Portuguese team Follow-Up Activities and Impressions
Article written by a student, Miguel Moreira
An Amazing Experience – Erasmus+ "Sporty Mental"
Throughout the entire ERASMUS project "Don't bury your emotions let it flow- sports and mental health," we were instilled with the relationship between sports and mental health and realized that practicing sports is a way to relieve the stress and anxiety accumulated from our daily events, as we learnt mental health control techniques.
Moreover, we also learnt to respect others more and developed communication and social skills, as we only communicated in English among participants, making it a more complete experience because we improved our English, discovered new communication techniques, such as the use of gestures, and learnt new vocabulary and traditions from other countries, thanks to the constant exchange between the countries present in Pissouri. Therefore, this Erasmus program produced many exceptional memories that we will not be able to forget and created friendships between people from different countries.
Finally, it was something that took us out of our comfort zone, an opportunity to improve our English, to learn new things and to understand better the relationship between sports and mental health, as well as learn more about other cultures and customs, being an extremely enriching experience that we hope to have the opportunity to live it again.
Follow Up Portugal
Follow-up Report: Erasmus+ Youth Exchange Project - "Sport and Mental Health: Don't Bury Your Emotions; Let It Flow" (Sporty Mental)
1. Introduction
The Erasmus+ Youth Exchange titled "Sport and Mental Health: Don't Bury Your Emotions; Let It Flow" (Sporty Mental) took place in Cyprus from October 13-24, 2024. The project brought together youth from six different countries, with Portugal being represented by a team of 10 students from Escola Secundária Daniel Faria in Baltar, Paredes. The Portuguese participants engaged in various activities centered around mental health, sports, and intercultural exchange, contributing to their personal growth and development.
After the exchange in Cyprus, two follow-up activities were organized in Portugal. These were held at Baltar Secondary School and Baltar Basic School. The aim of these follow-up activities was to reinforce the lessons learned during the Youth Exchange and further integrate the themes of mental health and sports into the daily lives of the participants. The activities also provided an opportunity for the students to share their experiences with their peers and local communities.
2. Follow-up Activities in Portugal
2.1 Baltar Secondary School - First Follow-up Activity
At Baltar Secondary School, the first follow-up activity was conducted in collaboration with students from different grade levels. The session focused on the correlation between sports and mental health, with participants leading discussions and interactive workshops.
- Objective: To share the knowledge acquired during the exchange, particularly regarding how sports can be a tool to manage emotions and mental health.
- Activity Overview: The students organized small group discussions, sharing personal stories about how sports help them cope with stress and anxiety. They also demonstrated sports-based activities such as team games and exercises aimed at enhancing emotional well-being.
- Impact: The activity was well-received by the participants at Baltar Secondary School. It created an open space for discussions around mental health, helping to break down stigmas associated with mental well-being. Students who had participated in the Erasmus+ project felt empowered to advocate for the importance of mental health and physical activity in a supportive environment.
https://youtu.be/eNXiReVSWd8?si=XU_BdTfOfSnf7DJS
2.2 Baltar Basic School - Second Follow-up Activity
The second follow-up took place at Baltar Basic School, where a slightly younger group of students participated in activities tailored to their age group. The focus was on creating awareness of mental health issues and offering practical tools to manage emotions through sports.
- Objective: To further promote the ideas of emotional expression and coping mechanisms using sports as a tool for young students.
- Activity Overview: The follow-up activity included a series of interactive workshops and group activities, such as yoga, meditation, and sports challenges. The activities were designed to be engaging and fun while emphasizing the importance of physical health and emotional well-being.
- Impact: The students at Baltar Basic School gained a better understanding of how mental health can be influenced by physical activity. Feedback from participants indicated a growing interest in incorporating these practices into their own routines. Many expressed a desire to learn more about sports that support mental and emotional resilience.
