SITUATION AND CHALLENGES Our initiative directly contributes to the key priorities of the Tartu Call for a Healthy Lifestyle, which recognises the importance of educating children and young adults about the importance of having a healthy and balanced diet and getting adequate physical activity to encourage them to lead healthy lifestyles, and the need for a holistic approach to promote this. Meanwhile, various literature and research show that integrating moderate to intensive physical activity in different school subjects can lead to positive effects on for instance language and math (Donnelly et al., 2009). AMBITION Therefore, our initiative interlinks the mind and body in learning through the combination of physical exercise, digital skills development and the multidisciplinary integration of a wide variety of school study fields, while placing pupils in the lead of their learning. By using both our MIND and our BODY, we reach the best health and best learning results: A HEALTHY AND LEARNING LIFESTYLE. Our approach is very much distinctive and innovative in the way it enables pupils to think up and develop active assignments themselves in a multidisciplinary way between subjects, while using the latest digital and audio-visual means such as the Lü interactive playground throughout the school. Our innovative and holistic approach ensures they develop and practice: - NOT ONLY the content side (for instance topography), - BUT ALSO the digital side (programming), - AND the physical education (exercise) to go with it. TARGET GROUPS Our project aimed at secondary school pupils and their teachers in order to promote a healthy and learning lifestyle for pupils and teachers not only in school, but throughout their daily life, now and in the future. Secondly, it is aimed at their wider facilitators: school leaders, family and community stakeholders (sport clubs, etc.). OBJECTIVES Our main and long term objective is to increase school performance among pupils: a healthy mind in a healthy body makes them better able to perform at school and beyond. Moreover, it is a form of prevention towards further life - and therefore part of the broader mission of education: Bildung. We directly contribute to develop future-oriented curricula by combining traditionally separated study fields, truly integrating active lessons and activities throughout the school on a daily basis, and setting up an engaging continuous learning lifestyle that goes beyond the school, including food and mobility choices. Further derived objectives of the project are: • Improve academic performance by: - integrating new technologies (serious and active games) into the classroom; - integrating innovative methodologies (combining physical activity with various study fields) into the classroom via interactive digital means such as the Lü. • Increase the use of innovative and more attractive en engaging educational programmes using participatory approaches and ICT-based methodologies in secondary education. • Strengthening the profile of the teaching profession of secondary school teachers by supporting teachers in adopting collaborative and innovative practices, both digital and non-digital. • Increase the engagement of parents in the healthy and learning lifestyle path of their children. OUTPUT We will develop the following tangible products: - IO1 - LIFESTYLE Pupil Training Programme - IO2 - LIFESTYLE Cascade Training Materials & Handbooks for School Leaders - IO3 - LIFESTYLE Teacher Guide - IO4 - LIFESTYLE Parents’ Guide METHODOLOGY Our consortium is a true Strategic Partnership involving 4 secondary schools complemented by 3 expert partners on 1) health education), 2) ICT & digital techniques, and 3) multidisciplinary learning. All partners provide their key input that contributes to the realisation of the project goals and concrete deliverables. IMPACT & LONG TERM BENEFITS Our long term objective for impact is to increase school performance among pupils: a healthy mind in a healthy body makes them better able to perform at school and beyond. Moreover, it is a form of prevention towards further life - and therefore part of the broader mission of education: Bildung. We aim to have schools adopting our multidisciplinary approach to be schools where the promotion of a healthy and learning lifestyle is of paramount importance, formulated in a healthy & learning lifestyle vision, involving the local community directly while putting pupils in the lead of their own life skills development.. This vision manifests itself both inside and outside the lessons, and both inside and outside school (24/7 efficiency). Making sure promoting a healthy lifestyle is not something that only belongs in the lessons Sport & Games, but has an integrated place. Through actively sharing and promotion our results we are keen to enlarge the community of Healthy and Learning Lifestyle schools across Europe in a system of International Buddy Schools.
Our main and long-term objective was to increase school performance among pupils: a healthy mind in a healthy body made them better able to perform at school and beyond. We directly contributed to developing future-oriented curricula by combining traditionally separated study fields, truly integrating active lessons and activities throughout the school on a daily basis. Making sure promoting a healthy lifestyle was not something that only belonged in the lessons Sport & Games, but had an integrated place in most lessons and activities. Derived objectives of the project were: • Improve academic performance by: - integrating new technologies (serious and active games) into the classroom; - integrating innovative methodologies (combining physical activity with various study fields) into the classroom. - putting key focus on the (self) initiative of the pupil by thinking up and developing multidisciplinary active lessons and assignments themselves. • Strengthen the profile of the teaching profession of secondary school teachers by supporting teachers in adopting collaborative and innovative practices, both digital and nondigital. • Increase the engagement of parents in the healthy and learning lifestyle path of their children.
Various literature and research showed that integrating moderate to intensive physical activity in different school subjects led to positive effects on, for instance, language and math (Donnelly et al., 2009). In the Netherlands, an intervention was designed that combined physical activity with learning activities called Fit & Skilled in school (Fit en Vaardig op School). It was based on evidence for positive effects of Moderate to Vigorous Physical Activity (MVPA) on academic achievement. The intervention showed effects of a 4-month learning improvement of pupils. The programme was officially advised as best practice for primary schools to the Dutch government House of Representatives. Our HaLL initiative was consistent with the multidisciplinary approach as described above, the needs the partners experienced on a daily basis in practice. Additionally, It directly contributed to among others the key priorities of the Commissioners’ 2017 Tartu Call for a Healthy Lifestyle, which recognized the importance of educating children about the importance of having a healthy and balanced diet and getting adequate physical activity to encourage them to lead healthy lifestyles, and the need for a holistic approach to promote this.