Green Exercise for Health and Ecology
Despina Papavasiliou, Kübra Aküzüm
(1. Primary School of Mavrovouni, Skydra, Greece; 2. Istek Kutahya Schools, Greece)
Abstract: “Green Exercise for Health and Ecology” is an eTwinning project that combines physical activity with environmental protection. This teaching proposal promotes the use of green spaces as environments for exercise and learning and aims to enhance students’ physical and mental health while promoting environmental awareness, preparing young people for a healthier and more sustainable future. Through a fascinating journey, students aged 8–11 from schools in Greece and Turkey, as part of the eTwinning program, had the opportunity to discover the joy and benefits of exercising in nature to improve their physical and mental health while developing a willingness, both individually and collectively, to actively participate in environmental protection. The combination of outdoor activity with raising students’ awareness of environmental issues has enhanced students’ creativity, resulting in the creation of a high-quality educational program. Students, teachers, and parents from both countries communicated, collaborated, and participated with unprecedented enthusiasm in all the activities of the action plan, thus contributing to the creation of material for the exchange of information and the dissemination of the program’s results.
Key words: green exercise, physical activity, well-being, environmental awareness, interdisciplinary education, sustainability
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