STIGMA OUT: the first project results are taking shape

April 2026

After the first months of implementation, the Erasmus+ Sport project STIGMA OUT has started to produce its first concrete results.

Following the project launch, the Online Kick-off Meeting and the Transnational Meeting held in Rome from 20 to 24 March 2026, the partners worked together to collect, organise and develop the first materials linked to the implementation of the project.

These first results represent an important step in the STIGMA OUT journey, as they show how the cooperation between the partner organisations is moving from planning to concrete outputs.

The project aims to provide sports associations with tools, knowledge and educational methods to better understand youth mental health, reduce stigma and promote safer, more inclusive and supportive sport environments.

Implementation Progress: monitoring the work carried out

One of the first results developed by the partnership is the Implementation Progress report.

This document collects and describes the work carried out during the first phase of the project, offering a clear overview of the activities implemented so far and of the progress made by the consortium.

The report focuses on the main steps completed since the beginning of STIGMA OUT, including the launch of the project, the coordination work among partners, the preparation of the activities and the implementation of the first project events.

It also helps the partners monitor the coherence between the planned objectives and the activities actually carried out. In this way, the Implementation Progress report becomes an important internal and external tool to evaluate how the project is developing and to ensure that each phase remains aligned with the overall goals of STIGMA OUT.

Communication Material: spreading the project message

Another important result is the development of the first Communication Material.

Communication plays a central role in STIGMA OUT, because the project deals with a topic that still needs to be discussed more openly: mental health among young people and the stigma often associated with psychological distress.

The communication activities aim to make the project visible, accessible and understandable for different audiences, including young people, sports associations, coaches, youth workers, families, local communities and stakeholders.

The Communication Material includes:

• website articles and updates, used to document the main steps of the project and make its results accessible online;

• advocacy videos, created to spread the message of STIGMA OUT and encourage sports organisations to take an active role in reducing mental health stigma;

• sport-based video resources, including role-play activities designed to promote empathy and understanding of others’ experiences;

• video resources on sport exercises, focused on activities that can help young people decompress from anxiety, stress and emotional pressure;

• graphic materials, including flyers, banners, roll-ups and digital information resources;

• informative materials on mental health, prepared to support awareness-raising actions during local events and community activities.

Through communication, the project wants to spread a clear message: mental health matters, stigma can be challenged, and sport can become a space where young people feel supported rather than judged.

Partner’s Cooperation and Meetings: documenting the European collaboration

The partnership also developed the Partner’s Cooperation and Meetings report.

This document describes the cooperation process among the organisations involved in STIGMA OUT and collects the main activities carried out during project meetings and events.

It includes information about the Online Kick-off Meeting, the coordination work among partners and the Transnational Meeting in Rome. It also documents the structure of the meetings, the main topics addressed, the activities implemented and the contribution of the partner organisations.

The report is particularly important because STIGMA OUT is based on a strong transnational cooperation process. Each partner brings different experiences, competences and perspectives: grassroots sport, mental health expertise, youth work, non-formal education and community engagement.

By documenting this cooperation, the report shows how the partners worked together to create a shared European approach to youth mental health through sport.

From activities to project outputs

The first results developed by the partnership are not only administrative documents. They also represent a bridge between the activities already implemented and the future outputs of the project.

During the Rome Transnational Meeting, participants worked on several key topics: the fears and expectations of young Europeans, youth mental health in Europe, the psychological benefits of sport during adolescence, stigma and mental illness, advocacy campaigns, informative materials and sport-based activities designed to reduce anxiety, stress and depression.

The knowledge, reflections and materials created during these activities will now support the development of the next project outputs, including awareness-raising resources, practical training materials and local activities.

In particular, the sport-based activities created during the meeting will be further developed and recorded in the next phases of the project, so that they can become accessible resources for sports associations, youth workers and local communities.

Preparing the local impact

The first results also prepare the ground for the next phase of STIGMA OUT: bringing the project back to local communities.

After the transnational work, each partner organisation will share the knowledge and materials developed during the project through dedicated local activities. These moments will help spread awareness of the work carried out at European level and will directly involve local communities.

The local dimension is essential for STIGMA OUT. The project is European in its cooperation, but its impact must be felt in the everyday life of young people, coaches, volunteers and sports associations.

For this reason, the first outputs are designed to be useful, accessible and replicable, allowing the project’s message to reach beyond the organisations directly involved.

A concrete step towards the STIGMA OUT mission

The development of the Implementation Progress, Communication Material and Partner’s Cooperation and Meetings report marks an important step in the project’s journey.

These results show that the partnership is working together with a clear direction and that the project is progressively building the tools needed to promote its mission.

STIGMA OUT continues to move forward with a strong message: young people’s mental health deserves attention, stigma must be reduced, and sport can play an important role in creating safer, more inclusive and supportive communities.

The first results are now taking shape, and they represent the foundation for the next phase of the project: transforming European cooperation into local impact.