BEYOND HORIZONS
A European Project proposal designed by ENOS members to achieving higher-performing practices in social inclusion of young people in the outdoor sports sector
A joint venture for inclusion – Building a consortium for Erasmus+ Youth Call for 2022
Two ENOS members from France, building the initial core consortium are launching a call for partners for the Erasmus+ Youth Call for 2022. The purpose of the project is to address the topic of inclusion in outdoor sports at European level. This project proposal has been designed to share, develop and promote best practices, focusing on underrepresented groups of young people in outdoor sports (e.g. marginalized or at-risk of marginalisation young people, school dropouts, young people living in priority urban areas or particularly remote rural areas), in the post-covid context. The objective of the three-year action project is to achieve a higher-performing practices and a more inclusive culture in the outdoor sports sector.
ENOS promotes the exchange of good practices on inclusion at European level
The White Paper on sport calls on Member States to integrate sport practices into their policies on education, public health and social cohesion, in order to promote access to sports activities for the most vulnerable audiences or those engaged in an integration process including young people from disadvantaged socio-economic communities, immigrants and other under-represented groups in outdoor sports.
European cooperation
There is wealth of good practices among Outdoor sports organisations. Stakeholders in the field of Outdoor sports are aware of the issues of integration and inclusion for society and of the role they can play in this matter, because of their specific characteristics, their adaptability and the benefits they induce. It was however observed, during the ENOS inclusive outdoors webinar in June 2021 that the available knowledge is fragmented and sectorized or restricted to a given geographical or cultural area. Outdoor sports organisations, education professionals and volunteers engaging with these groups would benefit shared space for knowledge exchange at the European level.
Mountain sports as a field of study
The initial core consortium would like to explore the field of mountain sports. Low rates of participation among young people at risk of marginalisation in mountain and adventure sports such as mountaineering, hillwalking and hiking, mountain biking, skiing and winter sports make those activities relevant to explore the topic of diversity and inclusion.
Early-stage design of the project proposal
- Exchange programme to share practices
- Collate existing knowledge and develop a shared framework of knowledge
- Identify best practices in relation to the framework
- Test the methods during a series of youth exchanges involving the target group
- Create a toolkit
- Disseminate
Consortium design
The call is primarily directed to national or local organisations from different fields working on issues related to social justice and nature, outdoor sports participation for all, social inclusion and outdoor sports, and/or working with or for people in priority education areas, migrants, as well as people living in rural and remote areas, people with social and economic difficulties, and economic or any other potential source of discrimination based on sex or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation. The project consortium will be designed to promote a diverse array of backgrounds and identities.
Actually, the team seeks a partnership made of diverse range of backgrounds, experiences, and views with between 2-3 grassroots organisations active in the field of outdoor sports and inclusion, 1 and 2 academic institutions, 2-3 organisations active in the organisation of outdoor sports at national level, 2-3 public authorities in charge of the development of outdoor sports, 2-3 organisations active in the field of youth work and inclusion.
Participating organisations must be located in Erasmus+ programme or partner Countries. Priority will be given to countries that are underrepresented in the European Network of Outdoor sports and to organisations that have a particular relevance to the topic. A balance between new ENOS members and experienced partners will be sought.
Project period: 01/01/2023 to 31/12/2026
Funding scheme: Erasmus+ Youth programme
Partner Selection criteria:
- Relevance to the topic
- Connection to the field of inclusion/ and or outdoor sports
- Motivation in regard to the project idea
- skills and/or expertise of key persons who would be involved in this project
- Added value to the project
- Geographical criteria
Deadline for submitting an application to become a project partner: The call is opened until March 12/03.
Detailed informations about the project proposal: here.
Why this call ? Promoting outdoor sports participation for marginalized youth the post Covid context
The COVID-19 pandemic has been associated with unprecedented changes to societal structure. School closures and inaccessible health services have resulted in huge impacts on the well-being of European citizens. Times of crisis often reinforce and exacerbate disparities. The resulting changes in society due to social distancing measures have showcased inequities in participation in society in many of the most vulnerable populations in Europe.
To limit the spread, a large part of the European population has, in periods, being subject for freedom restriction and social distancing. The impact on population activity behaviours is not clear, but early evidence suggests that population activity declined substantially in particular amongst young people at risk of marginalization.
Physical inactivity is an important contributor to non-communicable diseases in Europe. Healthy emotional and social development in early life is known to reduce the need for mental and physical health services later in life. The benefits of Outdoor sports for Society (BOSS) project has showed how outdoor sports can effectively be used as a vehicle to foster social inclusion, health, well-being and nature connectedness for young people, in particular for those with fewer opportunities.
Who ? The project initiators
The CREPS Provence Alpes Côte d’Azur
The Centre de Ressources, d’expertise et de performance sportive Provence-Alpes Côte d’Azur is one of the 17 at local district organisations, part of the national network of CREPS under the Ministry of Sports. The organisation is active in the fields of high-level sport, vocational training in the field of sports and youth work. The center is also hosting training courses and events. The organisation is build of different sports facilities including hosting spread over a network of three sites: Aix-en-Provence, Antibes, Boulouris / Saint-Raphaël, all in the South East of France. This network has a staff of nearly 200 people for 220,000 users of the facilities per year. The establishment has a long experience in social inclusion through sport and sports activities, mountain activities and sports, and has experience in European cooperation in the field of education.
Centre Européen des sports de nature CESN – CREPS Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes
The European Outdoor Sports Center of Vallon Pont d’Arc was establishedin 2018 in the desire to strengthen the active participation of the CREPS Auvergne Rhone Alpes to cooperate at European level in the field of outdoor sports. The role of the center is to promote and foster cooperation and mobility in the field in a European perspective. The activities of the centre are based in European policies, programs, tools and cooperation, to promote mobility and European cooperation. The CESN is part of the CREPS Auvergne-Rhône Alpes, a resource, expertise and sports performance centre, public regional agency under the Ministry of Sports and the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region and with the support National Center for Outdoor sports (PRNSN). CESN is the secretariat of the European Nature Sports Network (ENOS).