We Include everyone with sport and Heritage through European States

"<< Background >>Since the COVID epidemic in 2020, teachers have observed a decline in interest in sport among primary school pupils in Europe. Fewer and fewer pupils are joining clubs, walking with their parents or doing sport in general... observations confirmed by Professor CARRE... It's true that pupils have developed many skills in the use of digital technology, but unfortunately these activities do not involve physical activity. We can all find excuses such as ""no time"", ""I don't feel like it"", ""I'm too shy"", ""my disability won't allow me"" .... Are members of educational communities aware of the lack of physical activity? Do they realise the risks? But can we all do sport? ""Am I too short, too tall, too fat or too thin? Does my disability really prevent me from doing sport? What physical activity might suit me? Am I alone in my sedentary lifestyle? Are my classmates, school mates and friends from other countries concerned? How can we once again motivate members of educational communities to take part in physical activities?<< Objectives >>Sensitive to all these issues, teachers from 5 European countries wanted to work together to raise awareness among their educational communities of the importance of practising sport. They wanted to make them realise that sport has benefits for physical and mental health, and fosters self-esteem and social relations... real assets for well-being. This 'wiishes' project gave us the opportunity to do everything we could to motivate pupils, school teachers and families, and to increase the amount of time spent practising sport by getting to know each other and our various partners, through pen-pals, exchanges and our sporting encounters during our exchanges. Together, the partners, through exchanges and inclusive sporting activities, have discovered that sport really is for everyone, that the English language is essential for understanding and getting to know each other, and that together we can build the Europe of tomorrow. << Implementation >>From the start of the 2023 school year, we wanted pupils, teachers and families in all schools to take stock of their sporting activities. Faced with the reality of a sedentary lifestyle and the risks involved, a real awareness of the situation would then help to motivate them. In September 2023, all the partners took part in European Sports Week to launch the WISHES project, followed by Erasmus Day. They shared these sporting moments and increased the amount of time spent practising sport. The subsequent pen-pal activities enabled them to discover each other, to get involved in learning English to understand each other, to discover Europe and our sense of belonging to the same institution. As a result of their involvement in the project, the pupils and educational teams were able to experience International Sports Week in a richer, more open way, with a view to sharing it with their partners. The following activities enabled the organisation and hosting of the European partners' visits to France; an unforgettable week, full of exchanges, sharing, encounters, inclusive sporting activities and a desire for international openness. << Results >>According to the various indicators used throughout the project, we can state that the pupils were more physically active during the 2023-2024 year (European and international sports days, Erasmus day, sports activities during mobility, increase in the amount of physical activity time offered during extracurricular time for certain partners). The teacher survey revealed that ............................( increased awareness of sport and inclusive practices. Pupil survey ............. The English tests at the beginning and end of the project highlighted a real improvement in language skills. The kahouts also highlighted a better knowledge of the partner countries (their location, their capital, their heritage, etc.) and the values, symbols and workings of the European Union."