Big Questions, Young Thinkers: Using Arts and Philosophy to Help Children Navigate Life’s Existential Challenges

This project brings together researchers from Canada and Switzerland to pilot a school-based intervention designed to support the mental well-being of elementary school-aged children. The intervention combines art-making and philosophical group discussions to create a safe space where children can explore the existential questions they naturally ask themselves — about life, death, meaning, and relationships. Over nine weeks, the Canadian research team will deliver the program to students at a Swiss elementary school in Bienne, while collecting data through questionnaires and interviews to assess how children experience and perceive the program. This collaboration benefits both institutions: the Canadian team gains access to an international population, allowing them to test whether an intervention developed in Québec translates effectively across cultural contexts, while the Swiss partners build the knowledge and capacity needed to lead future phases of the project independently within Swiss schools.

Faculty Supervisor:

Catherine Malboeuf-Hurtubise

Student:

Partner:

University of Teacher Education

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

Education

University:

Bishop's University

Program: