Taekwondo for Everyone 2.0

Martial arts and physical activity are much more than a mere means to improve body shape or practice “fighting”. It can help young people develop healthy lifestyles, but it can also teach essential life skills, help with a personal development process and build self-confidence and self-appreciation of young people.

This is especially true for young people with disabilities and fewer opportunities. Martial arts and outdoor activities can help youth in this target group to develop a wide range of social skills and improve their inclusion in the society. The Human Capital Model lists “Equity for persons with disabilities, as well as social inclusion & acceptance of people with fewer opportunities, as some of the most important outcomes of martial arts and physical activity for this target group.

Taekwondo for Everyone 2.0 is a follow-up of the project Taekwondo for Everyone 1.0. This first project got an excellent feedback and Croatian participants were so thrilled about it that we decided to make a second one with slightly different workshops.

The results of the first project are shown on:

• On video;
• On Facebook.

The main aim of the follow-up project is social inclusion of disabled youngsters into the local and international community.

These youngsters will enquire tools and develop a set of techniques that will help them to improve both their physical and social skills. Everything will happen in a safe, supporting and friendly, but new, fun and exciting international environment.

Taekwondo for Everyone 2.0, an Erasmus+ Youth project has established the following objectives:

• Empower participants with disabilities and/or fewer opportunities and help them to see themselves as powerful and important members of community;
• Raise awareness among non-disabled young participants about the importance of social inclusion of their disabled peers into society
• Improve the level of key competences and skills of all participants regarding their ability to pursue and persist in different kinds of learning enviroments, to identify available opportunities for their personal growth and well-being and to be able to optimally use given opportunities for their own development
• Raise awareness about taekwondo as the exercise/martial art training that improves balance, flexibility, stamina, strength and posture, muscle tone and appearance, not only for typical people, but also for those with disabilities.

All activities are based on a non-formal and informal learning environment and will involve mixed groups of disabled and non-disabled youngsters and those with fewer opportunities.

As learning methods and tools we will use interactive games, icebreakers and energizers, teambuilding activities, role plays, simulations, individual and group work, discussions and martial arts exercises, like Taekwondo, Karate, Judo, etc., used as tools of social inclusion.

The whole learning methodology will be adapted to the needs of all the participants and will be inclusive with regard of the disabled ones.

Taekwondo for Everyone 2.0 will be organized in the form of a youth exchange (June 26 – July 4, 2021, travel days included) happening in Zagreb, Croatia.

The Youth exchange will integrate 52 young people with special needs or fewer opportunities (13 participants/country), age 14-30, 8 youth leaders (2 leaders/country), age 18+ and 8 accompanying persons (2 accompanying persons/country), also age 18+, from each partner country: Bulgaria, Croatia, Italy and Romania.

The participant youngsters could be with:

• Special needs:
  • Visual impaired;
  • Hearing impaired;
  • Physical disabilities;
  • Light mental disorders;
• Fewer opportunities:
  • Economic obstacles;
  • Social obstacles;
  • Geographical obstacles.

All participants, including youngsters, youth leaders and accompanying persons should:

• Be citizens or legal residents of Bulgaria, Croatia, Italy or Romania;
• Attend a preparation meeting organized by the sending organization before the training course;
• Be ready to attend all the activities of the youth exchange;
• Disseminate project results after the end of the youth exchange, which will happen online (on their social networks like Facebook) and in their city where they will make 1 public event together with their sending organization;
• Register their arrival to Croatia in the mobile app “Enter Croatia” which can be found on “Google Play”. Once done, it should be printed and kept together with all travel documents.

For the youth exchange each country team is expected to prepare:

• A presentation of culture from their countries and present it during evening leisure activities (intercultural night). Presentations should not be longer than 20 minutes. Participants also need to bring some traditional food and drinks for the tastings.
• 2 presentations:
  • One about the benefits of taekwondo on health and social life;
  • Another is a presentation of some important taekwondo fighters of your country.

Each presentation should not be longer than 20 minutes.

Each participant youngster will receive at the end of the youth exchange a Youthpass.

According to the rules within the Erasmus+ Programme, financed by the European Union, participants will buy their own tickets. The coordinating organization from Croatia will reimburse the travel costs on basis of the cheapest and most effective transport arrangements. The receipts of complete and original tickets, invoices, bills, etc. have to be presented to the organizers.

Participants are expected to arrive to Zagreb, Croatia on June 26 and depart on July 4, 2021. The coordinating organization from Croatia (Taekwondo Klub Maksimir) will reimburse travel costs, by bank transfer to the bank account of the sending organization, within 45 days after receiving all the original travel documents, after dissemination and after the youth leaders filled out the Mobility Tool questionnaire.

All costs regarding accommodation, food and transport are covered by the organizers.

Participants should bring:

• Conformable clothes and shoes, for indoor and outdoor activities. Sport shoes for the gym. Some of our activities are outdoor and, in the mountains;
• Health insurance (mandatory) valid at least for the duration of the youth exchange. The cost of the insurance is not refundable and has to be played by each participant. It is recommended to get a free European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) which is issued free of charge and allows anyone who is insured by or covered by a statutory social security scheme of the EEA countries and Switzerland to receive medical treatment in another member state, if that treatment becomes necessary during their visit (for example, due to illness or an accident), or if they have a chronic pre-existing condition which requires care such as kidney dialysis. The term of validity of the card varies according to the issuing country.;
• ID Card or Passport;
• Good mood and positive energy.

In case you are interested in participating to the youth exchange, please fill out this application form.

Selection results will be published after June 1, 2021.

For any further information, please do not hesitate to contact us at: office@babilontravel.eu