3. Reflections and Participant Feedback
The Portuguese participants, who had the opportunity to travel to Cyprus and participate in the exchange, provided valuable insights into their experiences and the impact of the project on their personal growth. Below are the highlights from the reports of several students:
Madalena Proença: My name is Madalena Proença and I was one of the team leaders of a group of 10 students from Escola Secundária Daniel Faria, in the Erasmus+ youth exchange project "Sport and Mental Health- don't bury your emotions let it flow". had never thought about doing a project of this type before and I was very curious to know how both myself and the students would participate in activities with students from six different countries. I can say that it was an extraordinary and enriching experience in which I contacted young people from Romania, Lithuania, Poland, Bulgaria and Cyprus. In addition to developing activities related to mental health and sport, I discovered a wonderful country with welcoming people who made me feel at home. We left with beautiful stories and memories and I know it will be an experience that the students will never forget.
António José Oliveira (team leader): The Erasmus+ Sport and Mental Health Project: "Don't bury your emotions let it flow" between 13.10 -24.10.2024, increased my English language skills because only English was spoken on the exchange. The project activities helped me and all the participants to understand that physical activity is a vehicle to increase their physical, emotional and psychological well-being. These activities showed young people important aspects, for example, in their diet, thus contributing to improving their mental health and controlling their emotions. As a Team Leader, these projects are an asset for young people, because they develop their self-esteem, relationships between participants from different countries, group and team spirit. I think it was an extraordinary experience for me and my team. To finish, I leave this motto for all future Team Leaders: "We were two young people in a team of young people!"
Ricardo Fernandes: My name is Ricardo Fernandes, I am 17 years old and I am one of the participants in the Erasmus + project "Sporty and Mental health: Don't bury your emotions; Let it flow." Sporty Mental. I really enjoyed participating in this project, as I developed many skills, one of which is my English skills, where I have a lot of difficulties. I also developed teamwork skills, which requires a lot of interaction between participants. Regarding the activities, they were incredible, very diverse and attractive. The hotel where we stayed was very good. I made many friends that I will keep for the rest of my life. The experience was very good and I really enjoyed it.
Carlos Sá: My name is Carlos, I'm 16 years old and I participated in the Erasmus+ project "Sport and Mental Health: Don't Bury Your Emotions; Let It Flow." Sporty Mental. Before being invited to this project, I was unaware of the possibility of participating in ERASMUS+ and the other opportunities of this project, such as Erasmus Mundus. This project provided me with a pleasant experience, in which I developed several skills, such as linguistic and cultural skills, for example in the intercultural evenings where we learned a lot about the countries involved in the project. Not only did I discover a new, more interactive and fun way of learning, I also got to know new cultures and people, which made me a more aware and independent person. Because it was an incredible and innovative experience for me and I recommend everyone to participate in this project at least once, because it's worth it.
Miguel: My name is Miguel, I'm 17 years old and I participated in the Erasmus+ project "Sport and Mental Health: Don't Bury Your Emotions; Let It Flow." Sporty Mental". During this project, I developed several social and personal skills, made several friends and learned many words from other languages, as a result of the constant exchange between the various countries present in Cyprus, so it was an excellent experience that I undoubtedly intend to repeat.
Sara Cepeda: My name is Sara Cepeda and I was part of the project "Sport and Mental Health: Don't Bury Your Emotions; Let It Flow." Sporty Mental" was a good experience, I learned a lot of things, one of which was getting used to communicate in English and deal with all types of personalities and temperaments. I neither liked nor disliked the experience, it didn't exceed my expectations, as this type of program is for more sociable people and not for shy people like me, but I don't regret taking part in the project.
Ricardo Santos: Hello, my name is Ricardo Santos, I'm 16 years old and I was part of the Erasmus+ project "Sport and Mental Health: Don't Bury Your Emotions; Let It Flow." Sporty Mental" between October 13th and 24th. The project was a very positive experience. I learned how sports can improve mental health and the importance of expressing emotions in a healthy way. Furthermore, it was a great opportunity to socialize with people from different cultures, create new friendships and share perspectives. The project helped me grow both emotionally and socially.
