Participating Programs:
Research and development programs are useful for raising awareness about safety in the aquatic environment because they provide scientific data and innovative solutions. By analyzing risks and developing new technologies, they contribute to the prevention of accidents and drownings, while also informing and educating the public about safe behaviors in the water.
AQUATIC HUBS (QnR Beneficiary)
The primary focus of the project is to create the first Aquatic Hub in Elafonisos, a remote area in Greece, in order to promote participation in aquatic exercise lessons in the local community. The Aquatic Hub aims to work as an eco-system for making organized aquatic physical activity accessible to children and adolescents with fewer opportunities excluded from mainstream swimming and water safety programs. Elafonisos is a small island of fishermen and youths have easy access in the sea environment but they lack of basic swimming skills and water safety knowledge. Project activities will include educational schemes for the local children and adolescents in order to develop theoretical knowledge about health-enhancing physical activity in the water and also practical sessions in the sea environment for developing aquatic skills, safety and water play. The Aquatic Hub will also work as knowledge exchange center for sport professionals (i.e., coaches, physical educators, youth-development experts, sport psychologists, sport managers) by offering the course “Training the Trainers” for developing new professional skills on how to manage the Aquatic Hub in Elafonisos ensuring the sustainability of project outcomes.\
Sport for Learning (QnR Coordinator + SWS beneficiary)
This project will introduce an innovative exercise program in the water for developing the four domains of learning (the physical, the cognitive, the social and the affective) in children who face learning difficulties. Project activities will conceptualize the topic “Sport for Learning (S4L)” and create a well-defined exercise method, the “Aquatic Literacy Method” for improving the basic learning skills in children through water activities. A professional training course will give the opportunity in aquatic professionals (n=40) to develop expertise in running Aquatic Literacy Programs in sport clubs, summer camps, schools and rehabilitation centres. Two pilot schemes will promote participation in aquatic physical activity in children with learning difficulties, in Cyprus and Greece, implementing the new exercise method.
Participants will increase their physical and cognitive-perceptual ability (e.g., basic swimming skills, working memory, attention, sensory adaptation, visuo-spatial ability, bilateral coordination, etc) and psychosocial skills. The new method will offer advancements to the existing swimming training programs by developing innovative exercise methods and educational tools for coaches such as, a green equipment kit with waterproof objects (i.e., sinking objects, waterproof cards with letters/numbers/shapes, small-coloured balls, underwater writing slate, etc).
STRONG AQUATIC MIND (QnR Coordinator + SWS beneficiary)
The main goal of this project is to drive digital growth across aquatic sport sector by designing innovative digital tools for sport coaches and sport managers, to better identify the signs and symptoms of mental health issues in aquatic athletes. Project activities include professional training for coaches and sport managers (n=35) on how to use digital technologies in their daily work, to easily track athletes’ mental and emotional state. Furthermore, we will create an interdisciplinary digital network providing opportunities for collaboration and synergies between aquatic coaches, researchers, psychologists, educators and youth experts to effectively handle mental health issues in aquatic athletes. Through the development of a Digital Sport Bridge, we will provide support and resources to athletes, such as mental health counselling, stress management techniques, and mindfulness practices. The pilot scheme will also, integrate educational seminars, on mental health, into existing sport programs of two aquatic clubs in Thessaloniki for athletes and their parents (n=180). By building capacity in all actors of a sport system (Coaches – Athletes –Leaders - Parents), we will support a high-performing digital aquatic-sport ecosystem where athletes can perform at their best while also maintaining their mental health.
This project will introduce a new sport approach, named Sport Orbit, which reflects the big range of stimuli that sport activities can offer to individuals who live in rural areas. The target group is children and adolescents (n=50) characterized by a weak socio-economic background who are confronted daily with various manifestations of poverty, geographical challenges and social exclusion. Due to these barriers children and adolescents don’t have the opportunities to participate in regular sport activities and gain the benefits of sport exercise. We will design and implement the Sport Orbit Program combining different sport experiences, such as, individual sport experience –team sport experience – water sport experience - artistic sport experience- family sport experience. Thus, in our exercise program we will use different sports, trail running, dance, basketball, water polo, and pétanque and orienteering. We will conduct also, a professional training course for increasing the managerial and interpersonal competencies in local policy makers and sport staff, from the nearest cities, to be able to design, deliver and maintain sport development programs in the target area. We will produce ten deliverables, such as, HEPA awareness raising campaign, the HEPA online educational course, Sport Orbit training program, the professional course, a family sport event.
