Get Moving and Learn Better: NRW's New School Movement Program
Pushing Beyond Basic Skills: Emerging Trend in Holistic Education Approach - BoostingMobility Beyond Reading, Writing, and Math: Innovative Methods on the Rise
Heads up, North Rhine-Westphalia is revving up its educational game! CDU's Education Minister Dorothee Feller in Düsseldorf announced an expansion of last year's Startchancen program, adding a "Movement" component to help schools boost student success.
Why is movement important? It bolsters social skills, teamwork, and, yes, you guessed it – learning motivation! To put these new tools to good use, Feller explainers, schools will be offered a range of options to encourage movement, such as:
- Promoting self-regulation, assertiveness, and resilience
- Making it easy for students to join sports clubs
- Helping students work towards a sporting goal (think: tournaments, fun runs, or skating events)
- Securing funds for swimming, cycling, and skating programs
- Providing movement opportunities in community skate and pump track facilities and street basketball courts
Don't worry, these activities will happen outside lesson hours and be flexibly integrated into daily school life. Schools can find out more on the state sports association (LSB) website. Once they partner with a provider, funding can be applied via the LSB's funding portal. Application is possible even during the current school year.
So, why is NRW taking a leap like this? The Startchancen program, a joint project of the federal government and the states, aims to support around 4,000 schools nationwide in socially challenging areas from the 2024/25 school year. Around 900 of these schools will be in NRW.
"While the main focus of Startchancen is on enhancing reading, writing, and math skills," clarifies Feller, "NRW is aiming for even broader impacts with the 'Movement' component." For this, her ministry is allocating up to 2.5 million euros to the state sports association per school year.
Want to know more about why NRW's emphasis on movement matters? Here’s the lowdown:
- Healthier Students: More movement means better physical health, reducing risks of obesity, heart disease, and other lifestyle-related illnesses.
- Smarter Scholars: Regular exercise boosts cognitive functions, such as concentration, memory, and learning abilities.
- Well-Rounded Learners: Physical activities help children develop socially and emotionally.
- Active School Cultures: NRW's approach encourages a lifelong culture of physical activity, beyond the school years.
In brief, NRW's "Movement" component expansion aims to integrate various physical activities into daily school life, supported by state-level initiatives that prioritize sustainability and health. Kids get to be active, learn better, and build healthier habits for life. Now, who said school couldn't be fun?
The expansion of North Rhine-Westphalia's Startchancen program under CDU's Education Minister Dorothee Feller includes a "Movement" component, offering schools vocational training programs in self-regulation, assertiveness, and resilience, as well as opportunities for sports participation and skill development. This initiative aims to foster a holistic approach to education and self-development, promoting healthier students, smarter scholars, well-rounded learners, and active school cultures, thus encouraging a lifelong culture of physical activity, education, and vocational training.
