Teachers are key in protecting students' mental health during the COVID-19 Pandemic

School closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic have affected 4.3 million students in Ecuador, putting their learning, development, and mental health at risk. Maintaining contact between teachers and students has been a priority, not only to drive learning forward, but also to know how students are doing in general, to support them in difficult times and support their overall well-being. The COVID-19 emergency has not only resulted in school closures, it has also left millions of children and adolescents without support services such as mental health services and access to school counselors, which are critical, especially in times of crisis and uncertainty. Luis was part of a group of 1,200 teachers that reinforced their knowledge and abilities to provide psychosocial support to their students by telephone. This methodology was created for UNICEF with the support of the Student Counseling Department (DECE). During this process, the teachers learned basic techniques for empathic listening to students and families, how to provide emotional support and how to identify and respond to ‘at risk’ cases that require specialized attention. For more information, please visit https://www.unicef.org/ecuador.