Health is Wealth: enriching EUr Life Erasmus Project

Project Title

Health is Wealth: enriching EUr Life

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 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Health and wellbeing; Civic engagement / responsible citizenship; Creativity and culture

Project Summary

This project is a response to the ending of another Erasmus project. Three of the partners from this previous project (Spain, Scotland, Finland) wished to continue their successful collaboration and provide further opportunities for their students, teachers and schools to develop skills and knowledge through sharing their expertise, culture and common values. Another school connection from Italy was asked to join in with this project to make it 4 schools. The common topic of health and well-being was chosen as the basis of all the learning and sharing activities because of common factors found at our schools such as high stress levels, lack of action and awareness by students how to manage their personal well-being efficiently, and a need by teachers and schools to explore new methods for maintaining health and well-being.
The main objective of this project is to increase the well-being of students and teachers through sharing knowledge, and learning by doing activities together. We also aim to share tools for well-being between the participating schools so that the schools will be able to implement new methods into their school structures. Other objectives are to encourage intercultural competence through working across cultures on the topic of well-being and health; practice foreign languages; take part in activities that challenge critical and creative thinking about personal habits related to health and well-being; and promote active citizenship skills in a European context.
The participants will be groups of middle school students and subject teachers. The age range of the participating students will be between the ages of 12 – 16. All of the teachers involved are from many different subject backgrounds which include science, PE, Special Education, Languages, Music, Arts, Crafts, Home Economics and History. All of the participating schools have students from many different cultures and some students come from homes with challenging economic situations and social environments.
The activities include one exchange to each partner country to experience and learn elements of health and well-being. Before each exchange, students will also work on small projects to share during the exchange. These projects include: research on SAD, a survey of social media and phone usage, keeping a diary of sleep patterns; producing a poster with information about pandemics and how to cope with panic and stay safe in possible similar future pandemics; keeping a physical well-being diary and researching local sports facilities; taking photos of meals, recording their nutritional value and creating a nutritious traditional meal; creating a model for a well-being school in Europe.
The methodology for this project will see the teachers involved carefully planning a wide variety of activities so that learning can take place through many mediums and be suitable for many different types of learners. Some of the activities take place through the Learning teaching and training activities held during the one week in each partner country. Before going on each LTT, students will do group project work on a topic related to health and well-being which they will share, discuss and come to conclusions about on the exchange. On the exchanges, students will participate in active learning activities outside the school such as hiking in various settings, and doing local volunteer work, In school methods range from yoga and gym sessions. gardening organically, cooking for nutrition, and a social collaboration escape room game called Break out, Students will also have more traditional lessons in class about addictions, health benefits of being out in nature; and mental health. Methodology also includes taking part in visits e.g. to see local production of organic products.
The tangible results of this project will all be available on eTwinning: The products include: a research report, survey, sleep diary, poster about health and well-being during a pandemic, a physical activity diary, Powerpoint on meals and nutrition, models of a school with ideal health and well-being structures, and letters to the local government and/or newspaper petitioning for more efficient well-being in schools. The impact will primarily be on the participants of the project and through them to the entire school community. Parents and friends of the school and any visitors or interns at the schools will be impacted as well as the local communities. The immediate impacts will be better personal awareness about health and well-being issues for students and teachers, while schools will be impacted to adopt some new practices shared by their partners. The long term impacts will be changed personal habits for a healthier lifestyle; intercultural friendships and networks; intercultural understanding through exposure to other languages and customs; courage to petition for change when it is needed; stronger structures developed in schools to support health and well-being.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 130965 Eur

Project Coordinator

Oulu International School:Oulu Kaupunki & Country: FI

Project Partners

• Wallace High School
• ISTITUTO COMPRENSIVO EX SM PASCOLI MATERA
• Instituto de Enseñanza Secundaria Sierra Blanca