Football in Schools for Young European Students

Background The FIS4yes Project was strongly targeted to prevent early school leaving and promoting physical activity and healthy lifestyles among young people, especially from vulnerable groups, through innovative football-based programs. Football is very popular among young people and the project used football as a powerful tool in working with adolescents experiencing behavioural and emotional difficulties and at risks of school exclusion and social exclusion. Objectives The overall aim of the project was to exchange partners’ experiences and best practices in using football to engage with young people, to help them to learn and develop as individuals; particularly the project best practice "Sport and Thought" takes the traditional educational activities in classrooms and places them on the football pitch; and in this way ensures the active engagement and participation of students at risk of school exclusion. Implementation Major project activities were the three transnational meetings in London, Madrid and Vilnius: these meetings were the ideal way for exchanging best practices, and a precious source of inspiration for participants through practical observation of the hosting partner’s approach and demonstration of the way of using football for education of young people. Achievements The project has mainly met its initial objectives and final evaluation of the project was positive: firstly, participants in transnational meetings acquired new skills, ideas and innovative models in promoting education and social inclusion of young students through sport; partners’ cooperation was of good level and quality throughout the entire project duration and they increased their capacity to cooperate at EU level, laying down the basis for future cooperation beyond the project end.