Sport to Treat (QNR beneficiary)
The project Sport2Treat, aims to conceptualize the big range of stimuli that artistic sports activities can offer to forcibly displaced people, due to the war in Ukraine, supporting their skills-development and psychosocial empowerment. The proposed approach aims also to support the host country, in this case the sport sector in Greece, to welcome refugees and engage Ukrainian children (min 30) in artistic sport activities. Moreover, a professional training course will be developed for capacity building in Ukrainian sport staff (min 20) who have relocated in Greece, and also, a digital employment tool will be created to assist them in finding suitable employment opportunities in the artistic sport sector. The immediate outcome of the project’s pilot scheme (Artistic Sports 4ALL Camp) is offering refugee children a sport context where they feel secure and can access sport, together with addressing psychological trauma. Sport inclusion of refugees will be achieved by implementing 3 artistic sports programs, during a summer camp, that will correspond to children’s learning, social and emotional needs. Project activities will support the target group to feel safe and to be able to copy with separation, loss, grief, and trauma, and also, restore self-awareness, self-control, and interpersonal skills, while communicate with others, including nonrefugees and feeling a sense of belonging. We will produce twelve deliverables, such as, awareness raising campaign, social media accounts, online educational courses, training programs, web-based applications and more.
ACTIVE DAYS AHEAD (SWS Coordinator)
The reintegration of individuals with a justice history into society is a critical issue. Stigmatization and limited opportunities hinder their successful recovery, resulting in social exclusion and recidivism. Active Days Ahead project, seeks to empower individuals with justice history, reducing stigma, and promoting their successful reintegration into society through the power of wind sports and digital education. The project's primary objective includes developing a holistic training program that integrates wind sports, digital education, and life coaching to cater to the specific needs of the target group. This program is designed to empower individuals with a history of justice involvement by equipping them with practical skills and theoretical knowledge, boosting their self-esteem, and fostering a sense of achievement. To meet this objective, the project is structured around activities such as the development of an online HEPA education program, training sport professionals as life coaches, providing extensive wind sports training to the target group, and organizing a family-oriented sport day that not only will strengthen familial bonds but also will instil a sense of environmental responsibility and teamwork skills. Through these engaging activities, the project aspires to bring about meaningful change in the lives of individuals with justice history and their families.
Tech-Infused Dance (QnR Coordinator)
Tech-Infused Dance aims to explore the dynamic intersection of technology and dance, transforming training, performance, teaching, and collaboration within the dance sectors of Cyprus, Bulgaria, and Greece. As a result of the rapid digital transformation globally, it has become imperative to address the need to integrate technological advances into the field of dance. A digitally connected world requires more than simply acknowledging technology's presence; in order for future generations of dancers and dance staff to thrive, the project acknowledges that technology must be embedded into the daily work of dance bodies (i.e., dance schools, academies). The project seeks to transcend geographical boundaries and enhance the digital skills of dance professionals and educators. Through activities such as the "Dance in the Light of the Digital Swift" hybrid professional training course (offering core and advance digital skills) and the International Collaborative Activity, the project will facilitate capacity building and knowledge exchange among dance school owners, teachers, and professional dancers. Additionally, a Cross-Border Digital Networking Event will connect dance professionals with experts in IT, digital marketing, performance analysis, and telematic dance, expanding professional networks and opening doors to new collaborations.
Menopause is a natural phase of life that affects millions of women, often accompanied by significant physical and psychosocial challenges, as well as societal stigma and a lack of understanding, leading to feelings of isolation and low self-esteem. The project's goal is to destigmatize menopause, promote HEPA education, encourage physical and mental well-being, and expand information sharing and networking. The project focuses on the economically challenged Western Suburbs of the Municipality of Athens, in Greece, characterized by a predominantly low-income population and limited access to physical activity and mental well-being resources. Project activities aim to empower menopausal women by providing them with the knowledge, skills, and support to navigate this life stage with confidence, enhancing their physical skills, emotional resilience through support sessions, and digital competency.
These activities include the Menopause Awareness Campaign, leveraging the influence of well-known female athletes to challenge stereotypes and encourage participation, the HEPA eLearning program providing comprehensive education on exercise, nutrition, and emotional resilience, and the Digital Skills for Health eLearning course equipping participants to navigate the modern world digitally. The Pilot Scheme – MenoSports Camp offers three distinct exercise programs and support sessions led by sport psychologists to enhance participants' physical and mental wellbeing. A symposium, consisting of two parts, features presentations and workshops by menopause experts to facilitate information sharing and networking among attendees. Additionally, the "Menopause likes Sports! Media Kit" will serve as a comprehensive resource for project partners and stakeholders to access, share, and disseminate the project's key messages, outcomes, and success stories, enabling them to raise awareness, educate others, and promote the benefits of exercise for menopausal women.
