Health is a natural gift, but to keep it we must take into consideration a healthy lifestyle. The project is built from the need to improve the quality of life of our students. A healthy life is a natural life. "Be Healthy, Be Natural, Be Smart" aims to inspire, guide and encourage new generations to live healthily. The project aims to improve education and establish healthy habits by examples of good practice to help young generations to be healthy. There are 7 countries involved, with a total average number of 2500 students and 250 teachers participating to project activities. The students from the partner schools have frequent health problems: unhealthy diets, eating disorders, respiratory problems, heart dysfunctions, poor immune system shown in reduced resistance to common cold and influenza. Many students from the partner schools face difficult economic conditions and some of them live in isolated rural areas. There is a decreased interest for education, a low level of motivation for learning and children's health is damaged. In the context of an increased number of children from young generations in Europe being affected by eating disorders, overweight, digestive problems, unhealthy toxic habits, abandonment of education, diseases caused by unhealthy lifestyle, new measures must be taken to improve the quality of life. The implementation of the project is meant to contribute to the beneficial changes that are expected as a long term impact within the schools and the communities by improving the education system, increasing students' motivation for learning, raising awareness on the coordinates of a healthy lifestyle and establishing good habits for a healthy life for both the body and the mind. A healthy mind in a healthy body is a guideline that must be integrated in education. Improving the educational system is a necessity. Education is the uniting vector that ensures the students will benefit from acquiring healthy habits into their daily life. The project answers this need in many ways: - on the level of increased quality of education by applying new methods, by making learning more attractive, by the exchange of experience between schools, teachers and students - on the level of improved quality of life by establishing healthy habits for a healthier lifestyle - on a long term sustainable added value to the European community The project objectives are detailed on the coordinates: sports, nutrition, nature and mind progress. The project objectives are: - general ( improved effectiveness of the education system, improved communication skills in a foreign language, reduction of school abandonment phenomenon, increased interest and motivation for learning, improved ITC skills, better multicultural knowledge and team spirit) - specific (improved health by creating good habits, promoting a healthy lifestyle for young generations, increased awareness about the direct connection between health and sports / food / nature / education). The project activities include: - sports activities, outdoor activities, games, dances, competitions, - workshops, debates, - visits of documentation in nature, cultural trips, - scientific studies on what is good or bad for health - writing essays and articles about healthy lifestyle - ecological activities, planting trees, creating green corners in schools, - making short videos, taking photographs of nature and animals, - scientific presentations of healthy lifestyle, - drawing and painting on the subject of healthy life, - improving English skills and ITC skills, video conferencing. The project results will be: -project website, - Guide to a Healthy Life (electronic and printed form), - project magazine Be Healthy, Be Natural, Be Smart, - brochure with healthy recipes and healing plants, - power point presentations, - calendar, - drawings, paintings, - short videos, digital photographs, - articles, scientific studies, essays, - scientific analyses of the toxic effects of unhealthy life, - scientific presentations of the coordinates for a healthy life, - list of plants good for therapy, - exchanges of examples of regional healthy meals, - collection of games, - objects from recycled materials, - posters, - written impressions from mobilities. The long-term impact of the project will be: - improved lifestyle for young generations, - established healthy habits, - improved health and good practice, - increased knowledge and awareness about the coordinates of a healthy lifestyle (movement, nutrition, nature and mind development), - increased awareness about what is toxic and damaging to health, - improved communication skills, - improved education system, - reduced school abandonment, - increased solidarity and unity between members of European community, - improved cooperation and innovation between schools. The project will establish a beneficial path for a healthy lifestyle for new generations.
The project context / background: the students in partner schools had digestive problems, disordered diets, overweight problems, heart dysfunctions. They skipped breakfast frequently and often chose unhealthy food. They needed to learn how to achieve a healthy lifestyle. Many parents needed to become aware of various aspects related to healthy lifestyle habits. Some parents are absent from home, working in a distant location, unaware of their children's unhealthy lives. On a social level many students were economically disadvantaged and needed more opportunities of integration with the others. Many students were demotivated to learn. The project provided them guidance for a healthier lifestyle, their education, motivation to learn and personal progress. The project objectives were: - to improve the lifestyle of 2500 students from 7 European schools by implementing long-term health education, good practice and mind progress - to improve the education system in the 7 partner schools by introducing innovative elements in the curricula and by the exchange of good practice/experience - to help the European community achieve progress in health, education and environment awareness, by disseminating the project as a good example on an expanded level of audience - to implement healthy practices for students along with innovations in the school curricula - to encourage new generations to practice sports - to increase awareness on the importance of movement for a healthy life - to promote knowledge about what is healthy food and what is toxic - to raise awareness on the direct connection between a healthy environment and a healthy life - to raise awareness on the effects of pollution on health - to increase awareness on natural resources and the importance of preserving a healthy natural environment - to encourage progress of the thinking process by improving scientific and strategic skills - to increase awareness about the importance of educating oneself to be healthy - to encourage the development of healthy minds and increase interest for learning and self development - to reduce the phenomenon of school abandonment - to improve communication skills in a foreign language - to improve the quality of the education systems in the partner schools by innovative elements in the curricula and by exchange of experience between European schools - to encourage the progress and development of students' minds and thinking process - to increase international cooperation and good reputation of schools involved - to promote a multicultural dialogue - to increase interest and motivation for lifelong learning and wide learning - to improve mathematical, logical and technological skills - to improve basic skills of self awareness, responsibility and ability to make healthy decisions - to offer to disadvantaged students the opportunity to be included in the European community - to increase the students' self esteem and feeling of belonging to the European community Participating organizations: 7 schools from Romania, Portugal, Italy, Spain, Poland, Greece, Turkey. The project activities included: - sports activities, outdoor activities, games, dances, competitions, - workshops, debates, - visits of documentation in nature, cultural trips, - scientific studies on what is good or bad for health - writing essays and articles about healthy lifestyle - ecological activities, planting trees, creating green corners in schools, - making short videos, taking photographs of nature and animals, - scientific presentations of healthy lifestyle, - drawing and painting on the subject of healthy life, - improving English skills and ITC skills, video conferencing. The project results were: -project website, - Guide to a Healthy Life (electronic and printed form), - project magazine Be Healthy, Be Natural, Be Smart, - brochure with healthy recipes and therapeutic plants, - power point presentations, - calendar, - drawings, paintings, - short videos, digital photographs, - articles, scientific studies, essays, - scientific analyses of the toxic effects of unhealthy life, - scientific presentations of the coordinates for a healthy life, - list of plants good for therapy, - objects from recycled materials, - posters, - written impressions from mobilities - green houses, planted trees, vegetables, flowers. The long-term impact of the project was: - improved lifestyle for young generations, - established healthy habits, - improved health and good practice, - increased knowledge and awareness about the coordinates of a healthy lifestyle - increased awareness about what is toxic and damaging to health, - improved communication skills, - improved education system, - increased solidarity and unity between members of European community, - improved cooperation and innovation between schools. The project established a beneficial path for a healthy lifestyle for new generations.