Moving Beyond Classrooms: Startchancen's New Emphasis on Physical Activity
Advancement beyond reading, composing, and mathematics: Developments propelling the expansion of a particular ideology - Encouraging more than just basic skills: Enhanced rewards for mobility tasks
School's not just about books and numbers anymore. The revamped Startchancen program in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) now includes physical activities. Education Minister Dorothee Feller (CDU) explained that sports, games, and movement foster social skills, cooperation, and learning motivation - giving schools additional tools to improve students' educational success.
The plan is flexible. Offers could range from projects aimed at improving self-regulation, assertiveness, and resistance skills, to those ensuring long-term involvement in sports clubs. Possible activities include secure swimming, street basketball, skateboarding, and working towards a shared sporting goal, like participating in a tournament, a fun run, or a skate event.
Schools interested in implementing movement offers can find contacts on the website of the State Sports Association (LSB). As soon as a provider is found with the support of the respective city or district sports association, funds can be applied for. Applications are still possible during the current school year.
NRW steps it up
The Startchancen program, a joint project of the federal and state governments, supports around 4,000 schools nationwide in challenging areas over a decade. Around 900 schools in NRW with a high proportion of socio-economically disadvantaged students benefit from this.
Minister Feller emphasized that the Startchancen program promotes basic skills of reading, writing, and arithmetic. However, in NRW, broader impulses are being set with the "Movement" component. Her ministry provides the State Sports Association with a budget of up to 2.5 million euros per annum for this purpose.
- Physical activities
- Self-regulation
- Assertiveness
- Resistance skills
- Secure swimming
- Street basketball
- Skateboarding
- Sports clubs
By incorporating physical activities into education, young minds can reap numerous benefits, such as improved cognitive and social development, increased motivation, and the fostering of teamwork, discipline, and self-confidence.
The revamped Startchancen program in North Rhine-Westphalia includes physical activities like secure swimming, street basketball, and skateboarding, aiming to promote self-regulation, assertiveness, and resistance skills. Additionally, educational opportunities in sport clubs are encouraged to foster cognitive and social development, motivation, teamwork, discipline, and self-confidence.
