ESF+ projects worth €72 million combine sport, STEM and active ageing
Programs financed from the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+), worth more than 72 million euros, for the inclusion of children and young people in sports, the promotion of STEM and active aging, along with joint sports activities for children, young people and pensioners, were presented at Zagreb's Opatovina.
23.47 million euros have been provided for active aging programs, 22.5 million euros for the promotion of STEM, and 26.29 million euros for the inclusion of children and young people at risk of social exclusion in sports, it was emphasized on Thursday at the promotion of ESF+ projects, which was jointly organized by the Ministry of Labor, Pension System, Family and Social Policy, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, the Government Office for Cooperation with NGOs and the National Foundation for the Development of Civil Society.
Special emphasis was placed on the interactive sports part of the program, led by fitness trainer Mario Mlinarić, and participants participated in various sports activities together with Olympians.
State Secretary Ivan Vidiš said that the goal of the event is to show citizens that European projects work in practice and who they are intended for.
"Today you can see several of our key projects. One concerns STEM skills for children, another concerns sports and the inclusion of children and young people in sports, and the third concerns pensioners and their inclusion in a more active role in society. The fund finances projects in which various associations and sports clubs receive funds to implement these activities," Vidiš told Hina.
The goal, he added, is to provide children with quality content through school and extracurricular activities and to teach them important life skills through play and togetherness. "Through sports, children learn valuable skills, and through STEM programs, basic digital competencies that will be important for them in the labor market tomorrow. We want to invest in the quality upbringing of children, so that they are professionally guided through the knowledge and skills they need, but in a creative and interesting way," he pointed out.
He also emphasized that the programs have thousands of users, and their number is constantly expanding. "Thousands of children, young people and pensioners are participating in the programs, and we have provided the maximum possible funds," he said.
State Secretary at the Ministry of Tourism and Sports Josip Pavić emphasized the importance of sport as a tool for social inclusion. "In cooperation with the Ministry of Labor, we have provided more than 26 million euros for the inclusion of persons with disabilities, children and persons at risk of social poverty in the sports and parasports system," Pavić said.
He added that sport plays an important role in the inclusion of persons with disabilities, not only at the competitive but also at the recreational level. "Sport is an excellent tool for the inclusion and involvement of persons with disabilities in the sports and parasports system, but also for recreation and a better quality of life in general," he said..
Representatives of sports clubs involved in the programs also spoke about their experiences from the projects. Ivana Knežević Šambić from the Uriho Table Tennis Club told Hina that their goal is to include as many children, young people and elderly people in para-table tennis.
"Our goal is to bring together as many young people as possible and enable both young people and older people and veterans to play sports. We currently have about thirty children, we train every day at three locations in Zagreb and we invite all interested parties to join us," she said.
The president of the Agram Para-athletic Club Branko Omazić pointed out that the club has been achieving top results in para-sports for 22 years.
"About 300 members have passed through our club, and we will have a total of 21 athletes in this project. The club has numerous international, Paralympic, world and European medals, and among our members we also have a young athlete with developmental disabilities who is already a junior and senior record holder," said Omazić.