Białystok, Poland, 25–27 June 2026

The partners of the Erasmus+ project “Waves of Inclusion”, co-funded by the European Union, successfully held the 1st Transnational Project Meeting (TPM) in Białystok, Poland, from 25 to 27 June 2026. The meeting was organised and hosted by the Institute for the Development of Sports and Education (Instytut Rozwoju Sportu i Edukacji – IRSIE) with the support of the Inter-School Sports Centre of Białystok (Międzyszkolny Ośrodek Sportowy w Białymstoku). The event brought together representatives from EULink, the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), IRSIE, and AJSPT Suceava to officially launch the implementation phase of this innovative initiative promoting the well-being and social inclusion of refugee and local children and adolescents aged 10-17 through water-based activities and mindfulness.

Over the course of three days, the project partners participated in a comprehensive program that combined theoretical training, practical demonstrations, and project management sessions. The first day was focused on the scientific foundations of the project, with Emeritus Professor Dimitra Koutsouki from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens delivering the theoretical training on the benefits of physical activity and mindfulness for mental, physical, and emotional well-being, as well as their contribution to social inclusion and resilience. Participants engaged in fruitful discussions and exchanged experiences on how these approaches can support young people, particularly those from vulnerable backgrounds.

The second day featured the presentation of the Toolkit for Water-based and Mindfulness Activities and a practical training on the mindfulness techniques and water-based activities, allowing participants to experience first-hand the innovative methodology that will be implemented during the project’s pilot phase. These sessions demonstrated how structured aquatic activities, combined with mindfulness practices, can strengthen physical health, emotional regulation, teamwork, confidence, and social integration among young people.

The meeting was honoured by the presence of distinguished representatives of the education and sports sectors in the Podlaskie Voivodeship, whose participation reflected the strong institutional support for the project’s objectives. Among the guests were Mrs. Agnieszka Krokos-Janczyło, Head of the state education authority for the Podlaskie region of Poland, Mrs. Beata Laskowska, Deputy Head of the state education authority for the Podlaskie region of Poland, Mrs. Małgorzata Andrzejewska-Dušánková, President of the Podlaskie Regional Swimming Association and Mrs. Justyna Pacewicz, Principal of Sports Championship Secondary School No. 2 in Białystok. Their participation underlined the importance of collaboration between educational institutions, sports organisations, and public authorities in promoting inclusion, health, and equal opportunities for all young people.

The final day of the meeting was dedicated to project management and planning the forthcoming pilot implementation. A key outcome of the meeting was the confirmation that the Waves of Inclusion pilot program will be implemented from September 2026 until February 2027 in Białystok, Poland, and Suceava, Romania. The pilot will engage refugee and local young people aged 10-17 in a structured program combining water-based activities and mindfulness sessions designed to enhance mental health, physical well-being, emotional resilience, and social inclusion.

As part of the project’s knowledge and capacity building activities, the team of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA) — consisting of Emeritus Professor Dimitra Koutsouki (School of Physical Education and Sport Science, NKUA), Katerina Asonitou, Laboratory Teaching Staff (EDIP), School of Physical Education and Sport Science, NKUA, and Sophia Charitou, Laboratory Teaching Staff (EDIP), School of Physical Education and Sport Science, NKUA — has developed two important educational resources that support the implementation of the project’s methodology:

• Literature Review on the Benefits of Physical Activity and Mindfulness for Mental, Physical, Emotional Wellbeing and Social Inclusion
• Toolkit for Waterbased and Mindfulness Activities

These resources constitute essential scientific and practical tools for the Waves of Inclusion methodology and are publicly available at:

• Literature Review: http://eulink.gr/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Literature-Review.pdf
• Toolkit: http://eulink.gr/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Toolkit.pdf

The project partners will meet again during the 2nd Transnational Project Meeting, which will take place in Suceava, Romania, on 21-22 November 2026. The meeting will provide an opportunity to review the implementation of the pilot program in both participating countries, evaluate the first results, exchange experiences and good practices, and agree on the next steps towards achieving the project’s objectives.
The Waves of Inclusion project demonstrates how sport, physical activity, and mindfulness can become powerful tools for fostering inclusion, improving well-being, and strengthening social cohesion among young people from diverse backgrounds. Through transnational cooperation and evidence-based practices, the project seeks to develop sustainable approaches that can be replicated across Europe to support refugee and local youth.

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the EACEA can be held responsible for them.

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