In Romania and Poland, the two pilot countries in the IURTS (Integration of Ukrainian Refugees through Sport) project, physical education teachers learn together new activities and practices aimed at helping Ukrainian students in class. The main mission is to give them more self-confidence - and beyond physical education classes - an important skill in their integration process in a new country.
Teachers involved in the project will collect best practices and materials to support efforts to integrate Ukrainian children through sports, with a focus on collaboration with schools and sports clubs.
"Although more than 6,000 languages are spoken in the world, every child understands body language," says Jakub Kalinowski, president of the V4Sport Foundation (Volunteers for Sport Foundation) in Poland, a partner organization in the project. "We need to use the power of sport to bring children together and to promote greater integration and understanding," says Kalinowski.
“Sport plays a huge role in bringing communities together. The grassroots sports community in Poland and Romania has an amazing track record when it comes to supporting the needs of Ukrainian refugees. But we recognize that there is still a need to develop the capacities of grassroots sports organizations to support refugees through sport and physical activity that provides comfort and relaxation," says Saska Benedicic Tomat, head of projects at the International Sport and Culture Association (ISCA).
The partners of Terre des hommes in this project are: V4Sport Foundation (Poland), International Sport and Culture Association (ISCA), "Sport for All" County Association from Suceana (Romania), University of Cassino and Southern Lazio (Italy) and Laureus Sport for Good (UK).
In 2024, Terre des hommes Romania will continue to play the role of an expert in the field of promoting child protection standards. He will handle the coaching sessions for the MGSC tools (Movement, Games, Sports and Creativity) adopted by the 15 physical education and sports teachers, participants in the training session in November 2023, in Suceava.
Movement, Games, Sports and Creativity (MGSC) is a methodology that uses sports, games and creativity as a psychosocial tool to ultimately develop the personal and social skills of vulnerable children.
In addition, we proposed to join the initiative to pilot the MGSC tools, part of the IURTS educational manual, in Bucharest as well, thus expanding the geographical area, which until now included schools from Suceava and Poland.
IURTS este co-finanțat de programul Erasmus+ Sport Cooperation Partnerships.
