A Cultural Case: Sports Project Started in Austria

Kratos Sports Society is participating as a partner organization in the Erasmus+ Mobility of Youth Workers project “A Cultural Case: Sports” (Project Reference Number: 2025-1-AT01-KA153-YOU-000299955), hosted by FI Gesundheits- und Sportverein in Klagenfurt, Austria. Bringing together youth workers from Austria, Türkiye, Spain, Hollanda, Hungary, the project aims to explore the role of sport as a tool for intercultural dialogue, strengthen cultural connections among participants, promote traditional sports practices, and introduce innovative non-formal education methods. The project also supports the Erasmus+ priorities of active participation, cultural exchange, and environmental sustainability.

The first day focused on helping participants get to know each other and adapt to the project environment. The programme began with a Zumba session led by the Spanish team, allowing participants to start the day with energy while experiencing the physical and mental benefits of regular exercise. This activity highlighted the unifying power of sport and encouraged participants to adopt healthy lifestyle habits. Afterwards, participants took part in the “Mint Lemon Name” ice-breaking activity facilitated by the French team, where they learned each other’s names, countries, and backgrounds through an interactive and enjoyable game-based learning experience.

The orientation process continued with the “Word Hunting” activity organized by the Austrian team. Working in multicultural groups, participants explored the project venue and surrounding areas while searching for hidden words needed to complete a target sentence. Through observation, visual learning, and experiential learning methods, participants became familiar with their environment, strengthened teamwork skills, and improved their communication and problem-solving abilities.

The educational sessions of the day introduced participants to the Erasmus+ Programme and the Youthpass Certificate. During the “Erasmus Plus Universe” activity, coordinated by the Hungarian team, participants learned about Erasmus+ opportunities, priorities, and participation mechanisms through presentations and an interactive Kahoot quiz. This was followed by the “Youthpass Universe” session led by the Turkish team, where participants explored the importance of Youthpass and its eight key competences, gaining a better understanding of how their learning outcomes would be recognized throughout the project.

The day concluded with an Environmental Awareness Study, focusing on sustainability, recycling, waste management, and environmentally friendly practices in line with Erasmus+ priorities. Participants were also informed about the environmental activities that would continue throughout the project. Finally, during the “Emoji Dartboard” evaluation session, participants reflected on the day’s activities and shared their feedback. Combining sport, intercultural learning, non-formal education methods, and environmental awareness, the first day provided a strong foundation for the project and helped participants build a positive team spirit for the days ahead.