Igor Barbosa: My name is Igor Gonçalo da Silva Barbosa, I am 16 years old, and I was part of the Erasmus+ project "Sport and Mental Health: Don't bury your emotions let it flow" - SPORTY MENTAL. In this project, I developed my English through interaction with other participants from other countries, thus developing my level of interaction. However, I think I could have participated more at certain times during the activities. Furthermore, the activities were, for the most part, interesting, challenging and funny, but sometimes, some were boring and didn't really catch my attention. However, it was a project where I learned a lot about how physical exercise can influence us mentally, and the importance it has in our lives, I made new friends, learned new words in other languages and, therefore, made me love this project.
Mafalda Vasconcelos: Hello, I'm Mafalda Vasconcelos and I'm 17 years old, I'm from Baltar, Paredes and living this experience for me was fantastic and unforgettable. This ERASMUS project "Don't bury your emotions let it flow- sports and mental health", was a very enriching experience, as in addition to working on areas such as mental health, I learned techniques for controlling mental health. Furthermore, we also practiced a lot of sports and created an interconnection between these two themes, which are very present in my life as I practice sports and mental health has become more and more part of my daily life. Therefore, this project was very important. Another reason why I loved this project was that, in addition to covering topics such as mental health and sport, I met a lot of people from other countries and learned their cultures, their dances, their languages, which was a great experience. enriching and only made me want to research and learn more about the cultures of my colleagues and want to know more about their daily lives. This Erasmus project was a very enriching and very interesting experience and was very important for me to grow as a person as I gained a lot of confidence in speaking English and lost some fears I had about speaking in English with others.
Cristiana Oliveira: I'm Cristiana and I participated in the Erasmus+ project, Sporty Mental. During these 10 days I learned and lived a lot, it was a unique and unforgettable experience. When I joined this project, I had many expectations and what I experienced exceeded them in all aspects. This experience made me grow intellectually, not only in terms of knowledge, but it also allowed me to open my mind to other perspectives. I loved learning and living with other cultures and I hope that from now on I will have the opportunity to participate in more projects of this kind.
Beatriz Carvalho: Hello, my name is Beatriz Carvalho and I was present at the Erasmus+ program "Sport and Mental Health: Don't Bury Your Emotions; Let It Flow." SPORTY MENTAL from the 13th to the 23rd of October in Limassol, Cyprus. Throughout the program, the relationship between sport and mental health was instilled in me, I realized that practicing sport is a way of relieving stress and the accumulated anxiety of everyday events. Furthermore, I also learned to respect others more and to put myself "in other people's shoes" before criticizing or making a comment. I also realized that we differentiate people depending on their social class and monetary power and that this situation constitutes an action of prejudice. I also developed communicative and social skills since we only communicated in English between participants. It was an experience that made me more complete as I improved. my English, I discovered new communication techniques such as the use of gestures and vocabulary in Romanian, Bulgarian and Polish. Finally, this Erasmus program cultivated many exceptional memories that I will not be able to forget, it created bonds and friendships between people from different backgrounds. countries. Finally, it was something that took me out of my comfort zone due to the fact that there was a greater need to be more communicative than I am and it was an opportunity to improve my English and learn new things and the relationship between sport and mental health, as well as learning more about other cultures and customs.
Emília Coelho: I loved being part of this project, and I hope to have this opportunity again in the future. These two weeks taught me a lot, from sports and games to being in touch with my emotions and learning strategies for dealing with problems. Furthermore, I made lifelong friends and learned a lot about other cultures: music, dances, games... Overall, these two weeks were a lot of learning, but even more fun, and exceeded my expectations, which were already quite high. The Sporty Mental project was everything I expected and more, and it was an unforgettable experience where I learned things that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.
4. Conclusion
The follow-up activities at Baltar Secondary School and Baltar Basic School served to reinforce the key messages and skills learned during the Erasmus+ Youth Exchange in Cyprus. The Portuguese participants not only benefited from the project themselves but also contributed significantly to the local community by spreading awareness about the importance of mental health and the positive impact of physical activity.
Overall, the Erasmus+ Youth Exchange "Sport and Mental Health: Don't Bury Your Emotions; Let It Flow" has had a lasting impact on the participants, helping them grow in confidence, improve their emotional and social skills, and form lasting international friendships. The project has shown that youth exchanges can be powerful tools for fostering understanding, promoting mental well-being, and encouraging personal development.