The IRIS Project “Innovative Learning Resources to foster equal participation In grassroots Sports dealing with discrimination, racism and violence incidents” is in the framework of ERASMUS+ EU Program and co-funded by the EU.
The Regional Center of Vocational Training and Lifelong Learning-RCVTLLL, Region of Western Greece is the coordinator of a 6 member partnership. The participants are, Konstantin Preslavsky University of Shumen, in Bulgary,The University of Jyväskylä, in Finland,Oltalom Sport Association, in Hungary,University Santiago De Compostela, in Spain,The Hellenic Open University, in Greece.
The duration of the project is 24 months.
The project partnership will follow current developments in educational technologies and open access in order to offer modernized distance learning pathways and resources.
Thus the partnership will develop a multilingual training platform that will allow end users to access learning resources (both Thematic Modules and Educational Tools) on how to prevent and tackle racism, discrimination and violence such as,
- Serious Game or applied game for children aged between 11 to 15 which will follow specific role-playing scenario or plot in order to provide a fun, intuitive and motivating environment for teaching and provoking children’ s awareness about contemporary forms of racism, discrimination and intolerance in regard to sport.
- Comic Book (graphic novel) for children aged between 6 to 11 as another ‘alarming tool’ and literary source. The pairing of visual and written plotlines make the child more familiar and comfortable with understanding complex virtues and ideas and increases the ability to learn.
- Handbook for Teachers and coaches, with well structured and detailed presentation of interactive games, such as role-playing scenarios, quizzes, drawing themes, athletic activities with rotation of roles etc, that could motivate children to actively participate in groups and comprehend, through play, the value of tolerance and the results of violence and discrimination
- On-line training modules for P.E. teachers, coaches and professionals in the field of grassroots sports and education, covering fields of pedagogy, psychology, social affairs and sports ethics.
Aiming to,
- improve UNDERSTANDING of discrimination, racism and violence in sport
- understand principles of code of sports ethics
- give practical knowledge on HOW everyone must have an equal chance to participate in sports activities
- promote measures and practices to PREVENT discrimination, racism and violence
- provide training in handling children's emotions associated with sport participation
Additionally, the project will provide a Policy Issue Paper addressed to authorities, with recommendations on how to prevent and confront these incidents at policy level, while defining regional and national policies and stimulating the development of new local initiatives. The Policy Issue Paper will be available for download from the website.
Erasmus+ is the EU Programme in the fields of education, training, youth and sport for the period 2014-2020. The Erasmus+ Programme supports actions, cooperation and tools consistent with the objectives of the Europe 2020 Strategy and its flagship initiatives, such as Youth on the Move and the Agenda for new skills and jobs. The Programme also aims to achieve - through the Open Methods of Coordination - the objectives of the Education and Training Strategic Framework and of the European Youth Strategy. The Erasmus+ Programme builds on the achievements of more than 25 years of European programmes in the fields of education, training and youth, covering both an intra-European as well as an international cooperation dimension.