The Us; The Survivors

The problem that we identified was the lack of educational learning materials for students facing mental health disorders caused by political crises. Our team believes that we need to make the education system accessible on many levels. Accessibility is inclusive of students with learning disabilities, mental health problems, financial limitations, divergence etc. Our project specifically focuses on making students in crises aware of mental health problems that may arise due to the crises, and the ways in which they can express themselves.

"The Us” is an educational mental health board and video game aimed at letting students explore their emotions and feelings and how to deal with them. A game to bring back the joy and the positive feelings that were felt pre-crisis. A tool used to improve mental health accessibility for regions with internet (video games) and regions without (board games). "The Us" includes a series of tasks and questions to allow students to identify what they are feeling, why they are feeling that way, and how to tackle negative emotions.

Strengthening youth mental health during times of crisis or post-crisis is essential, and according to Kids Helpline, “children who are able to identify, understand, express and manage a wide range of feelings experience long-term benefits to their mental health and wellbeing.” Through collaborating with NGOs such as UNICEF and Amnesty International, our board games can reach residential, school, and refugee areas where the internet is not accessible. This will be in the form of educational aid, as well as mental healthcare aid. In areas where the internet is accessible, "The Us" online video game becomes practical and viable. Our motto is Together, we become Us, Together, we are Survivors.