – Alexandroupoli), Vayia & Zafeirenia (Alexandroupoli), Marios & Faidra (Heraklion – Athens), Thanos (Athens).

"I Don't Have Time": A YES Programme Project

The lack of free time in adolescents' lives was a topic that kept coming up in their discussions: daily routines packed with school, tutoring, and obligations, with no room to breathe — no space for relaxation, friends, or creativity. We asked children who had taken part in YES in previous years to share what free time means to them, what happens when it's missing, and what would change if they had more time for themselves. Their answers were revealing: free time is not a luxury, but a necessity — a space for personal freedom, recovery, and growth.

Featuring: Artemis Takasi, Elpiniki Desylla, Nelli Roumelioti, Angeliki Tsiknaki, Giannis Koumoutsos, Alexandra Giannakopoulou, Elda Tafani.

Listening to the Voices of Adolescents: The YES Programme

With the participation of three university students, former members of the YES Youth Advisory Groups (ESOs), this discussion, held during CAMHI's 2nd Full-Day Conference (February 2025), presented the goals and work of the Programme, highlighting the importance of listening to young people in efforts to support them. Through videos from the YES groups, it showed how open dialogue and participatory approaches can transform relationships within the school community. Speakers: George Moschos, YES Director ; Savvas Metaxas, Coordinator of the Athens YES Youth Advisory Group; Aliki Vasilarakou, Educator, 2nd Vocational Lyceum of Egaleo; and university students and former members of the Athens YES team, Patil Bargountian, Arkadios Giotis, and Elda Tafani.

Patil, in New York, for the Global Youth Mental Health Summit

In New York, on September 22, 2025, the Child Mind Institute, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF), and the SNF Global Center for Child and Adolescent Mental Health hosted the Global Youth Mental Health Summit, titled "The Digital Dilemma: Bridging Science and Storytelling for Youth Mental Health," bringing together scientists, policymakers, and young leaders from around the world. Patil Bargountian, a representative of the YES Programme, took part in the first panel, speaking about experiences, challenges, and solutions drawn from young people's own needs and proposals. In this video, filmed on the sidelines of the Summit, Patil talks about herself and her impressions.

The YES program was implemented in partnership with the Child Mind Institute, with exclusive support from Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) as part of the SNF Global Health Initiative (GHI).