Facilitating Inclusion Through Sports. Erasmus Project

Project Title

Facilitating Inclusion Through Sports.

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 : Strategic Partnerships for Schools Only

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Access for disadvantaged; Inclusion – equity; Health and wellbeing

Project Summary

It has been widely understood that participation in sporting activities supports the processes of inclusion among young people in many ways: through bringing together individuals from different and various economic backgrounds, offering them a sense of belonging to a bigger group, facilitating development of positive social behaviour and improving physical health and mental well-being.

The project “Facilitating Inclusion Through Sports” was a partnership of 3 secondary schools from Poland, Bulgaria and Slovakia, located in smaller towns in the least developed regions of their countries, areas directly affected by economic and demographical difficulties. The project aimed at combating exclusion and obstacles many of our students face (poor economic conditions, limited social skills, antisocial behaviour, poor academic performance, health problems, discrimination, cultural differences etc.), and facilitating inclusion and equal opportunities for disadvantaged participants through sports and physical activity.

In order to achieve our objectives we organised 4 LTT events: 3 short-term exchanges of groups of pupils: in Slovakia (01.2018 – Everyone Can Play – Floor Hockey!), Bulgaria (11.2018 – Everyone Can Do It – Cheerleading and modern dance!) and Poland (03.2019 – Everyone Can Play – Rugby!), during which we introduced our students (aged 14-19, predominantly those facing various types of exclusions, obstacles and disadvantages) to frameworks of the sports, developed and practiced their sports and social skills, promoted teamwork and physical activity in general, encouraged and supported participants in their involvement in sports activities, showed them sports as a way of overcoming obstacles. During the final LTT event in Poland we organized a large, international sporting event with performances of project sports and trainings, and competitions for invited spectators – students and teachers from other local schools, educational organizations, local authorities etc.We also organized 1 short-term joint staff training event in Poland (06.2018), to introduce teachers to new methods and good practices of working with disadvantaged students and fighting different types of exclusion, as well as to familiarize them with new sports and using modern technologies on P.E. lessons, thus improving their professional workshop. There were also 2 Transnational Project Meetings (10.2017, Slovakia and 06.2019, Bulgaria) for project coordinators to monitor and manage project’s overall implementation.

Between LTT events, to disseminate the project and its results, FITS participants, associated in FITS Clubs, conducted training sessions and workshops in project sports for their peers from partner schools not participating directly in LTT events, as well as students and teachers from other local schools and organizations. Partner schools organized new and joined already existing events (FITS/Sports days, open days, fairs etc.) to promote and disseminate project and its results among school and local communities. Altogether we organized at least 23 such events, reaching at least 2450 people. The tangible results of the project were: A digital Sports Guidebook devoted to project sports, lesson plans on project topics, presentations, posters etc. Partner schools also created previously non-existent teams in project sports that will function in schools long-term.
As evidenced by our impact assessment, the project helped our students overcome their exclusions through building their self-confidence, social and personal skills, improving their self-development, fostering economic and gender equality (providing all participants with the same equipment and kits, creating co-educational teams in all project sports). We promoted and developed involvement in physical activity and physical competence among young people through encouraging and supporting students in their participation in sports activities and introducing them to framework of 3 – mostly new to them – project sports. Through international cooperation we also raised students’ and teachers’ cultural awareness and improved their English language skills. The teachers involved in the project also acquired good practices and innovative teaching methods in the area of developing social inclusion with the use of physical education and helping their students develop their interpersonal communication, assertiveness, ability to cooperate in a group, motivation and other social competences. They shared the learning and teaching knowledge and experiences and created teaching materials and methods that were used not only during project activities, but also added to schools’ educational practices. All the partner schools started and/or strengthened cooperation with various stakeholders: other local schools, various sports associations and experts, local and regional policy makers, media representatives, etc., who became actively involved in the project.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 67625 Eur

Project Coordinator

Zespol Szkol Ogolnoksztalcacych & Country: PL

Project Partners

• Sukromná stredna odborna skola Pro scholaris
• Profesionalna Tehnicheska Gimnaziya “N.Y.Vaptsarov”