Sporty Mentor : sport and mentoring for young people with challenging behaviours
The Sporty Mentor project aims to use mentoring and sport as tools to stimulate change in young people with challenging behaviour. This project supported by the Erasmus+ programme gathers 6 partners, including POUR LA SOLIDARITE-PLS.
Why ?
Adolescence is considered a major period in the structuring and establishment of the personality. It is usually at this time that behavioural and mental disorders may manifest themselves. These disorders may be associated with school difficulties (failure, expulsion, dropping out), risky behaviour (drug and alcohol abuse and risky sexual behaviour) or delinquency.
Another problem facing adolescents around the world is the lack of physical activity. Sport has important health benefits, such as preventing cardiovascular disease, reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety, and improving learning and thinking skills. Despite these proven benefits, more than 80% of the world's adolescent population is insufficiently physically active, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
How ?
Therefore, this project intends to involve adolescents and young people with challenging behaviours in a sport mentoring programme in order to strengthen their motivation to pursue a healthy and sustainable lifestyle. This programme will offer a youth-centred methodology where young people will have time to interact with their mentor, play sports and be in contact with the environment.
To reach this goal, the concrete objectives of the project are :
- to develop a guide to define the scientific basis for a sports mentoring programme for young people (13-19 years old) with challenging behaviour
- to develop a sports mentoring programme that will support 120 mentors and mentees in the partner countries
- to develop an eco-citizenship toolkit to support the sport mentoring programme
- to develop a SportyMentor mobile app to promote sports activities and create a link between mentor and mentee, as well as to raise awareness of environmental and sustainability issues
For whom ?
Sporty Mentor is a participatory programme for :
- young people aged 13-19 with challenging behaviour
- young adults who want to exchange and share their knowledge and experience through mentoring
- professionals in contact with these young people in difficulty
By whom ?
This European project brings together 6 partner organizations with complementary expertise from 5 Member States:
- In France, AFEJI Hauts-de-France (Coordination of the project)
- In Belgium, POUR LA SOLIDARITÉ-PLS
- In Ireland, I and F Education and development limited
- In Portugal, Aproximar et Universidade da Beira Interior
- In Romania, Asociatia Vis Juventum