Action-packed study tour for GEM project participants in Madrid

The second Grassroots Exchange and Mobility in Sports (GEM) project meeting took place in Madrid, Spain, from 23-26 May, where the participating organisations had the chance to visit local schools, centres and physical activity programmes.

The GEM project aims at being able to employ mobilities and exchanges to create individual competencies and organisational networks that benefit sport, with 5 Western Balkan nations and 5 EU partner countries participating and jointly driving sport forward.

During our stay we made four visits to gain new ideas and share experiences.

1.    School visit 
The Colegio Estudiantes hosted us and shared about the school's methods in terms of physical activity, physical education, and health care. The Estudiantes school was one of the most prominent centres in the Community of Madrid for the development of physical activity and sport for health care. A centre dedicated to sport and health takes pride of place in the program.

2.    Visit to the Marist College of Chamber
The Marist College of Chamber's auditorium gave us a sparkling welcome as a hub for physical education professionals. Several centres from the NGO Sport for Education and Health's active and healthy centres initiative from in and around were given the opportunity to present their work methodology. Representatives from the Cato Institute, Good Council, Gotze Foundation, La Salle Sacred Heart, and Marists Chamber were in charge of presenting their work approach, arguing, and comparing it to other similar European programs. The Community of Madrid School Council were also present to conclude the session.

3.    The Regional Centre for Innovation and Training Las Acacias Visit
During the visit to the Regional Centre for Innovation and Training, Mr. David Cervera, Deputy Director General of Innovation and Training Programs of the Ministry of Education and Youth of the Community of Madrid, led the expedition to the Regional Centre for Innovation and Training Las Acacias to share about the policies on physical education in the Schools of the Community of Madrid. 

4.    Street Project
From the Street Project coordinators, the GEM delegation learned about the work of Sport for Education and Health, which is the aim of Street project. This is a European program aimed at preventing extremist movements and radicalisation among young people aged 15 to 25, as well as using sports and cultural activities to help young people integrate into society. In addition, all registered centres across Europe will work to promote the core ideals of social cohesion, inclusion, and respect. The project's major goal is to avoid radicalisation among groups of young people who may be targets of extremist groups, gangs, or just develop a sympathetic mentality toward the practice of violence owing to their traits, environment, and experiences. Following this path, social inclusion and the promotion of values such as mutual respect, as well as the development of skills and abilities through athletics, are two major goals.

As the movement of physical activity and education kicks on and gathers pace, the media also have a role to play in getting our ideas and objectives out there to the world, thanks to España Se Mueve for doing just that.

You can read more about what they have to say here.

Kudos to Andreu Raya Demidoff and his team for pulling off such an amazing program and catering to all our needs and making it a great experience for all the GEM Partners. Now looking over the horizon and an opportunity to create more grassroots impact in the UK. Next up – Loughborough!