Our very first Meeting – iLearn4Health has arrived!

Our 1^st Online Meeting

Ok, so: no Black Tie, no ‘keys-wallet-phone search, because they fell in a black hole while I was sleeping’ routine, no getting stuck in traffic at 8 AM, discovering brand new curse words along with your phycological limits. Shower yes. You got to take a shower, you got to be fresh, even if the meeting is online. Because such was our very first meeting regarding the iLearn4Health Project! New faces, some old acquaintances, lots of excitement, and a common goal; to see the project grow in its best suit.

It was the 3^rd of March 2022. A few minutes in, and after the ice had broken for good, we started diving into the basics of iLearn4Health, talking about the project as if it was a kid of ours, and we, as silly parents, were making sure that it would not miss anything it needs, and that it will grow to be the best version of itself. Indeed, as the conversation progressed, we were slowly, digitally carving, the first roadmap of the project, and the first thoughts, ideas, suggestions, and standards had been put on the arena. Health education and how it can be delivered to primary school students, engage them on the subject via innovative digital tools and methods, and at the same time expand and improve teachers’ educational skills and competencies. Talk about a challenge!

In a nutshell, project partners discussed about:

• The project’s aims
• The project’s results
• The implementation activities
• The timeline of the project

The Partnership

The partnership consists of the following organizations:

1. University of Patras – Greece
2. p-consulting.gr -Greece
3. COMCY – Cyprus
4. Agia Napa Primary School – Antoni Tsokkou – Cyprus
5. FSLI – Romania
6. OIC Poland Foundation – Poland
7. Centro San Viator – Spain
8. Errotu – Spain

Target Groups

The project is addressed to:

Primary

• Teachers and head teachers in primary schools
• Teachers responsible for health and safety in primary schools.

Secondary

• Children 6-12 years old and their parents
• Primary schools’ teachers’ networks and organizations
• Experts/professionals in DGBL
• Experts/professionals in children education
• Experts/professionals in public health & health education
• Training institutions
• Post-graduate students from educational sciences’ departments.

Relevant Stakeholders

• Parenting networks and organizations
• Organizations promoting health education
• Organizations for children’s education
• Public and private educational and health authorities and stakeholders
• Universities with Departments of Educational Sciences & Departments of Medicine.

Project Results

Through iLearn4Health, we foresee 3 rather exciting project results, which are presented on the following lines:

• Electronic Diagnostic Tool to diagnose the effectiveness of the DGBL method on children’s learning. As part of the project, an Electronic Diagnostic Tool will be developed, in order to identify the factors that influence the effectiveness of DGBL on students. The tool will be available online via all digital devices, making it easily accessible by everyone. At the end of the process an automatically generated report will offer insight, regarding the effectiveness of DGBL to students.
• Digital Educational Games for health promotion and health education in primary schools. At this point, health education and promotion themed games will enter the phase of development, as part of the DGBL platform. The developers will use the G.A.M.E.D. (diGital educAtional gaMe dEvelopment methoDology) methodology, to create 6 (six) games, suitable for children aged 6-12, with animations and graphics where needed. Each game will be based on a different thematic, according to the age group targeted: “Healthy dietary habits”, “Be Active-Train yourself”, “Accidents and Protection”, “Stereotypes and stigma in community”, “Internet addiction”, “Sexual health promotion and interpersonal relationships-The gender difference”. The games developed, will be fully accessible, downloadable, and playable via all devices.
• Online Training Program in Health Promotion and Health Education through DGBL. The Training Program will focus on teachers/head teachers in primary schools and post-graduate students from departments of educational sciences. The program will be targeted towards health education and promotion to children 6-12 years old. Trainees will improve skills on health education and DGBL related subjects, such as what is public health, why is it important for children and how do we train them according to their age, and why and how to use DGBL during the learning process. As with the other tools created during the project, the training program will be free to use and without the need of an external trainer.

The End….of the Beginning

Good people, with good intensions, tend to do miracles when they come together. So, after a few hours, we were standing in front of a digital round-table, with all participants excited with the set plan, and the project’s potential. We disconnected with  a smile drawn on our faces, looking forward to the, face-to-face this time, Kick-Off Meeting, that will take place in Patras, Greece, at the end of May.

Stay tuned for more, as a storm of news is coming!