Sport4Development

Aims & objectives

The main aim of the project "Sport4Development" was to increase the quality of youth work by providing youth workers with an opportunity to deepen their understanding of how sport can be used as a powerful educational and developmental tool with special focus on inclusion of wheelchair users. The project focuses on building the competencies needed to integrate “Sport for Development” (S4D) approaches into youth work practices delivered by participating organizations.

Target group & international/intercultural composition of the group & team

he project ‘Sport4Development’ included one international mobility activity: a training course. The training course brought together 30 youth workers from Austria, Czechia, North Macedonia, Italy, Türkiye, and Serbia. Each partner organisation sent five youth workers. The participants were selected based on their motivation and their ability to multiply the results within their organisations and communities. The participants were youth workers with a strong motivation to learn about the Sport for Development approach, including practical examples of how to organise Sport for Development (S4D) activities, with a particular focus on the inclusion of young wheelchair users.

Training methods used & main activities

Non-formal educational methods.

Outcomes of the activity

1. Increase the competencies of youth workers to use sport as a tool for non-formal education and social inclusion;
2. Review existing youth work practices and explore how sport-based methods can enhance engagement, inclusion of young people including young people with different abilities;
3. Discuss challenges related to implementing sport-based approaches in different contexts, particularly when addressing exclusion of young people with different abilities;
4. Develop ideas and tools that raise awareness among young people about the potential of sport to foster personal and professional growth, resilience, and active participation in society;
5. Support the exchange of good practices and methodologies that integrate Sport4Development, especially practices that promote inclusion, social cohesion, and community building through sport.
6. Equip youth workers with the skills and motivation to design and implement future Erasmus+ projects that integrate Sport4Development, ensuring continuity and long-term impact.
7. Strengthen cooperation and networking among participating organizations, creating a sustainable community of practice that promotes Sport4Development approaches and develops follow-up initiatives at both local and European level.

Your tasks and responsibilities within the team

Trainer / project coordinator

I worked on this training for 8 days as a full time trainer.