Amazing Race Erasmus Project

Project Title

Amazing Race

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : School Exchange Partnerships

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2018

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Health and wellbeing; International cooperation, international relations, development cooperation

Project Summary

Young people all over Europe are facing a health crisis. Whether it is from obesity, eating disorders, addictions, isolation, depression or cyberbullying. That´s why, more than ever, they need to hear a positive message about health, arm themselves with the facts and feel empowered to take control of their wellbeing. In this context, it is important for pupils to work transnationally to see this as a common problem with common solutions for young people everywhere.

This was a project designed to inspire pupils between the ages of 14 -19 to lead a healthier lifestyle. Its centre piece was 4 unique races that had been especially designed by each of the partner schools to challenge participants whilst also taking in the cultural, historic, and natural elements of the surrounding area.

The project was also divided into 4 areas of health; social, emotional, mental and physical. Through these areas, the pupils themselves created and delivered a series of activities both online and in person that engaged the community (school, local and online) and got them to reflect on their healthy life practices.

The project´s main objective was to promote health and wellbeing in schools. Other objectives included learning foreign languages, embracing diversity, building an EU community, raising self-esteem, working collaboratively and creating new links between schools and the local community.

It had a special focus on voluntary work both as a means of achieving the project´s objectives and as part of the focus on mental, emotional and social health.

The project had been extensively researched and partners had been carefully chosen through eTwinning and Erasmus+ KA1 visits to include parts of Europe that reflect diversity in climate, economies, diet and health statistics. All of the partner schools had some previous experience with European projects and specialised in different aspects of the project.

The project reached hundreds of people. The mobilities created direct relationships between staff and pupils of the partner schools. Pupils hosted other pupils to increase contact and understanding and reduce costs. The pupils who took part in the Amazing Races were carefully selected to ensure they had the profile that reflects the values of the project and continued with the work and ethos when they returned home.

The project began and finished with online staff meetings where the coordinators ensured that the project was delivered as outlined in this application but the needs and idiosyncrasies of each school were taken into account. The final meeting gave us a chance to draw conclusions for the project and to ensure its legacy.

Each mobility also focused on one aspect of health. There were preparatory activities (questionnaires, training regimes, pupil communication, research, diaries, video blog etc.) before each of the mobilities. During the mobilities there were workshops, group activities, voluntary work, preparation and of course, the Amazing Race. After each visit the pupils who took part took back some initiatives and implemented them in their own schools and communities.

The order of the visits, the races, focus of health and voluntary work is as follows
Croatia – Clue-based adventure race – Mental Health – People with Addiction
Lithuania – Biathlon – Physical Health – Disabled People
Spain – Salt Marsh Triathlon – Social Health – Younger Children
Finland – Task-based Survival Race – Emotional Health – Elderly People

The result and impact of this project was an improved healthy lifestyle among the young people and staff who took part in it. It ensured that they had the tools they need to make sensible choices about their health. The voluntary part of the project created a culture in each of the schools of giving back to the community and participation in community projects.

The longer-term benefits of this project are better health for pupils at all of the partner schools, improved teaching of health-related issues in all of the partner schools, a better understanding of health among a generation of young people in each of the partner countries, ongoing relationships between the partner schools staff and pupils, connections for voluntary work within the community, free resources for young people related to their health.

Never has it been so important to focus on the health of young people across Europe. At a time when our young people are facing so many challenges, this project brought together a generation of European citizens from very different countries and united them to find solutions to these problems. This is an innovative, inspiring, and fun way of getting a serious message across.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 129738 Eur

Project Coordinator

Liedon lukio & Country: FI

Project Partners

• Prva gimnazija Varazdin
• El Centro Inglés – Much More Than Education
• Silales r. Laukuvos Norberto Veliaus gimnazija