Techer in focus

Lead teacher Ms Vachon shares how IES Solna promotes student wellbeing and inclusion through the HateLess programme and creative school-wide art projects.

Meet Ms Vachon. Home economics teacher at IES Solna

At IES Solna, creating a safe, inclusive, and welcoming environment for every student is at the heart of our work. As a Home Economics teacher and Förstelärare, I have had the opportunity to contribute to this vision through our ongoing work with the school’s Plan mot kränkande behandling (PMKB) and through a collaborative project focused on student wellbeing and inclusion.

As part of my Förstelärare project, I led the implementation of the HateLess program during Mentor Time. HateLess, developed by the organisation Friends, encourages students to reflect on respect, empathy, identity, and the importance of standing up against bullying and discrimination. The program provided students with opportunities to discuss difficult topics in a structured and supportive environment.

Alongside the classroom work, I coordinated staff participation in two different professional development days connected to the program. These sessions helped strengthen our shared understanding of preventative work against bullying and gave teachers practical tools to continue these important conversations with students. To get a picture of how our school is doing, I also coordinated FriendsKollen, a school-wide survey measuring bullying and student wellbeing across different year levels. The results have helped us identify strengths, areas for improvement, and ways to continue building a positive school culture.

A particularly rewarding part of the project was the close collaboration with my Förstelärare colleague, Ms. Coss. By combining our projects, we were able to bring the values of the HateLess program to life throughout the school environment.

During Mentor Time, students took part in creative activities connected to themes of inclusion and belonging. One activity invited students to design words representing the opposite of hate. These student-created artworks are now displayed on a wall in the stairwell on the first floor, serving as a daily reminder of the values we want to promote at IES Solna.

Another school-wide project encouraged students to draw the flag that best represented their identity, culture, or sense of belonging. The colourful collection of flags now decorates lockers around the school, celebrating the diversity of our student community and helping students feel seen and represented.

Together, these projects have contributed to making the school environment more vibrant, inclusive, and student-centred. Most importantly, they have given students a voice and encouraged meaningful conversations about respect, identity, and community.

We will continue building on these values during the school year 2026-2027.

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