European School Sport Day – Education through Movement (ESSD2024)
European School Sport Day® (ESSD) is an initiative that aims to promote physical activity and sport at the international level, encouraging as many children and young people, schools, and organisations as possible to participate. ESSD also aims to break down cultural barriers and promote social inclusion by focusing on different focus topics every year. Since its first edition back in 2015, ESSD has been held annually, with the number of participating countries and students increasing each year. In 2023, almost 2.6 million students from 41 countries participated in ESSD. More than 11 thousand schools organised local ESSD festivals last year. The Day is one of the biggest events of the European Week of Sport’s #BeActive campaign and has been organised on the last Friday of September every year since 2015. In 2024, we will be celebrating the tenth anniversary of ESSD on 27 September.
We believe that strengthening long-term healthy lifestyle attitude of youth relies on the combination of non-formal opportunities emphasising the ‘fun factor’ of physical activity and integrating movement into children’s everyday lives.
The Education through Movement theme of ESSD 2024 extends the primary objectives of ESSD by offering an alternative approach to promote physical activity in classrooms and between classes, which has proven to have several positive effects on learning and health. We believe that combining education with physical activity can motivate children to adopt a more active and healthier lifestyle, developing positive attitudes and behavioural patterns. ESSD provides an opportunity to leverage the power of sports to drive meaningful impact.
Education through Movement is a powerful approach recognising the intrinsic connection between physical activity and cognitive development. We are made to experience the physical world around us through movement. Building on this concept, the integration of movement into the learning process extends beyond the traditional confines of a classroom, fostering a dynamic and holistic educational experience.
Movement catalyses engagement, stimulating multiple senses and enhancing memory. When kids actively engage their bodies in the learning process through dance (-like movements) or physical exercises, they experience a deeper connection with the subject matter. Moreover, education through movement cultivates a beneficial environment for diverse learning styles. By integrating movement into lessons, teachers enable children to grasp complex ideas through physical demonstrations and hands-on experiences. This inclusive approach acknowledges and values how children and youth absorb and process information.
In 2024, a new toolkit will be introduced, providing schools with relevant methodological and practical information on how physical activity can be incorporated into daily classroom routines throughout the school year. The toolkit will include the priority focus topic of the year and recommended activities to promote it.
ESSD holistically implements the objectives included in the EU policies on education and sport, interlinking the policy areas defined in the Guidelines: sport, health, and education. It contributes to developing lifelong behaviour patterns in connection with physical activity. By establishing flagship events, ESSD aims to connect European youth through physical activity, forming a community of physically active pupils across Europe.
Come and join us! The registration will open soon at the https://www.essd.eu/register page.
Call: ERASMUS-SPORT-2023
Topic: ERASMUS-SPORT-2023-SNCESE – Not-for-profit European sport events
Type of Action: ERASMUS-LS
Reference 101134021 (ESDD2024)
Coordinator: Hungarian School Sport Federation
Partners: International Sport and Culture Association (ISCA, Denmark), European Physical Education Association (EUPEA, Luxemburg), BG Be Active Association (BGBA, Bulgaria), Deporte Para La Educacion Y La Salud (DES, Spain), Fundacja V4 Sport (V4 Sport, Poland)
Funder: European Commission
Timeline: 1 January 2024 – 31 December 2024
Website: https://www.essd.eu
Disclaimer
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
