The European integration process is currently progressing in many different aspects and one of the key ones is education because the cultural character of integration processes arises there.The search for common cultural space where the European civilization finds its own identity and settles down should take the European citizens to consider themselves, and feel they are, real "European citizens" that share common history and ethical values in the framework of our democratic coexistence.Sport, which is an important reference in our common Greek Latin heritage, conveys both individual and collective values of collaboration, integration and self-improvement that make it the best channel to educate our students in the framework of a democratic, integrating and integrated Europe.The purpose of this two year project is to explore and promote an increase in the awareness of Sports and European Citizenship. We want to boost the European dimension of sports in our school-communities and give our teachers and students diverse opportunities of getting in touch with colleagues from other countries and cultures in order to compare the similarities and differences.Taking part in this European partnership will improve the quality and relevance of language learning by strengthening intercultural links with other European countries, and empowering the use of languages and new technologies. This project will stimulate the streamlining of our curriculum with an innovative orientation.Our main objectives will be to reinforce the European understanding through sport, explore different sport practice and lifestyles according to the geographical and cultural identity and students attitude towards the subject of PE in the countries involved , to learn to cooperate with teachers and students working in international teams, to understand the relationship between the human body and physical activity, to encourage the learning of a foreign language (English) as a way of communication with other countries.We have decided to include 5 partners from different geographical and cultural areas, schools from North, Central, East and South Europe, not only from member states of the European Union (Spain, Italy, Czech Republic, and Portugal) but also other countries close to EU like Norway . We have also selected public and private schools, in rural and urban areas, in an attempt to broaden the diversity, always using sport as the backdrop to exchanging experiences and finding the new teaching and learning methodologiesThe participation of the students in this project is essential to make a real change in practices, mentalities and cultures towards a new European identity, but the exchange of good practices for teachers will also be a relevant goal.The quality of the project´s activities and results will be monitored and evaluated regularly every two months by students, teachers and external agents.A conference-meeting will be held among all the participating countries two or three times a year involving all the school community, teachers, students, parents, local, regional and national sportive organizations.For all involved institutions there will be multiple benefits and impact. Our project results will be known by all the participant agents of the partners’ countries, through school local and regional media (webpages, radio and newspaper)As all the participants schools are working together via e-Twinning, we will publish our project, in order to share the results with all the European teachers, in this platform and also in the European Gateway.Promoting local international experiences will help to construct a more profound European identity.
As we continue to walk together in the creation process of a European Union with recognisable values and beliefs shared by all state members and their citizens, projects that emphasise integration across countries and place citizenship at the core of their programmes are still deemed the most relevant. Indeed, for a strong European Union to become a reality, cultural diversity and differences are to be celebrated while identifying those aspects we all have in common and which help us to define ourselves as Europeans. The importance of sports as a means of social integration, which is the main focus of this project, is therefore one more specific objective to reach that broader goal of creating a Union that caters for every single citizen. Project objectives were designed taking all of this into account. Firstly, highlighting the things we share and analysing common roots through sports, studying the evolution of sports across Europe and their role in society, and identifying the connection between the human body and physical activity. Secondly, sharing different sport practices and lifestyles from each country, together with people’s attitude towards Physical Education, helped us to focus on the differences and boost the participants’ critical thinking skills. Comparing the similarities and differences between the educational systems and sharing innovative practices and methodologies carried out by participating teachers also contributed to improve understanding between state members so that new ideas can be incorporated into their daily lives. Finally, cooperation between teachers, students and parents, and the use of digital tools along the project and English as a means of communication to help with this, provided a framework in which interpersonal skills were put into practise in order to negotiate meaning and reach a common goal. Five secondary education schools from different socio-economic backgrounds and different geographical areas, both rural and urban, have participated in the project. A myriad of activities were carried out, taking the needs and goals of the project into account, but also the interests and motivations of all participating members. These included formal student-led debates, research-based oral presentations, speaker conferences to get expertise knowledge, and teacher forums in which the different educational systems were analysed, and specific, innovative practices in P.E. were shared. As a result of these activities, and according to the different types of assessments that were carried out along the process, not only have all participating members demonstrated a significant improvement in their foreign language skills, but also in public speaking, critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Digital competence was boosted, as have critical values such as cross-cultural understanding, responsibility or self-esteem. Teacher and student accountability, crucial in collaborative and cooperative settings, was also key in working to meet the pre-established goals. All of this has resulted in an increase of awareness by members as far as physical activity and its effects on one’s well-being are concerned. While many of the above-mentioned results do have far-reaching implications and longer-term benefits, formal debating is an area which schools have decided to introduce into their school programmes and integrate across the different areas. Another area which seems to have created an impact is the need for high-quality bilingual education models to be introduced in those systems with no similar models.