Talent@School's main objective was to create healthy lifestyle habits and prevent school dropout in disadvantaged children aged 10-15 using their sports talent as a motivating factor, through school empowerment and collaboration. More specifically, all the objectives and results pretended are summarized: 1) To improve participant’s Quality of Life, raising their awareness for the adoption of a healthy lifestyle, through participation in regular sporting activities, geared to their expectations and interests; 2) To stimulate the sporting and psychosocial skills of the participants, through the holding Masterclass, Workshops and Training Camps; 3) Prevention of school dropouts and integration of children from disadvantaged backgrounds, by carrying out this program in schools located in socio-economically disadvantaged contexts, allowing them access to qualified sports practice; 4) Training Physical Education teachers to identify and develop sporting talent in children and young people, through the development of an initial Training Plan and a mentoring process; 5) Establishment of collaborative networks between public institutions, schools, sports and social organizations, through the activities developed.
The assumption of improving healthy lifestyle habits and preventing school dropout in children from disadvantaged educational contexts using the identification and development of their sports talent as a motivating factor is in line with the World Health Organization recommendations included in the Global “Action Plan for Physical Activity Promotion 2018-2030 (2018), to provide free access to enjoyable and affordable, socially- and culturally-appropriate experiences of physical activity and sport, focusing on grassroots community engagement. There is a growing trend among children towards sedentariness and obesity, as well as increasing constraints on interpersonal relationships among children (bullying, etc.) are regularly identified, especially in socially disadvantaged contexts. These children usually have more difficulties in accessing sports practice and collaborative social support networks, due to lack of financial or family support. This project intended to boost the health, sporting talent and improve the social integration of these children, taking sports and training dynamics to their schools, using their sporting talent as a fundamental vector for their motivation at school, in the club and the general life.