EMBRACE Public Awareness-Raising Campaign: #KnowEmotions / #DescoperăEmoțiile

EA Editor July 31, 2026 EMBRACE PAC
EMBRACE Public Awareness-Raising Campaign: #KnowEmotions / #DescoperăEmoțiile
31 Jul 2026
EMBRACE PAC
July 31, 2026 EA Editor

EMBRACE Public Awareness-Raising Campaign: Helping Children Understand and Express Their Emotions

 

Recognising an emotion is not always easy, especially for children and teenagers who are still learning how to understand and communicate their feelings.

 

The EMBRACE Future Public Awareness-Raising Campaign #KnowEmotions / #DescoperăEmoțiile supports children and teenagers aged 6-18 in recognising emotions, understanding what they mean and finding healthy ways to respond. It also provides families, educators and communities with practical materials that can help them listen to children and support their emotional well-being.

 

Introduced in September 2025, the campaign gained momentum around World Mental Health Day in October 2025 and continued until May 2026. It combined storytelling, child participation, practical guidance and interactive activities to encourage more open conversations about children’s mental health at home, in schools and across communities.

 

Children’s Voices at the Centre

An important part of the campaign was the EMBRACE Children’s Forum, held in Bucharest on 17-18 October 2025. The forum created space for children and young people to discuss their experiences, express their needs and propose ideas for safer and more supportive schools and communities.

 

Their reflections contributed to four animated videos exploring the following topics discussed during workshops at the forum:

 

These animations bring children’s perspectives into wider discussions about emotional support, school participation, meaningful action and the relationship between social media and well-being.

 

Exploring Eight Core Emotions & Love

Between December 2025 and May 2026, the main emotional literacy strand of the campaign explored eight core emotions identified through the Plutchik Wheel of Emotions:

  • Joy
  • Sadness
  • Fear
  • Anger
  • Anticipation
  • Surprise
  • Disgust
  • Trust

 

Each emotion was explored through a three-week content cycle comprising an animated introductory video, a practical tips resource presented as an interactive PDF, and an interactive quiz encouraging reflection and participation. Related campaign articles provided further explanations and guidance for children, parents, guardians and educators.

 

Love was selected as the final emotional theme in consultation with the EMBRACE Future psychologist team. Connected to care, attachment, belonging and human connection, it brought the #KnowEmotions journey to a close and showed how different positive feelings and supportive relationships can come together.

 

All the animations, practical resources, quizzes and related articles can be accessed through the EMBRACE campaign page.

 

Meet the EMBRACE Characters

The campaign features a cast of hero and guide characters known as the “EMBRACE Squad.” Their roles draw on the idea of Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey: the heroes face emotional challenges, learn from their experiences and gradually discover their own strengths, while the guides provide encouragement and insight without taking over the journey.

 

For primary school children aged 6-10, Nutty, Sparky, Flutter, Dusty and Bytu are the heroes, while Wise Owl acts as their mentor and guide. Through their stories, children learn that emotions and inner struggles can be explored with curiosity, courage and support.

For children and teenagers in middle school aged 10-14, Maya and Leo experience challenges related to friendship, school, teamwork, and self-expression. Maya+ and Leo+ are their inner guides, representing the thoughtful inner voices that help them understand their feelings and consider how to respond.

For teenagers in high school aged 15-18, Ana and Alex face more complex experiences linked to identity, resilience, decision-making, and personal growth. Ana+ and Alex+ support them as inner guides, encouraging self-reflection, confidence and trust in their own choices.

 

The characters are not assigned to children according to gender. Children and teenagers are instead invited to connect with whichever characters reflect their own experiences, challenges and strengths. By combining relatable heroes with guiding voices, the characters help young people explore emotions, communicate their needs and support others.

 

Building Lasting Emotional Awareness

Taken together, the campaign places children’s voices at the centre of emotional learning by combining relatable characters, storytelling, animated videos, practical guidance, quizzes and participatory activities. Through these accessible resources, the EMBRACE Public Awareness-Raising Campaign helps children and teenagers better understand and express their emotions, while supporting families, educators and communities in creating safer, more responsive environments for their well-being.

 

Explore the complete EMBRACE Public Awareness-Raising Campaign:

https://embrace-future.eu/pac/

Meet the EMBRACE characters: https://embrace-future.eu/the-embrace-characters/

Learn more about the EMBRACE Children’s Forum: https://embrace-future.eu/forum-2025/

 

The EMBRACE project was implemented by a European consortium composed of Fundatia Serviciilor Sociale Bethany (FSSB), Fundatia de Sprijin Comunitar (FSC), Asociatia “Bună Ziua, Copii din România” (BZRO), Federatia Organizatiilor Neguvernamentale pentru Copil (FONPC), and Evolutionary Archetypes Consulting SL (EAC).

 

Funding Agency: EACEA – European Education and Culture Executive Agency

Learn more about EMBRACE: embrace-future.eu 

Project: 101190161 — EMBRACE — CERV-2024-CHILD

 

Disclaimer: Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.