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.
