Report from Brasil

Olympic Education and the Olympic Movement in Brazil were the subjects approached in the Congress through the VIII Sports Values and Olympic Education Seminar. In this event, teacher José Luis “Nino” Dalla Costa presented a training proposal in Olympic Education within the school context, for Physical Education Teachers having the Brazilian Physical Education Federal Council and Physical Education Regional Councils seal. The proposal was received by the President of the Brazilian Physical Education Federal Council (CONFEF) and the President of the Brazilian Olympic Academy (AOB), Jorge Steinhilber, which aims to include Olympic Education, fair play and the Olympic Movement in all sports and educational segments.

Teacher Jorge Steinhilber emphasized the work carried out at URI Erechim, which has served as an example for other institutions and communities to inscribe Olympic Education in their educational areas, such as municipal, state and private schools, and universities.

Escola de Educação Básica da URI – Erechim based on this year’s main theme of the parade, which was “Erechim – 100 years of History, Education and Civics”, had as a central theme for its parade, the knowledge construction course during its 41 years of history along with the Erechinense community and surroundings. The school also introduced the community the Olympic Education Project guided by the Olympic values of respect, friendship and excellence.

Escola de Educação Básica da URI Erechim provided the children and the community in general moments of fantasy, recreation and imagination in order to rescue and preserve the values of fraternity, friendship and unity, which is part of the Easter spirit. In addition to the activities, the activity also sought to cultivate the spirit of collaboration, leading role and solidarity, through the traditional Sweet Collection Campaign along the school community, which were delivered to the city charities (500 Easter baskets).

The members of the Universidade Sem Limites Project, which is consisted of elderly women, female students of Escola de Educação Básica da URI, College students and teachers of the Physical Education Course developed the first action of the “Easter Olympic Operation”. The students, who participate in the Group of Studies and Research on Physical Education /Olympic Education (GEPEF / EO), were accompanied by the Olympic Easter Bunny.

The first action took place at Associação Beneficente Lar da Criança de Erechim. Several personal hygiene items were collected for donation through an internal campaign, promoted by the Universidade Sem Limites Project and the GEPEF / EO members.

During the visit, the organizers of the activity developed recreational activities involving the children of the association and the participants of the Universidade Sem Limites Project.

Due to the International Down Syndrome Day, which happened on March 21, Pedro Henrique Baidek a school ex-student, athlete and a Physical Education undergraduate student, held a series of lectures at state and municipal schools in Erechim. The actions were part of the SD Awareness Week Program (Down Syndrome).

Pedro Baidek, who is a member of the Brazilian Judo Team for All and also a member of the Accessibility and Inclusion Project of the Physical Education Courses, works for Escola de Educação Básica da URI as a sports instructor.

Hundreds of children and young people listened attentively to Pedro’s words. He pointed out that having discipline and respect for other people is the key to success. In addition, you must be humble, be persistent and never give up your dreams, learn from defeats, and always celebrate every achievement.

One of the strengths of Pedro’s enormous personal and sporting evolution is, undoubtedly, the tuning that there has always been between the family / school / sports triad, in which parents and teachers always believed in the potential of this special student.

The aim of this activity was to inform and raise students’ awareness about Autism in Brazil and in the world. It is known that Autism Spectrum Disorder – ASD, has a significant incidence, since one in every 64 children are born with autistic, an index that affects more boys than girls, so the blue color represents these children. Autism has as its main characteristics the difficulty of relating with others, speeches delays and difficulties, stereotyping (repetitive and meaningless body movement) echolalia (repetition of meaningless sentences and words).

On that day, everybody came to school wearing blue to create a mobilization and a moment of reflection on the cause, its characteristics, how it can be included in the environments, how to identify it and the role of students to build a chain of goodness in order to pass on information about the theme. Early Childhood Education students, Elementary School students, High School students and the Nursing Technical Course students were involved in the activity.

Escola de Educação Básica da URI, the 19th Olympic Male Camping with students, college students, teachers and members of the Study and Research Group on Physical Education and Olympic Education (GEPEF / EO).

The activity, which consists of an inner camp at school at night, is part of the URI Olympic Education Program and aims to strengthen the practice of the Olympic values, socialization and autonomy. For that, several methodologies were used: Olympic circuit with activities such as slackline, power cable; night watchmen; experiences in Paralympic and Olympic sports; music; story telling around the campfire and community snack. 

