CONTEXT Sometimes young people make irresponsible choices that represent a menace to their lifestyle, sound development and reaching their full intellectual and physical potential. Lack of experience makes it difficult for them to discern between positive and negative information, being highly exposed to external influences at this age. Nowadays schools strive to provide an open educational space to prioritize quality educational activities for students’ wellbeing. Partner schools confront with students who refuse to attend PE classes, increasing number of overweight students, prevailing sedentary lifestyle caused by technology addiction, preference for unhealthy food. Our mission as educators is to prepare students for healthy adulthood and lifelong development process. We wish to teach our children healthy lifestyle habits and model their behaviour, help them maintain a balanced living pattern that will lead to normal growth and continue beyond into adulthood. Because of a growing tendency to disregard health aspects among students, 5 European schools, motivated by similar institutional needs, devised a project with concrete solutions to make young people more self-conscious of their health. OBJECTIVES The general aim of “Smart Choices For Healthy Lifestyle” is to raise awareness on the importance of a healthy lifestyle among students in partner schools. Project set objectives: -to empower participants’ skills and knowledge so as to adopt a balanced healthy lifestyle and healthy habits; -to foster quality and multidimensional improvements in participants’ lifestyle -to create the space for participants to learn in a multicultural environment -to exchange good practices at the international level. -to develop intercultural awareness and sense of identity The objectives are in line with selected priorities and reflect the topics of LTTAs: Active and attractive sports, Happier lifestyle tips, Healthy eating habits, Healthy body&mind harmony, Nature-based learning. We would like to increase students' degree of awareness regarding the necessity of adopting a healthy and active lifestyle; to form positive attitudes towards sports. We wish to make students turn to genuine natural landscapes as people are more and more disconnected from the earth and beauty of the natural world. PARTICIPANTS Project target group is made up of teachers and students who deal with issues related to unhealthy habits in their daily activity. Direct beneficiaries will be 150 participants (110 students, 40 teachers specialised in the subjects/areas in the project) to attend scheduled LTTAs. Students with fewer opportunities, disadvantaged backgrounds will be encouraged to join the project and make their voice heard. We estimate that about 500 students aged 11-15 will be part of the activities, 120 teachers and local participants (school management, staff, parents, schools’ collaboration partners, stakeholders, guest specialists). The language of communication in the project is English. ACTIVITIES To achieve project objectives we designed a selection of local and international activities. Thus, participants will explore the connection between body, mind and nature to foster wellbeing. Outdoor activities will engage participants into the exploration of the surrounding nature and exercise through sports and games. All partners will organise short term exchanges for groups of students. The topics of the exchanges: C1. Active and attractive sports - 22 students, 8 teachers C2. Happier lifestyle tips - 22 students, 8 teachers C3. Healthy eating habits - 22 students, 8 teachers C4. Healthy body&mind harmony - 22 students, 8 teachers C5. Nature-based learning - 22 students, 8 teachers RESULTS Our 22 months’ cooperation will generate tangible and intangible results. The concrete project envisaged results are: project logo, advertising poster, website, brochures, booklet, videos, TwinSpace, quiz, competition, seminars, questionnaires, feedback forms. Intangible project results produced include upgraded knowledge, attitudes, experiences, soft and hard skills developed, transfer of good practice examples into a daily routine. IMPACT For all participants in activities, the partnership will have resulted in various benefits. There will be a range of occasions to learn from each other, transfer positive aspects identified in foreign educational systems to their own schools, appreciate and respect European cultures, develop the sense of tolerance and introduce the European dimension in one’s own institution. Students’ active involvement in interactive activities will develop the ability to sum up the information, digital skills critical thinking ability, stimulate creativity, healthy habits by applying knowledge into practice, a strong sense of nature connectivity. For teachers it will provide the space for professional exchange of practices in the field of methodology and the schools will have higher international visibility.
CONTEXT Partner schools confront with students who refuse to attend PE classes, increasing number of overweight students, prevailing sedentary lifestyle caused by technology addiction, preference for unhealthy food. Our goal was to prepare students for healthy adulthood and lifelong development process, to teach healthy lifestyle habits and model their behavior, help them maintain a balanced living pattern that lead to normal growth and continue beyond into adulthood. OBJECTIVES The general aim of the project was to raise awareness on the importance of a healthy lifestyle among students in partner schools. Project settled and implemented these objectives: to empower participants’ skills and knowledge so as to adopt a balanced healthy lifestyle and healthy habits; to foster quality and multidimensional improvements in participants’ lifestyle; to create the space for participants to learn in a multicultural environment; to exchange good practices at the international level; to develop intercultural awareness and sense of identity. The objectives were in line with selected priorities and reflect the topics of LTTAs: Active and attractive sports, Happier lifestyle tips, Healthy eating habits, Nature-based learning, Healthy body&mind harmony. PARTICIPANTS Direct beneficiaries were 150 participants (110 students, 40 teachers) to attend LTTAs. 56 students with fewer opportunities, also joined the project. Other local participants were: 300 students aged 11-15, 60 teachers, 50 parents, 20 guest specialists. RESULTS The concrete project envisaged results are: the logo; the website; eTwinning project “Smart Choices For Healthy Lifestyle”; advertising poster; booklets “Easy healthy bites”, "In(out)door games and activities", ”Be wild outside”; videos “Creative and funny relay races”, “My routine”; Kahoot and Bamboozle quizzes about healthy lifestyle; workshops “Herbs and spices greenhouse on the windowsill”, building bird houses, art with stones, tree planting, “My favorite free time activity”; exhibition of healthy lifestyle; the seminar “Reading for relaxation”, presentations: ”My favourite sports”, “Health and Sustainable Development”, “Gift of nature”, “Healthy Habits”; Padlet activity, questionnaires and feedback forms to evaluate the quality of each LTTA activity and to measure the impact of project on students. Intangible project results produced include upgraded knowledge, attitudes, experiences, transfer of good practice examples into a daily routine, the development of life skills, key competencies, cultural horizon, intercultural understanding, team working skills, and knowledge about the topic. IMPACT For all participants the partnership resulted in various benefits: -Students increased their motivation for learning in a multicultural setting. They learnt new healthy practices, now are more aware of the benefit of having healthy life habits and maintaining a balanced living pattern in a lifelong development process. Developed the ability to sum up the information, digital skills, critical thinking ability, stimulate creativity, healthy habits by applying knowledge into practice, a strong sense of nature connectivity. The project provided long-term effects too. Students became more engaged and inspired to learn. Giving them motivation and self-confidence, this educational aid helped students perform better in school and participate in activities more often. Students with different disadvantages felt valued and important. They saw how they could participate in the same activities as the rest of their classmates, which boosted their self-esteem and contributed to their participation in activities, so that they felt more empowered in the future. Students created long-lasting friendships with their peers, increased interest in participating in Erasmus+ programme. -Teachers expanded their network of acquaintances and share new teaching methods/different points of view that can be important for finding new teaching solutions. Gained a more concrete understanding of the educational system and the practices of teaching in partner schools. This promoted their creativity, helped to develop their communication, professional and interpersonal skills. -Students and teachers increased their motivation, which provides a great boost to tackle learning and teaching difficulties. Learnt some new digital tools and apps that are useful in a daily life and also to organize more interesting and attractive lessons for students. Improved their English language skills and now are more aware of the necessity of learning languages. A more positive attitude towards EU values was developed, better understanding of different cultures, a sense of belonging to the European community. -The schools became more attractive in local community and had higher international visibility. Schools will continue to organize health awareness campaigns and activities. The cooperation on eTwinning platform will be open for another 2 years.