Our faculty has once again participated in the Erasmus+ Days initiative. Last year, we were newcomers, and we hosted one international event on our premises. This year, we organized four events focused on promoting a healthy lifestyle. We wanted to be innovative in our approach to organization, so the first event had a "blended" format, the second took place outside the faculty, the third connected the world of the university with the job market, and the fourth was conducted entirely online. All four events had an international dimension, were conducted sustainably, and, most importantly, were organized with active student participation. We successfully bridged the Erasmus+ program and the European Solidarity Corps by involving the first international volunteers of Charles University.
Erasmus+ Days is an initiative that educational institutions from all over Europe participate in annually. This year, there were 9,635 events. Details about all the events are available on the interactive map at https://www.erasmusdays.eu/. The Faculty of Physical Education and Sport is proud that four events on the map were initiated and organized by our students and staff.
So, what did we experience together?
Run and Walk with CENTRAL
Run and Walk with CENTRAL was a project implemented in a "blended" format, aimed not only at promoting a healthy lifestyle and physical activity but also at strengthening the connection between universities from five different countries. The "blended" format, which included both online and in-person components, was chosen for its advantages in event organization and in order to highlight the expanding opportunity of "blended" mobility that students can utilize within the Erasmus+ program.
The online part took place from October 2 to October 14, 2023. Five partner universities—Charles University, the University of Vienna, the University of Budapest, the University of Berlin, and the University of Warsaw-presented a challenge to their students and staff through the Strava app. A total of 96 participants joined forces to virtually connect all participating universities through running and walking. Their goal was to collectively cover a distance of 2,558 kilometers within 12 days, a goal they successfully surpassed by reaching a total of 2,800 kilometers online.
The in-person part of the event took place in Prague on October 10, 2023, at our faculty's premises during the event "Sport Unites" (I Love Movement). In the morning, we hosted a panel discussion with international experts from the CENTRAL network on topics related to a healthy lifestyle. The entire discussion was recorded and made available to students, staff, and the public. In the afternoon, we collectively initiated a run on our athletic stadium. Students and colleagues from abroad supported us in the online environment through the STRAVA app. Our goal was to collectively promote Olympic values in anticipation of the upcoming Olympics by running a symbolic 1,200 kilometers between Prague and Paris. Eventually, we covered this distance directly on our Track and field stadium. A total of 222 teams and individual participants ran a distance of 1,736 kilometers.
The University of Karlovy Vary's team made the most significant contribution to the online part, with valuable support from colleagues in Austria and Hungary. The success of the in-person event was significantly influenced by the team from the French Institute which was also the largest team. The event successfully connected students, academic and non-academic staff, many of whom brought their children and family members to the track. Our collective run or walk lasted a total of 4 hours. Everyone could choose their length of the activity and pace or participate in only part of the event. Everyone could also choose their running suit, we witnessed our colleagues running in kimonos and suits. There were also special bicycles available for disabled participants.
More about the online part can be found here.
More about the in-person part can be found here.
„Changing the World Through Movement“
In occasion of Erasmus+ Days, we selected and announced the winners of the first edition of the "Changing the World Through Movement 2023" project, which was announced by the Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, Charles University, in cooperation with Balance Club Brumlovka earlier this year. The awards were given to the best student projects and ideas related to healthy and sustainable lifestyles in relation to physical activity and sports. The total financial reward for the top three projects amounted to CZK 110,000.
Projects submitted by students from all 17 faculties of Charles University were evaluated in two rounds, with the top six projects advancing to the finals. The finals took place on October 10, 2023, at the Hybernská Campus in Prague, where contestants personally presented their proposals to the jury. The jury included representatives from the Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, Charles University, and the partner Balance Club Brumlovka, as well as representatives from other faculties of Charles University, the university's rectorate, and experts in the field of sports or consulting services.
The following projects made it to the final selection: "Fitness App for Kids - GAMIFIT," "Study Program Focused on a Healthy Lifestyle," "Workout Day," "Prescription for Physical Activity," "Better Self through Movement," and "Mind Run." The jury evaluated the projects based on their clarity and comprehensibility, academic quality, innovation, originality, societal relevance, potential impact, and the visual presentation of the proposals. Equally important were the contestants' responses to additional questions during the post-presentation discussion that followed each project presentation. The awards were given to three projects, and their descriptions are available here.
JOB Fair
A wide range of organizations and companies in the field of sports and a healthy lifestyle presented themselves at the event, offering opportunities for one-time or regular paid part-time jobs and internships for students. Alongside these companies, three organizations offering opportunities for foreign study programs, language courses, as well as accompanying and support services for students also made their services available for the first time. Companies such as Decathlon, Jsme inline, Gymnastika pro děti, Jugger.cz, The Little Gym, Shut up and swim, Sport Academy, Dvacetiminutovka, Super Kids, Snow Monkey, Sport kids, Kroužky.cz, and Kriketová akademie presented their activities and the possibility of long-term collaboration with students. Many of them are considered long-term partners of the Faculty of Physical Education and Sport. You can find photographs from the Job Fair here.
G-sport
Gsport with Alliance 4EU+ was a week-long pilot project aimed connecting video games and sports. From October 9 to October 15, two university student teams from Charles University and Sorbonne University competed in a League of Legends match in a BO5 format and took part in a running challenge using the STRAVA app.
How did both teams perform? After an exciting contest, Sorbonne University's team emerged victorious in the League of Legends match with a final score of 3:0. The Czech team compensated for their loss in the sports part of the project by winning the running challenge. A video capturing the most interesting moments of the entire challenge was recorded.
