Context Promoting good health is an integral part of Europe 2020 economic-growth strategy. More specifically, health policy is important to Europe objectives for smart and inclusive growth because keeping people healthy and active for longer has a positive impact on welfare and productivity. Our project would like to contribute making our students and teachers “smiling clowns” able to improve the lives of people in needs such as children affected by Down Syndrome and long term illnesses, people in social isolation and the elderly, particularly the ones affected by Alzheimer’s disease. Working on the project our sts will realize that they have to change their habits and attitudes and contribute to the construction of the world they live in. Volunteering offers vital help to people in need, and the community, but the benefits could be even greater for them as volunteers. They will realize that “Being a smiling Clown” can connect them to others but it will good for their mind and body too since volunteering can also bring fun and fulfillment to their life. Objectives Thanks to the work of cooperation and exchange of “good practices” we aim at contributing to - promoting people’s well-being, - bringing smiles and laugher to people of all ages, - reducing anxiety related to hospitalization and any form of anxiety, - making sts aware of the peculiarities and the problems related to the world of Alzheimer, Downs Syndrome, people’s Isolation in our society, hospitalized children -getting in contact with realities often unknown to the majority of our sts who are more and more involved in a world characterized by the use of socials, - promoting active citizenship - promoting volunteering. - stimulating solidarity and taking on tasks and small responsibilities, - promoting a sense of usefulness, - seeking moments of personal dialogue as much as possible. Being a smiling clown with “special people” such as hospitalized children, the elderly, people in crisis but also ourselves aims at - improving their quality of life, - maintaining their daily life skills, - stimulating and maintaining residual skills (cognitive, motor, relational and social), - responding to their self-esteem needs (being recognized as people still able to say and do) helping them to feel part of the world, - promoting socialization, Number and profile of participants We want to involve as many people as possible: sts, families, staff, our local communities, associations of clowns, Alzheimer, Down, hospitals since we are sure that everybody will benefit from the activities we will organize and the project products will contribute to make them more inclusive. In each school sts will create a clown team that will be in charge of the activities organized together with the associations. The teams will always be in contact using etwinning and socials. Sts with special needs and with social integration problems will be involved in the activities and they will be the protagonists of workshops according to their skills . For the implementation of the project we will organise: - 4 short-term joint staff meetings of 2 teachers from each school focused on Clown therapy, Down Syndrome, Alzheimer deseases, problems related to depression and isolation. - 5 short term exchanges of 5 sts plus 2 accompanying teachers from each school during which they will have the opportunity to meet clowns, organise special events and produce project material. By working together with clowns in hospitals they will be given the opportunity to share and exchange experiences, opinions and values, to learn from the best practices and to build a better world. They will be 1st “Becoming a smiling clown“ Italy Jan. 2021 to organize the training course on Clowns Theraphy 2nd “Enjoying life with the Down” Spain May 2021 focused on Down Sydrome; 3rd “A smile in hospital” Portugal Sept 2021 focused on Hospitalized children 4th “How to deal with loneliness and isolation in our society" Poland, March 2022 focused on depression 5th “A smile in the world of Alzheimer" Italy, May 2022 focused on Azheimer and project dissemination - 6 long-term sts' mobilities, The final product will be - a club of clowns in each school characterized by a mission, a distribution of duties, costumes, activities planning; - a practical guidelines about the techniques of clown therapy in different contexts and lessons to be done to prepare sts; - some cortos aiming at making people laugh, divided according to the target, - an eBook containing all the materials produced by sts, that‘s the best stories, songs, tales, ..to be used during the Clowning,practice - a website containing all the project material The "activities" will be used for the dissemination of the results of the project that will be presented during the conferences. The youth will act as multipliers in their own communities, starting with their families and friends convincing about the absolute necessity of volunteerin
The objective was to prepare the students and acquire the necessary skills and abilities: clown activities in cooperation with the various associations and volunteers to give visibility to the project in the community. Getting in contact with realities often unknown to the majority of our students who are more and more involved in a world characterized by the use of socials and technology that have to be complemented with other experiences. Bringing smiles and laughter to people of all ages Parents had the opportunity to be involved in the project through their participation in the event and by hosting the foreign students, seeing the final products of the project presented during the event, learning about different cultural approaches sharing their own experiences They had the opportunity to know each other and work together - to virtually visit the schools and learn about their system - to compare learning experiences - to know how to organize a clown group - to be trained in clown activities and visit a clown association. They worked with volunteers of the association and professional clowns The teachers had the opportunity to increase their skills and competences - improve their motivation and the quality of their teaching - learn about a different school system - to compare teaching experiences. The students took pictures that were part of the projects containing all the information, to make a positive impact on other pupils. During the meetings, the students, divided into international groups, prepared material such as songs, lullabies, bedtime stories to be used in future activities in hospitals. Students in each school presented the materials to their classrooms in preparation for the future meeting and informed the community about the project. Meeting: Who is the clown in hospital? - Becoming a smiling clown - The world of the children with Downs Syndrome - Hospitalization, problems and remedies - Hospitalization and the role of clowns in hospitals - A smile in hospital - Isolation and depression, the new century problems - No man is an island - How to deal with loneliness and isolation in our society - A Smile in the world of Alzheimer – Alzheimer’s cafè Activities: Watching the movie "Patch Adams" - Discussion “Who is the clown in hospital?” Becoming a smiling clown, activities to be used as clowns. Awareness campaign #metooasmilingclown open to the public, everybody was asked to send a picture to make people laugh. Online event opened with the videos and the presentations prepared by each school and the awareness campaign #metooasmilingclown. Official Presentation of the logo. Some activities in collaboration with the Alzheimer Café - a round table discussion on Alzheimer's with experts and presentation of best practices from each country. Research on the situation, treatments, percentages of hospitalized children as well as the pathologies that oblige them to stay in hospitals for long periods. Get a deeper knowledge of the situation of hospitals - by looking at the programs that hospitals carry on to help hospitalized children useful to improve their skills. Each school got in touch with a local association of “Red Nose volunteers" to collaborate (Clown therapy Associations). Workshops organized: Conference in collaboration with VIP Verbano Onlus Finding your Inner Clown How to create a Stories, poems, rhymes Hikikomori Onlus Social Cooperative 4 face-to-face meetings "No man is an island" Ernest Hemingway Ladies from the senior club at the Hospice “Światło” Association Comparison of the results of the Alzheimer's survey with the results of the study conducted on the characteristics of the disease in each country Preparation of exercises, games and useful techniques to be used with the elderly during visits to the Alzheimer Café Alzheimer's caregivers, work in the hospital, Volunteers from Alzheimer's associations Alzheimer's inclusive landscape Practical workshop at “Sassetti Theatre”, Alzheimer Cafè At Cavalleri High School, to prepare flowers and butterflies Workshop with Rodrigo Morganti - Practical guidelines about the techniques of clown therapy in different contexts and lessons to be done to prepare students. Visit: Operação Nariz Vermelho - Núvem Vitória Light Hospice Association: the aim of cooperation is to "infect" students with the energy of people who have experienced a difficult life situation and now appreciate every activity. Hospice “Nadzieja”. The students of ZSE prepared a concert for children from the hospice. Nursing Home in Parabiago Alzheimer Café to make the elderly suffering from Alzheimer smile. International Days: ERASMUS DAYS - WORLD DOWN SYNDROME DAY “With Us, Not for Us” - RED NOSE DAY - WORLD ALZHEIMER DAY: "Never too early, never too late" - WALK TO END ALZHEIMER’S Students Mobility Everyone was given the opportunity to study this reality from the inside and to collaborate with partners.The students kept a diary and prepared a product to be published