Schools4Health Rooted in Practice: Lifeskills and Better Movers and Thinkers in Romanian Schools

BETTER MOVERS AND THINKERS Romania PROJECT AIM To improve students’ physical, cognitive, social, and emotional wellbeing by integrating Better Movers and Thinkers (BMT) into the school setting.

OBJECTIVES Enhance motor coordination, executive functions, and physical activity Support development of health-promoting, sustainable school environments Foster equitable access to health education for all students

WHO’S INVOLVED Primary school 40+ teachers trained 2 PE teachers implementing 1 trainer Local governements

TARGET GROUP 120 students aged 6-8 (Grades 1–2)

IMPLEMENTATION Training and resource support for staff Pre-post evaluation of physical, cognitive, and emotional indicators Sustainability through teacher training centre accreditation and national promotion

EXPECTED RESULTS Improved motor and cognitive skills Greater teacher awareness and skills HPS embedded in school culture Basis for national rollout and policy integration

LIFE SKILLS Romania PROJECT AIM To improve students cognitive, social, and emotional wellbeing through the integration of LifeSkills programme into the school setting.

OBJECTIVES Promote emotional resilience and mental health awareness Support development of health-promoting, sustainable school environments Foster equitable access to health education for all students

TARGET GROUP 100 students aged 11-14 (Grades 5–7)

IMPLEMENTATION IMPLEMENTATION

Participatory planning Lessons on communication, self-awareness, and emotional regulation Staff training and resources Pre-post evaluation of physical, cognitive, and emotional indicators Sustainability via teacher training accreditation and national promotion EXPECTED RESULTS EXPECTED RESULTS

WHO’S WHO’S INVOLVED INVOLVED High school 20+ teachers trained 7-9 teachers implementing 2 trainers Local governement

Improved social-emotional skills Greater teacher awareness and skills HPS embedded in school culture Basis for national rollout and policy integration

Romania

BARRIERS

Lengthy and complex process to accredit training within official teacher training curricula.

High bureaucratic workload and material procurement challenges.

Life Skills is a standalone intervention needing extra hours, making it harder to fit into school schedules.

FACILITATORS Strong partnership with the county school inspectorate and teachers training center enables recruitment and training accreditation.

Teachers were motivated by education credits for training on BMT.

Integration into existing PE classes: BMT aligned with standard PE objectives and curricula, easing adoption.

School autonomy and strong relationships with schools enabled effective adaptation to local needs.

LESSONS LEARNED Having established partnerships with schools helped ease implementation and allowed for greater flexibility.

Successful implementation requires more than motivation —schools also need adequate time and resources.

Rigid schedules made integrated methods like BMT easier to adopt than timeintensive programmes like LifeSkills.

Training credits boost teacher participation and support long-term adoption when combined with resources and visible student benefits.