Building Healthier, Inclusive Schools Through the Special Olympics Inclusive Healthy Lifestyle Groups in Schools Project – Special Olympics

Report on the Inclusive Healthy Lifestyle Groups in Schools (IHLGiS) Initiative and its Alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals

Project Overview and Objectives

The Inclusive Healthy Lifestyle Groups in Schools (IHLGiS) project is an initiative by Special Olympics, funded by the European Union’s EU4Health programme. The project’s primary objective was to educate students, both with and without intellectual disabilities (ID), on comprehensive health topics and to cultivate an inclusive, accepting school environment. Over a three-year period, the initiative was implemented in Estonia, Greece, Poland, and the city of Berlin, Germany, focusing on key areas integral to long-term well-being.

• Nutrition and healthy eating habits
• Physical activity and exercise
• Mental health awareness and support
• General health literacy

Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The IHLGiS project directly contributes to several key United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), demonstrating a commitment to global health, equality, and quality education.

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being: The project’s core mission is to empower students to manage their own health. By promoting physical activity, healthy nutrition, and mental wellness, it directly supports the goal of ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all.
• SDG 4: Quality Education: By operating within schools and providing specialized training for 450 teachers on engaging students with ID, the project enhances the educational framework. It fosters an inclusive learning environment, ensuring that all students have access to equitable and quality education regarding health.
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities: The initiative’s fundamental principle is the inclusion of students with intellectual disabilities alongside their peers. This model actively breaks down barriers, promotes social acceptance, and works to reduce the inequalities faced by individuals with disabilities.
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals: The project exemplifies a successful multi-stakeholder partnership. It brought together Special Olympics, national programs, a major university, and the European Union to achieve a common goal, highlighting the importance of collaboration in achieving sustainable development.

Key Outcomes and Quantitative Impact

The project significantly surpassed its initial targets, demonstrating a high level of engagement and successful implementation. The data, collected and evaluated by the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, confirms the initiative’s extensive reach and impact.

1. Student Engagement: Over 6,000 students with and without intellectual disabilities participated, exceeding the initial goal of 4,000.
2. School Participation: More than 290 schools across the four participating countries were involved, nearly tripling the target of 100 schools.
3. Youth Leadership: Over 200 Youth Leaders were trained to advocate for healthy lifestyles and inclusion among their peers, fostering sustainable, student-led change.
4. Teacher Training: 450 teachers received specialized training to better support and educate students with intellectual disabilities on health topics.

Project Stakeholders and Collaboration

The success of the IHLGiS project was dependent on the coordinated efforts of its key partners, a model for achieving SDG 17.

• Coordinating Body: Special Olympics Europe Eurasia
• Implementing Partners:
  • Special Olympics Estonia
  • Special Olympics Hellas (Greece)
  • Special Olympics Poland
  • Special Olympics Berlin (Germany)
• Academic and Evaluation Partner: National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
• Funding Partner: The European Union (via the EU4Health programme)

Qualitative Impact and Testimonials

The project’s impact is reflected in the experiences of its participants. Elena Megariti, a 14-year-old student, stated, “I’ve learned to exercise, to eat healthy food, to talk with my friends.” Similarly, Oivi Olle, a parent from Estonia, noted that her son “has become stronger, smarter and more independent through this project.” These outcomes underscore the project’s success in not only disseminating health information but also in building confidence, social skills, and independence, aligning with the holistic vision of the SDGs.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Analysis

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being: The article’s central theme is the “Inclusive Healthy Lifestyle Groups in Schools (IHLGiS)” project, which directly aims to improve the health of students by educating them on nutrition, physical activity, and mental health.
• SDG 4: Quality Education: The project is implemented within schools and focuses on providing inclusive education. It involves training teachers and empowering students with knowledge and skills related to health and well-being, creating a more effective and inclusive learning environment.
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities: A core objective of the project is to create an “inclusive, accepting environment” for students with intellectual disabilities, directly addressing the social inequalities they often face and promoting their full participation in school life.
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals: The article highlights that the project is a collaborative effort involving multiple organizations, including Special Olympics, the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, and the European Union, demonstrating a multi-stakeholder partnership to achieve common goals.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

   • Target 3.4: Reduce by one-third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being. The project directly supports this target by promoting healthy lifestyles through education on “nutrition,” “physical activity,” and “mental health” to prevent future health issues.

2. SDG 4: Quality Education

   • Target 4.5: Eliminate gender disparities in education and ensure equal access to all levels of education and vocational training for the vulnerable, including persons with disabilities. The project explicitly focuses on including “students with and without intellectual disabilities,” ensuring that students with disabilities have equal access to health education.
   • Target 4.7: Ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable lifestyles. The project’s goal to “empower students to take care of their own health” and educate them on healthy lifestyles directly contributes to this target.
   • Target 4.a: Build and upgrade education facilities that are child, disability and gender sensitive and provide safe, non-violent, inclusive and effective learning environments for all. The initiative’s aim is to encourage “the creation of an inclusive, accepting environment in and outside schools,” which aligns with creating effective and inclusive learning environments.

3. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

   • Target 10.2: Empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status. The project promotes the social inclusion of students with intellectual disabilities by having them participate alongside their peers, as evidenced by the student who learned “to talk with my friends.”
   • Target 10.3: Ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome. By providing specialized training to 450 teachers on “how to best engage and teach students with intellectual disabilities,” the project works to reduce inequalities in educational and health outcomes for these students.

4. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

   • Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships. The article details a partnership between Special Olympics (civil society), the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (academia), and the European Union (public institution), which funded the project through its EU4Health programme.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Number of participants reached: The article states that “over 6,000 students have been involved in the project,” exceeding the initial goal of 4,000. This is a quantitative indicator of the project’s reach in promoting health education (SDG 3, SDG 4).
• Number of institutions involved: The project was implemented in “more than 290 schools,” surpassing the target of 100. This measures the scale of creating inclusive learning environments (SDG 4).
• Number of educators trained: The fact that “450 teachers have undergone specific training” serves as an indicator for building capacity within the education system to support students with disabilities, contributing to reduced inequalities (SDG 10) and quality education (SDG 4).
• Number of youth advocates trained: The training of “more than 200 Youth Leaders with and without intellectual disabilities… to advocate for healthy lifestyles” is an indicator of student empowerment and peer-to-peer education (SDG 3, SDG 4).
• Qualitative feedback on personal development: Testimonies such as a student becoming “stronger, smarter and more independent” and another learning “to talk with my friends” are qualitative indicators of improved well-being (SDG 3) and social inclusion (SDG 10).

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Table

Source: specialolympics.org