The 3 partners in the Erasmus+ project “INNOSKILLS THROUGH SPORT“ [621999-EPP-1-2020-1-BG-SPO-SSCP] conducted a summer kick off meeting between 28-30 July 2021 in Bitola, Republic of North Macedonia.
The three – day event was a kind of international partner workshop on: “Promoting entrepreneurial and skills of the future development through sport”.
The 15 participants from Association “Sport Club Comac Sport”, Bulgaria, “Salas vidusskola”, Latvia, and “Sdruzenie za makedonsko-balgarsko prijatelstvo”[ “Association for Macedonian-Bulgarian Friendship”], Republic of North Macedonia met in Bitola, North Macedonia to exchange good practices and methods [formal and non-formal] for developing entrepreneurial transversal skill among teenagers by implementing a variety of educational approaches, including ETS.
The event was divided into different panel sessions on: organizational, analytical and practical aspects of the project concept.
Representatives from NGO sector joined the sessions to reveal more practices on working with youth by focusing on entrepreneurship as a transversal skill according to EntreComp framework of the European Commission. They also shared their specific experience in working with schools and other educational institutions in implementing different sports activities among pupils and youth, in order to acquire healthy and sports life-skills.
The international partner workshop covered a wide range of panel discussions, presentations and exchange of positive practices from the three countries which share a common past behind the “Iron Curtain” and face similar challenges related to the creation of a strong sense of entrepreneurship and initiative in youth.
15 participants took part in the event to exchange multicultural experiences and discuss activities, revealing sport as a tool for education and skills development as well as various organizational forms that provoke interest and participation of young people in sporting events.
The participants also discussed how social, educational and health functions of sport can be used to form the personality of young people and encourage physical activity at all levels of education from an early age, putting a special emphasis on entrepreneurship and skills of the future.
The three main speakers from Republic of North Macedonia, Marija Kotevska, Kire Grbevski and Vlatko Grozdanovski, sports teachers from secondary schools and also non-formal sports education trainers, shared facts about their work and challenges. They emphasized on sport as a tool for entrepreneurial and transversal skills development as well as for promoting social inclusion and European values & principles, such as solidarity, equality, respect of the diversity and social status and inclusiveness of the different nationalities.
In conclusion the event was a great opportunity for the representatives of the partner organizations to exchange good practices and expertise in light of skills formation among youth, using various sports activities. Sports was also discussed with regard to its potential to be instrument for education and to promote social inclusion.
The international workshop helped participants to realize people-to-people connectivity as well as to experience a great multicultural event program.
