We are inviting motivated participants to join the DigiMental Hackathon, a collaborative co-creation event dedicated to designing safe, inclusive, and practical VR experiences that support young people’s mental health and overall well-being.
This is not a competition, but a shared working space where people with different kinds of expertise come together to design safe, inclusive, and practical guided mental health VR sessions that support young people’s mental health well-being.
The hackathon will take place online on 18 December 2025 starting at 11:00 (CET). The working language will be English.
WHO SHOULD JOIN?
We are looking for a diverse mix of participants whose knowledge can enrich the co-creation process. This includes youth workers, educators, teachers, and others who work directly with young people; mental health professionals such as psychologists, counselors, therapists, or well-being practitioners; IT specialists, VR designers, and developers; as well as researchers or students in fields like psychology, education, digital innovation, youth studies, or related areas. Anyone who cares about youth well-being and is curious about immersive technologies used responsibly is welcome to apply.
WHAT IS OUR TASK?
During the hackathon, participants will work through guided questions and structured sharing to explore how VR can be used to support youth mental health in positive and safe ways. Together, we will co-design ideas for immersive experiences, define principles that ensure safety and accessibility, and clarify the role of youth workers and educators when VR is used with young people.
By participating, you will contribute your expertise to an international initiative at the intersection of youth work, mental health, and digital innovation. You will collaborate with professionals from different sectors, help shape future VR well-being practices, and have the opportunity to stay involved in upcoming project phases if you wish.
If you would like to participate, please register through this registration link: https://forms.gle/aaucfsyaVJ11KwVc6
We look forward to welcoming you to co-create thoughtful, practical, and youth-centered VR solutions together.
This project is coordinated by The Icelandic Esports Association (RÍSÍ) in partnership with BACKSLASH from Spain, BECOME S.R.L. from Italy and CONNECT International A.I.S.B.L. from Belgium and is co-funded by the European Union.