Healthy Kids, Happy Generation! Nutrition and physical activity education in kindergarten! Erasmus Project

Project Title

Healthy Kids, Happy Generation! Nutrition and physical activity education in kindergarten!

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 2019

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Health and wellbeing; Quality Improvement Institutions and/or methods (incl. school development)

Project Summary

A recent report WHO on childhood overweight and obesity stands for the fact that childhood obesity is one of the most serious public health challenge of the 21 century. Obesity affects children’s physical health, social, emotional well-being and self-esteem and it remains into adulthood. It leads to poor academic performance and a lower quality of life of the child. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4408699/).
Based on the EU proposal that high quality services early childhood education and care is an essential foundation for all children’s successful lifelong learning (http://ec.europa.eu/assets/eac/education/policy/strategic-framework/archive/documents/ecec-quality-framework_en.pdf) and all 3 partners concluded that kindergarten is the space where children spend most of their time and that teachers are responsible to provide meals and dedicate time for physical activities although they lack proper qualification. The need is to adjust the curriculum and class schedules and train staff in order to include physical activity and offer access to affordable healthy food in kindergartens.
Therefore, the project proposes a cross-sectorial partnership which involves kindergartens and relevant partners for exchanging best practices in promoting healthy eating habits and encourage physical education from early childhood.
Gen.O

To promote a healthy diet and a physically active lifestyle among children aged 3-7 by strengthening the skills of educators to better fulfill their professional role in contributing to a healthy child growth during 1.11.2019- 1.07.2021.
O1. Empower 12 educators&child care professionals from 3 partner institutions on improving the education on healthier food choices and physical activity at kindergarten by exchanging best practices and participating to learning trainings during project implementation.
O2. Encourage healthy diet habits and regular physical activities by involving 500 preschool children, parents and grandparents (focusing on lower socio-economic groups) in activities dedicated to create long-term strategies at the school community level, in all partner countries in order to prevent obesity and overweight until the end of the project.
O3. Increase the capacity of 3 partner institutions to better implement Erasmus+ projects and to cooperate at international level during project’s implementation.

DTG: educators – to ensure quality services for early childhood development
ITG: parents and children to be aware of the consequences of obesity and adopt heathy habits
In the 3 short term- exchange will participate 12 educators (4 from each partner institution) with age from 18 y.o. and no maximum age limit requirement.

The short-term exchange mobilities will take place in each partner country (1st Mobility dedicated to nutrition education held in Spain on 16-20 March 2020/ 2nd Mobility dedicated to physical activity education held in Romania on 8-12 June 2020/ 3rd Mobility dedicated to both nutrition and physical education held in Turkey on 21-25 September 2020) with a duration of 5 days with activities aiming to integrate healthy eating habits and encourage physical education in pre-school education. The mobilities will have a theoretical part that consist in discussions, debates, presentations, sharing best practices among educators, parents and experts/ professionals in nutrition and physical activity (motor skills, sensory learning) and a practical part (training on the job) through workshops inside/outside classroom, with children and parents participation.
Methodology: presentations, discussions, debates, evaluation, games, role play, active play, cooking, reflection sessions, active play, treasure hunt, body movements.

Results:
-3 Thematic Workshops /every partner institution family aiming to engage educators, children and parents aiming to put in practice the methods developed in the mobility
-1 Awareness Campaign Kids Marathon aiming to raise awareness and promote a regular physical activity and adopt a healthy diet from early childhood in the local community
-2 Booklets 20 ideas of creative active play in kindergarten and at home/ 20 steps in adopting a heathy diet in kindergarten and at home

Impact
Participants will develop a sense of autonomy and responsibility by producing positive change in the lives of the children, giving them a chance for a healthy start in life. The partner institutions will increase capacity of managing the project and build network of reliable partners in order to apply further projects, increased operational capacity to implement E+ projects and to coordinate a Strategic Partnership. Indirect target group (children, parents, stakeholders) will observe positive differences on decreasing obesity rate in partner institutions.
The project also highlights the EU Action Plan on Childhood Obesity 2014-2020 that is to contribute to halting the rise in overweight and obesity in children and young people (0-18 years) by 2020.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 44568 Eur

Project Coordinator

Gradinita cu program prelungit nr. 4 & Country: RO

Project Partners

• SALIHLI 50. YIL ORTAOKULU
• COLEGIO PUBLICO DE EDUCACION INFANTIL Y PRIMARIA SAN FERNANDO