About the Project
The challenge
The Optimistic Pathways in Education (OPE) project tackles the challenge of fostering emotionally supportive, inclusive school environments that promote academic achievement and well-being. Amid rising socio-economic disparities and post-pandemic stress, traditional models have proven inadequate. Academic optimism and self-efficacy improve student outcomes, yet their application across Europe remains limited. OPE seeks to bridge this gap by embedding positive psychology into teacher training and school-wide strategies, helping students and educators thrive in resilient learning environments.
The OPE project
The Optimistic Pathways in Education (OPE) project is developing and implementing an evidence-based framework that embeds positive psychology, academic optimism, and self-efficacy into school systems. Its main objective is to transform schools into emotionally supportive, inclusive environments that enhance both student well-being and academic success. OPE provides professional development for teachers, school leaders, and psychologists, equipping them with tools and strategies to foster resilience, trust, and collective efficacy. Through a whole-school approach and targeted training, OPE empowers education professionals to create sustained, systemic improvements in mental health and learning outcomes across diverse European contexts.
Our specific objectives
To define the needs of schools and staff in education, to increase motivation and to raise awareness of the importance and potential of academic optimism and efficacy. To emphasise their role as tools which promote the well-being necessary for positive development within the current and future education system as well as for progress towards a more inclusive and caring society.
To develop the OPE Framework along with training modules which are adaptable to different educational and geographical contexts. In this way, preparing Training Operators (TOs) to support, assist and train staff in education in developing the skills necessary to foster a positive, resilient school culture based on the principles of academic optimism and efficacy.
To test, validate and evaluate the training modules through a cyclical process of validation, refinement and impact assessment, with the aim of ensuring high standards and that the needs of target groups as regards promoting academic optimism and efficacy are met.
To contribute and advocate for sustainable policies for the adoption of academic optimism and efficacy in schools across the EU and to mainstream the OPE approach in order for it to have a positive impact on education and training systems in different countries and contexts.