ERICC UCL Virtual Seminar: Supporting children’s mental health and mental wellbeing in and through education in contexts of conflict and protracted crises: Evidence Review

In this seminar, Dr Genevieve Greer (International Rescue Committee) and Dr Ian Warwick (IOE, UCL) presented findings from their recent review of evidence on support for children’s mental health and emotional wellbeing in and through education in conflict and protracted crisis contexts. The review formed part of the ERICC Research Programme, and it identifies promising practices and key gaps in education-related support for children. While much of the existing research on education in conflict settings has focused on learning loss and foundational skills, this review adopts a somewhat different perspective, outlining the challenges to mental health and emotional wellbeing, particularly engendered through conflict and protracted crises, and suggests how education-related programmes might best be developed and enacted to support children’s mental health and emotional wellbeing.

The seminar also invited reflection on understandings of children’s mental health and emotional wellbeing. For example, what influences these, how we come to know about them, and what education-related principles and values might inform policy, programming and practice in and across different settings.

Webinar Recording: Click here.
Presentation: Click here.

CHAIR

Professor Elaine Chase is a Professor in Education, Wellbeing and International Development at the UCL IOE Centre for Education and International Development. Her teaching and research focuses on the sociological dimensions of health, wellbeing and rights of individuals and communities, particularly those most likely to experience marginalisation and exclusion. With respect to health and health promotion, as well as conducting extensive research, Elaine has also worked as a health promotion practitioner both in the UK (health promotion specialist) and in Namibia (youth health programme advisor with the Ministry of Youth and Sport for several years).

DISCUSSANT

Professor J. Lawrence Aber is Paulette Goddard Professor of Psychology and Public Policy at the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, and University Professor, New York University, where he has served as board chair of its Institute of Human Development and Social Change and was co-director of the international research center Global TIES for Children. His basic research examines the influence of poverty and violence, at the family and community levels, on the social, emotional, behavioral, cognitive and academic development of children and youth. From 1994-2004, he served as Director of the National Center for Children in Poverty at Columbia University. 

SPEAKERS

Dr Geneviève Greer is a Georg Eckert Institute Fellow at the International Rescue Committee. She is an interdisciplinary researcher (PhD) and consultant with 15 years’ experience across education, health, and climate governance in humanitarian and development contexts. Her work engages critically with the intersections of social and environmental justice and the humanitarian–development–peace nexus. Geneviève specialises in programme design, political economy analysis, and mixed-methods research, with expertise in monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning (MEAL). Her PhD applied ecological systems theory to explore the perspectives of education programme designers navigating conflict and crisis, with a focus on the structural and epistemic injustices that shape programming.

Dr Ian Warwick is Associate Professor at the UCL IOE Centre for Education and International Development. Ian has worked on issues related to heath and wellbeing since 1986. Much of this work has focused on young people's health and wellbeing related, among others topics, to sex and sexuality, HIV and AIDS, alcohol use, becoming a parent and parenting and mental health. His work has also focused on the professional development of those who work with young people - teachers, nurses, youth workers. Research and training projects have covered the UK, as well as in a range of other countries, including: Mali, Serbia, South Africa, USA, Zimbabwe.

If you have any questions about the webinar, contact [email protected].