Learning, Integration, Support and Awareness (LISA)

In 2016, the Mission bien-être et santé des jeunes estimated that one young person in five was suffering from mental health problems. Other assessments carried out since then – in particular to gain a better understanding of the impact of COVID-19 and/or other societal issues such as eco-anxiety – confirm the growing scale of the problem: sharp increase in suicidal gestures and ideas (Santé publique France, 2022) and in the prevalence of certain mental disorders such as Attention Deficit Disorder with or without Hyperactivity, Autistic Spectrum Disorder, dyslexia-dysorthographia, mood disorders (depression), anxiety (Enabee, 2023) etc.

While these problems are not new, there is an urgent need for effective solutions. As the Défenseure des droits and the Haut conseil de la famille, de l’enfance et de l’âge recently affirmed, the well-being and mental health of children and teenagers – a sine qua non for their proper development and successful learning – are now emerging as urgent priorities.

The consequences of disorders affecting well-being and mental health can be extremely serious not only for the young person concerned, but also for the class in which he or she is enrolled, and for those around him or her.

What’s more, these disorders often lead to a lack of interest in school that can result in failure or even dropping out, as well as disruptive behaviour that can include verbal or physical violence towards oneself or others.

And yet, lacking specific tools and methods for detection and adaptation, teaching and educational staff are at a loss…

Initiated in 2020 by Ariel B. Lindner (co-founder of the Learning Planet Institute) and Elie Rotenberg (alumnus and Board member of the Learning Planet Institute, and co-founder of iféa), the Learning, Integration, Support and Awareness (LISA) project is based on research carried out by the Learning Planet Institute and iféa, in collaboration with the Child Mind Institute.

LISA aims to provide a systemic response to three issues

How can we ensure that the specific needs of each pupil are identified and supported in a systematic, structured and well-equipped way?
How can we support teachers and other school staff in this complex and sensitive process
How can we improve the efficiency of public action by the French education system and its partners, based on the real needs of children?

Led by an interdisciplinary team of teachers, researchers, clinicians, school staff and parents with expertise in child development and education, LISA is developing a collaborative approach to better identify, understand and support pupils, both in and out of school.

One of the main thrusts of the project is to recognise the vital role played by teachers and other school and educational staff in identifying the specific needs of each pupil and adapting their learning path.

In this way, LISA provides a better knowledge and understanding of each child’s needs, as well as the strengths that can be built on to best meet them.

This common foundation, both conceptual and practical, makes it easier for teachers, families and other specialists to work together for the benefit of the pupils.

Methods, training and tools are brought together on a platform comprising

The FACETS (Functional Activity, Cognition, Emotion and Thinking Scale), a screening instrument/questionnaire that enables teachers to observe pupils’ functioning and behaviour in order to identify their difficulties and strengths. FACETS is not a clinical diagnostic tool, but provides teachers with a framework for reading and understanding in a caring way that helps to change the way they look at things. FACETS was the subject of a validation study supervised by the INSERM ethics committee. The study was published in a leading international peer-reviewed conference, confirming the relevance of the approach and the interest shown by teachers.
A tool for summarising, planning and implementing support strategies.
A reference database of teaching resources offering practical suggestions for day-to-day support, particularly in the school context.

Together, these components constitute an intangible commons, the result of collaborative production, which is open and free of rights, with a view to being used on a large scale and in a wide variety of contexts.

A prototype of LISA’s main components has been developed and tested on a small scale in an iféa network school in Clichy-la-Garenne, in collaboration with its research partners.

LISA France 2030

The LISA France 2030 consortium is a continuation of the LISA project.

Winner of the Appel à Manifestation d’Intérêt “Innovation dans la forme scolaire (2023), this project aims to better identify, understand and support children and teenagers affected by mental health and well-being issues, both in and out of school.

LISA France 2030 aims to

Create and implement a scalable, multi-channel training programme for all members of the education community.
Share an enhanced digital platform (tools and resources) designed to facilitate the implementation of the scheme (from identification to collaboration).
Rolling out the project in pilot schools in the Ile-de-France academic region (Paris, Créteil and Versailles Academies – 200 schools involved), as well as at the Suger Secondary School and then, gradually, to all schools under the full responsibility of the Mission laïque française. Over the course of this roll-out, more than 7,000 teachers will be trained to promote the well-being and mental health of more than 70,000 pupils. The scheme could then be extended to other académies, both nationally and internationally.
Disseminate the project by structuring a network of referents (educators, clinicians, researchers, parents’ associations, local players, etc.).
Monitor, evaluate and continually improve the project via an interdisciplinary and international research programme, supported by an ethical and scientific council.

The consortium

Led by iféa (Institut Français d’Education pour l’Avenir), the LISA France 2030 consortium brings together five major French players in education and research.

Project leader - iféa

The iféa network is developing bilingual schools that are caring and demanding, putting the well-being and consideration of pupils' strengths and needs first.

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Partner - Suger Secondary School

Founded in 1935, Suger is a secular private school with a contract of association with the Franch State. It comprises a collège (including an international section), a general and technical lycée and a boarding school for girls. Its educational model is based on a caring and demanding approach.

Partner - Learning Planet Institute

The Learning Planet Institute explores, experiments and shares new ways of learning and cooperating that respond to the needs of the youth and the planet. With its activities, the Institute creates research and educational programmes based on interdisciplinarity, diversity and initiative.

Partner - Mission laïque française

The Mission laïque française is a not-for-profit association recognised as being of public interest. It heads a network of 108 French educational establishments abroad, providing schooling for more than 61,000 pupils in 37 countries. In addition, it acts as an operator for the State and/or companies as part of educational cooperation initiatives.

Partner - Ile-de-France academic region (Paris, Créteil and Versailles Academies)

The Ile-de-France academic region is home to 3.1 million pupils and students, including 2.4 million pupils in the 1st and 2nd levels of education, all sectors combined (public, private under contract), i.e. around 20% of pupils in mainland France.

The Ethics & Scientific Committee

An ethical and scientific committee has also been set up to ensure the quality of this major project.

Chaired by Professor Ariel Lindner and Professor Bennett L. Leventhal, it brings together a number of recognised experts in the field of well-being and mental health for young people.