Together we are one (more)
Project n°27
INTRODUCTION
Together we are one (more) -project was a pilot project in its thematics highlighting the problematics regarding the poor physical health of children and young people, which is a global problem resulting from the lack of interest towards natural exercise.
Time for exercise is stolen by addictive digital entertainment and motorized vehicles even in rural areas. The project integrated as partner also the state military organisations of the relative partner countries and different sportive leagues and associations and educational institutes locally and internationally.
According to international studies, children exercise too little and with too little variation, often in environments that are too supervised. This results in the weakening of bodily and motor coordination skills, which will increase big health problems in adult life. The so called “digital young generations” mean unluckily also more poor physical skills.
In society, medical expenses grow and workdays are lost in a time when the active population needs to be kept fit for work for longer and longer times. The physical and mental health of people who are of military service age has grown lower across the years, and the trend seems not to be reversing. On the contrary – decline is believed to speed up.
As a pilot, the project aimed to actualize an all-inclusive exercise model for our area that encourages children and young people to exercise and aims to activate all age-groups through positive experiences. Incentivation of new local solutions for the problem making profitable collaboration between Finnish and Latvian realities in rural areas.
Today, economic reasons ban many children and young people from taking up sports hobbies. To enable a good living for them, opportunities to try different sports ought to be organized with the help and for instance with the cooperation of sports associations. Physical education ought to be considered a whole that is actualized in some form in every school subject.
PRESENTATION OF THE PROJECT
The role of educational establishments as the physical educator of the young age-groups seems to be growing more emphasized.
The actions:
1) Identification of the relevant integration actors and stakeholders concerning the thematics in each partner country and territory, including public, private and third sector.
2) Study trips/sport camps for the relevant to the thematics and exchange of Good Practice between them: at least two activities per six months (visiting in each partner country).
The themes of the study trips (for trainers and sport teachers/ sport NGO representatives):
– Latvia 2019 Summer (June) – Introducing between sports organisers, Defense lessons, New Guard and National Guard in school programme
– Finland 2019 Autumn (October) – General wellbeing for all ages
– Finland 2020 Autumn (October) – Sport brainstorming – Innovation,
Closing of the project The themes of sport camps:
⦁ Latvia 2019 Summer (August) – Introducing between youngsters, Summer sports and free time activities
⦁ Finland 2020 Winter (February) – Winter sports and free time activities
⦁ Latvia 2020 Summer (August) – Military and defense training
3) Organizing Meetings & Workshops between the target groups locally, inter-territorially and internationally.
4) Joint Publication of Good Practice, cases collected from each country and partner territory – Diffusion of good practises – Electronic formats film and video clips.
5) Reporting based on the RDP rules in each -country.
6.) Social network platforms for common working and information diffusion and “networking” and twinning of clubs.
7.) Developing of study lines and collaboration tools between educational institutes of partner areas.
*** The original project collaboration time was extended by cause of Covid19 period.
PRINCIPAL OBJECTIVES
The project was very successful and it was candidate of one of the best projects implemented in Satakunta region, Finland for 2014-2020. The project was carried out 2019- 2022.
In Kankaanpää town (Finland) the creation completely new sport lines and teaching was integrated in educational institutes (lower grade) which incentivates and makes possible also socially disadvantaged children/young to have opportunities for sport education and help those already making sport practise to integrate hobby and studies better.
– Youth camps Latvia-Finland in different thematics were very successful and educative for the young partecipants. The exchanges and collaboration actions have been continuing after the termination of the project spontaneously also in trainers side.
International educative and positive experiences are very important and the Covid19 period somehow integrated the young partecipants even more (contact and important friendship connections were born).
Connecting and incentivating different stakeholder to cooperate on youth health and making the practise more physical education.
Educational institutes were linked and they collaborate in local and transnational level. Continuation of collaboration like training collaboration and camps.
The young involved in the project produced videoclips and a lot of documentation (photos etc).
ADDED VALUE OF THE PROJECT
The project managed in both countries well and were recognized as successful and innovative considering and making activation of different local, regional and national actors.
The approach was innovative also taking in consideration new kind of collaboration partners (freewilling civil defense associations/military training aspects as well civil sport associations of different kind and educational units (different levels). The creation of new networks was successful and what was the important thing was making friendship internationally between the young involved in the project (different classes during the project). The project managed to create results (starting of new sport lines with new approach in educational units in Kankaanpää town which will have longlasting effects on kids possibilities and physical health).
The possibility to learn about each others and territories was very important.he The project was carried out and implemented during the period of Covid19 and respective closures so it had also a psychological positive impact for the young who had “something” to wait and to do together in international level. For instance the sport trainers involved in the project collaborate in different initiatives after the project. The Latvian counterpart area is excellent for organizing sport training camps and the collaboration on this will be foreseen.
