By: Charlotte Tybjerg Sørensen, AAU Communication and Public Affairs. Translation by LeeAnn Iovanni, AAU Communication and Public Affairs. 
Photos:  Shutterstock.com, Børns Vilkår and Danske Gymnasieelevers Sammenslutning.

The Mission on Improving the Well-being of Children and Youth has really taken off. On 10 June, the Mission Management and Mission Secretariat held their first meeting with the Mission Partner Board. The board is broadly composed of very strong profiles in the area of well-being of children and youth.  

The members include representatives from Børns Vilkår [Children’s Rights], GirlTalk.dk, Headspace/The Social Network, DIF, Danske Gymnasieelevers Sammenslutning [Danish Upper Secondary School Students' Association], and KMD. They contribute knowledge, insight and experience to the mission's focus, funding and development. 

- I think it was a really good meeting, and I’m delighted that we have been given a place on the partner board so that young people have a voice in the mission, says Asger Kjær Sørensen. He is chair of Danske Gymnasieelevers Sammenslutning [Danish Upper Secondary School Students' Association].
 
There are many reasons for the poor well-being among children and youth. For Asger Kjær Sørensen and those he represents, there is one in particular he would like to see highlighted.

- The educational policy reforms of recent years have contributed to young people's lack of well-being. We look forward to taking part in the work of focusing on this and finding solutions so that we thrive better, he says.

Steffen Raun Fjordside, Deputy Director of Børns Vilkår [Children’s Rights], is also part of the Mission Partner Board. He thinks linking the research perspective with what goes on "outside the walls" through the establishment of a Mission Partner Board is very interesting.

-          I think this is a super exciting initiative from Aalborg University. Both in terms of the idea of working in a mission-oriented way and then of course the fact that the well-being of children and youth is one of the first two missions. I look forward to following the mission work and am grateful to be allowed to share the perspectives and needs of children and young people with the board, he says.  

Mission Partner Board's task

The Mission Partner Board is tasked with:

• Ensuring the progress of the mission at the project portfolio level – including committing to and engaging in support of the cultivation, development and exploitation of synergies between the mission projects
• Seeing to the member's assessments of the mission's activities becoming a guide for the mission at an operational and strategic level
• Contributing insight and experience to the mission's focus, funding and development
• Contributing to the mission setting the agenda in its professional and practical domain, vis-à-vis, for example, politicians, authorities, foundations, and business and interest organizations
• Contributing to solutions and realizations being implemented by relevant partners in society

In the Mission Management, there is great enthusiasm for the Mission Partner Board being involved.

- We had a really good and very inspiring meeting. It was fantastic to experience the Mission Partner Board's energy and commitment to the well-being of children and youth. We have already gained invaluable insight and experience from them and look forward to the collaboration and our next meeting, says Professor Maria Appel Nissen, Mission Manager. 

Fire overarching key challenges 

After the workshop for researchers at AAU earlier this year, a number of applications for mission projects have now been received. The Mission Management and Mission Secretariat have established a series of meetings with the applicants and a process for the next steps.

- In June and August, we will engage in dialogue with those responsible for the applications. Our goal is to use this to initiate the first portfolio of mission projects, says Niels Bech Lukassen, Mission Officer and Head of the Mission Secretariat. 

Based on the mission project applications submitted, the Mission Management and Mission Secretariat have identified four key challenges that the mission projects revolve around: 

Prevent poor well-being among children and reverse trends in diagnoses and special services​ 
For example, develop, test and scale preventive interventions across institutions, families and communities aimed at timely support for children and young people before/during/with diagnosis and poor well-being.

Well-being in learning environments in and around school and education
For example, design, test and evaluate alternative physical, digital and social environments for learning in children and young people's school and educational life, including preventing poor well-being from leading to school refusal or drop-out. 

Develop digital well-being and create technologies for children and youth with special needs
For example, understanding and improving the well-being of children and young people in everyday life with digital technologies and platforms, including through hybrid activities, changed roles (critical consumer/creator), strengthened competences and equality (disability). 
 
Improve young people's well-being, belonging and participation in inclusive communities 
For example, co-create inclusive and supportive communities for young people in general and for young people without employment and education, as well as improve the ability of organizations to respond to young people's interests and needs.

-          Key challenges are challenges for both society and research – and require both new knowledge and innovation. These are also challenges where AAU research is strong. Finally, these are challenges where solutions collectively contribute to the mission achieving its goal of improving the physical, mental and social well-being of children and young people, says Maria Appel Nissen.

More initiatives on the way after the summer holiday 

In addition to the project portfolio now being established, the mission management also has other exciting activities in the pipeline for after the summer holiday.

-          We are planning a series of Mission Talks where we will invite external potential partners and other interested parties, and we are well underway with the plan to establish an academic network where internal and external researchers, practitioners and others can participate, says Niels Bech Lukassen.