VALUES – enVironmentAL and historical edUcation in Europe throug Sport

Project Name: VALUES – enVironmentAL and historical edUcation in Europe throug Sport

Summary VALUES is an 18-month Erasmus+ Small Collaborative Partnership aiming to promote active citizenship and inclusive education by using sport — specifically hiking and urban trekking — as a creative method for teaching history. Inspired by the French initiative “Les Chemins de la Mémoire” led by CRUSEP AURA, the project merges movement, historical reflection, and environmental respect into a yearlong experiential learning programme for primary school students aged 6–11 across France, Italy, and Spain. Through local excursions, critical classroom debates, and shared educational materials, VALUES strengthens democratic values, environmental awareness, and historical understanding across borders.

Main Objectives

• Introduce a new sport-based method for teaching history and civic education
• Encourage physical activity and respect for nature through outdoor excursions
• Develop soft skills such as critical thinking, observation, debate, and creativity
• Train teachers in experiential learning using the “Les Chemins de la Mémoire” model
• Create a replicable and inclusive educational manual for use across Europe
• Strengthen European identity and democratic participation among children

Key Activities

• Monthly local excursions to sites of historical memory, integrated into school curricula
• Classroom activities following each excursion: debate, role play, critical reflection
• Pilot testing of methodology in partner schools, followed by evaluation and adaptation
• Teacher training led by CRUSEP AURA experts on the project’s methodology
• Creation of a methodological manual with resources, planning tips, and teaching tools
• Launch of a multilingual project website and social media channels
• Dissemination events and press outreach in each partner country
• Final project reports including satisfaction and skills acquisition data

Target Groups

• Primary school students (ages 6–11), with inclusive group formats
• Teachers and school managers
• Educational authorities, regional governments, and environmental NGOs
• Families and local communities
• General public engaged through media and outreach campaigns

Project Partners

• Association Eurorégionale Alpes Méditerranée (France) – Coordinator
• Comité Régional AURA USEP (France) – Training provider and originator of the method
• UISP Territoriale Cirie-Settimo-Chivasso (Italy) – Implementation and outreach
• Consell Esportiu del Baix Camp (Spain) – Local dissemination and coordination

Implementation Period

• September 2021 – February 2023
• Yearlong pilot activities in schools with training, excursions, and classroom follow-up
• Final months dedicated to evaluation, manual completion, and public dissemination

Funding & Support

• Erasmus+ Programme – Sport Small Collaborative Partnerships
• Additional local support from schools, municipalities, and regional educational networks

Legacy & Impact

VALUES empowers teachers and students to learn history not from textbooks alone, but through immersive, physical experiences in nature and urban heritage sites. The resulting manual offers educators a flexible, inclusive methodology that can be adapted in any country, with benefits for both physical and intellectual development. The project fosters environmental responsibility, democratic dialogue, and cross-border collaboration at an early age — shaping tomorrow’s citizens through the lessons of the past.