The IURTS Ukraine project is co-funded by Erasmus+ and aims to support Ukrainian children through sport. Partners in this project are V4Sport Foundation, Suceava Sport for All, Romania, International Sport and Culture Association, Terre des hommes Romania, University of Cassino and Sothern Lazio Italy and Laureus Sport for Good.
Through the project, best practices will be collected and materials will be developed to support efforts to integrate Ukrainian children through sport, with a focus on working with schools and sports clubs. In Romania and Poland, the two pilot countries in the project, activities and materials will be developed, with a specific focus on peer learning programmes, as well as evaluation and improvement of materials. The project will offer webinars, seminars and workshops during the MOVE 2023 Congress.
The project partners explain why this initiative is essential in the overall response to the crisis in Ukraine:
"Although over 6000 languages are spoken in the world, every child understands body language. We need to use the power of sport to bring children together and promote greater integration and understanding." Jakub Kalinowski, V4Sport, Poland
"Quoting Nelson Mandela, Laureus Sport for Good deeply believes that "Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to unite people in a way that few other things do. It speaks to young people in a language they understand'. We believe in sport as a powerful tool to build bridges, to heal and improve physical and mental health and to stimulate learning." Elena Marin Yanez, Laureus Sport for Good
"Sport plays a huge role in bringing communities together. The core sports community in Poland and Romania has a great track record when it comes to supporting the needs of Ukrainian refugees. But we recognise that there is still a need to build the capacity of sport organisations to support refugees through sport and physical activity that provides comfort and relief. We know that positive experiences can turn into attitudinal changes and a better future. ISCA will be a partner in this project and create more opportunities for Ukrainian refugees and the organisations that provide activities for them." Saska Benedicic Tomat, ISCA Project Manager.
Project highlights:
Title: Integration of Ukrainian refugee children through sport
Project period: January 2023 - December 2024
Co-funded by: Erasmus+ Sport Cooperation Partnerships
Grant amount: €400,000
Project leader: V4Sport Foundation, Poland
Partners: ISCA, Suceava Sport for All (Romania), Terre des Hommes (Romania), University of Cassino and Southern Lazio (Italy), Laureus Sport for Good