In order to promote Olympic ideals, Olympic Education and Olympic Values, the School developed the X Olympic Week by mobilizing the academic and school community.

III Exchange Olympic Challenge

The exchange is an adapted volleyball game that makes use of the volleyball court and ball or something similar. The goal of the game is, besides promoting quality of life through sports, value the coexistence, the exchange of experiences and the construction of new friendships among the participants. The elderly women of the Universidade Sem Limites Program and the school students took part in the activity.

III Olympic Athletics Challenge

Based on the University Vila Olímpica, the Olympic Education Program promoted, as a social and welfare activity, the Olympic Athletics Challenge, involving the 4th and the 5th grade students of Cristo Rei Municipal School from Erechim. Through athletic modalities such as races, jumps and throws, the Olympic Values were also developed. 

Escola de Educação Básica: “Friends for Sports, United by the Olympic Ideals”

The Escola de Educação Básica Elementary and High School students experienced the values devised by Pierre de Coubertin during the physical education class, where they made an Olympic merit medal that was given to a colleague as a way of recognition for friendship and respect. Some Olympic symbols such as the Olympic Torch, the Olympic Flag, and the Olympic Anthem were also presented during the proposed activities. 

June 23, International Olympic Day, is marked by the commemoration of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) anniversary founding by Baron Pierre de Coubertin in 1894. In order to celebrate the date, Escola Básica promotes the meeting called “Café, Cultura e Esporte”, in English, Coffee, Culture and Sports, which is part of the Olympic Education Program and the” Family at School Project”. Several sports, artistic and cultural activities are carried out involving families and students integrated into games, moments of study and discussion, theatrical and musical presentations. In the event, the 3rd Year High School students receive the Olympic Merit Certificate as a way of recognition to the activities developed during their school life, which are related to the Olympic ideals such as monitoring activities, voluntary projects, dedication to school activities, art, culture and sports.

The 41st SECART involved Elementary and High School students in artistic, cultural and sports activities. These were moments in which, once again, it was possible to discover and stimulate different talents, to work as a team, to seek leadership strategies, to experience autonomy, to broaden horizons, to exercise youth leading role, body and mind.

SECART provides students moments of reflection, creation, entertainment, leisure, culture and fun in an environment that emphasizes the restoration of values which are essential to the human being, through activities such as: Cheerleader Contest, The Voice Teens, TV News, Family at School activities, riddles called SOS, speaking skills, recitals, dances, sports like volleyball, basketball, futsal, handball and chess, E-games, URIChef logic challenges, cultural and sports competitions, study trips, among others. 

The delegation, who represented Brazil and Escola de Educação Básica da URI – Erechim at the 11th International Pierre de Coubertin Forum- Ülenurme Estonia, was made up by Helena Severo da Fonseca, Andriele Miozzo Soares, Louise Zanardo Sartori, Liege Baggio Boroski and Teacher Edenir Serafini. They spoke about their experience in the International Forum through reports, videos, photos and exhibition of materials like medals, souvenirs, uniforms, and memory books. In the opportunity, they also socialized with students, teachers and families their participation in workshops, conferences, sports activities and cultural exchanges. 

According to the Brazilian delegation, one of the legacies brought was the commitment to demonstrate to the whole community the importance of Olympic Education activities, Olympic ideals, the practice of Coubertin’s values, the importance of healthy competition, respect for diversity, solidarity and discipline. 

Student Helena Severo da Fonseca, after participating in the Forum, became part of the Group of URI Studies on Olympic Education, and was involved in various social, sports and cultural activities developed by the Institution, even after graduating from High school. 

The Olympic Festivals gather activities related to sports modalities of Futsal, Handball, Judo, Dance, Mini-Tennis, which are offered by the School as extracurricular activities at the end of the class shift, and also the Olympic Cycling and Mountain Bike Festivals. The proposed activities, carried out on specific dates, besides representing the main event which is part of the extracurricular activities calendar, stimulate the participation of the school community and are part of the “Family at School Project”. The initiative provides a harmonious, respectful and integrated environment for the family at school, thus making the most of the different activities that the school offers, as well as instigating the competition in a healthy and pleasurable way and having the construction of values as a principle, praised by the Olympic education program. It is also given the opportunity for the Physical Education undergraduate students to take part in the festivals through the subject Professional Internship in Leisure and Management. The participation of the undergraduate students in events like these ones provides them the opportunity to experience internship situations and also the application of knowledge in the management area, leisure and event organization, which is very important for their learning and also for their curriculum.