ITS - Sports Transition Itineraries

 

Duration: 12 months: 12 - 15 June 2026 – 14 June 2027

Location/Area of ​​intervention: The project takes place in 5 Italian cities: Barletta (UISP BAT Committee), Cagliari, Genoa, Ferrara, Messina

 

Applicant/Coordinator: Uisp Aps

Funding body: Presidency of the Council of Ministers – Department of Sport

 

SUMMARY:

The project stems from the awareness that territorial development and sport are not two separate elements, but complementary languages that mutually enrich one another. When treated as parallel sectors—with sport reduced to mere entertainment and the territory regarded only as a backdrop—both lose effectiveness, resulting in fragmented, short-lived initiatives that are unable to create a meaningful impact on local communities.

The challenge of the sports transition, instead, is to promote a new integrated dimension in which sport and territory come together to foster:

• Individual and collective well-being: sport as an active experience that enhances quality of life and as an opportunity for the slow and mindful discovery of local areas and their unique characteristics;
• Social inclusion: sports activities and routes designed to promote and enhance cultural and natural heritage, while ensuring the participation of children, students, families, older adults (65+), and people with disabilities or socio-economic vulnerabilities;
• Educational, economic, and cultural enhancement: routes and initiatives that serve as learning tools for young people, create opportunities for intergenerational exchange, and act as drivers for strengthening local economies

The ITS project aims to implement comprehensive and cross-disciplinary interventions that combine sport, enjoyment, and valorization of cultural and environmental heritage, with a direct impact on citizen well-being and community cohesion. Sport thus becomes an opportunity for mental and physical well-being, a tool for understanding the local area, and a driver of social and educational growth.

 

OBJECTIVES:

The I.T.S. Project responds to the need to integrate territorial engagement, sport, and education by proposing a comprehensive strategy for understanding and enhancing territorial assets through sport as a driving force, combined with strong collaboration between schools and families.

In this way, it will be possible to:

• connect sport, inclusion, culture, education, and the environment within a single development model;
• tailor actions to the specific characteristics of different territories (urban areas, coastal/marine areas, and inland regions);
• promote inclusion and accessibility for all target groups, with particular attention to children, young people, families, older adults (65+), people with disabilities, and individuals facing socio-economic vulnerabilities;
• strengthen local and school networks through shared action plans (I.T.S. Plans) and pilot initiatives that ensure continuity, replicability, and community impact.

 

PROJECT ACTIONS

Target Groups: A total of 400 participants, including

• Children and young people, from preschool through secondary school, recognizing schools as primary environments for education, personal development, and socialization;
• Children and students will be involved in routes and activities tailored to different age groups;
• Adults and families;
• Older adults (65+);
• People experiencing physical or mental vulnerabilities.

 

Project Activities

1.       GOVERNANCE AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT

 

2.      STAFF TRAINING

2.1.     Initial Training Workshop

2.2.    Ongoing Training Workshops

 

 3.      PILOT ACTIONS

3.1.     Experiencing Sport Beyond Competition: Routes Primarily Designed for FAMILIES.
This action aims to transform the role of spectators at UISP sporting events into an active, educational, and engaging experience. Through “Experiencing Sport Beyond Competition,” sporting events become opportunities for experiential learning, intergenerational participation, and meaningful engagement that combines sport, culture, nature, and social interaction.

3.2.    Pilot Experiences: Routes Primarily Designed for SCHOOL STUDENTS.
This action is structured around three main activities:

• Planning: designing itineraries capable of integrating educational activities, sporting experiences, and the discovery of local territories;
• Implementation: piloting the itineraries through the direct involvement of students and school groups, accompanied where appropriate by their families;
• Promotion: organizing educational tours for school principals, teachers, cultural and environmental promotion professionals, local administrators, and territorial stakeholders, with the aim of showcasing the results of the pilot experiences and supporting their long-term integration into educational, sporting, and community policies.

 

4.      COMMUNICATION AND DISSEMINATION

 

5.      PROJECT CLOSURE

 

EXPECTED RESULTS

• Increased participation in inclusive and educational sports activities, with particular attention to children and school-age young people;
• Greater accessibility and intergenerational participation through itineraries and activities specifically designed for families and older adults (65+);
• Sustainable and shared enhancement of cultural, natural, and artistic heritage, transformed into a tool for education and social cohesion as well as a tourism and economic resource;
• Creation of a Sports Transition Itineraries (I.T.S.) Catalogue, structured as an operational tool available to schools, local authorities, and third-sector organizations, ensuring the replicability and continuity of the experiences;
• Increased environmental awareness and improved physical and mental well-being;
• Strengthened territorial networks among schools, local authorities, social organizations, and families.