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

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)

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 INVOLVED

WHO’S INVOLVED

High school

20+ teachers trained

Improved social-emotional skills

Greater teacher awareness and skills

HPS embedded in school culture

Basis for national rollout and policy integration

BARRIERS

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

High bureaucratic workload and material procurement challenges.

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

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

LESSONS LEARNED Romania

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

FACILITATORS

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.

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.