Minister for Education and Youth Hildegarde Naughton and Minister of State at the Department of Health with responsibility for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy Jennifer Murnane O’Connor have encouraged all primary and special schools to take part in an exciting new Active School Flag three-week running challenge.
From September 28 to October 16, the ‘Run Around the EU’ challenge is asking pupils and
school communities to integrate physical activity with teaching and learning, prioritising participation, inclusion and fun.Teachers and their classes, at all levels, are being encouraged to build a ten-minute running break into their daily routines. Every lap completed by a pupil or teacher (walking, jogging, running, wheeling) earns the class one kilometre. Classes add up their combined kilometres to see how many of the EU capital cities they can visit across the three weeks of the challenge.
Minister Naughton said:
"I want to encourage all primary schools and special schools across the country to take part in the ‘Run Around the EU’ Challenge. This exciting Active School Flag initiative combines physical activity, learning and fun in a way that is accessible and inclusive for all pupils.
“The challenge encourages school communities to build a short, active break into the school day, helping children to develop healthy habits while supporting their wellbeing, concentration and enjoyment of learning. Whether pupils choose to walk, wheel, jog or run, every lap completed contributes to a shared goal, reinforcing the importance of teamwork, participation and inclusion.
“It is fantastic to see schools embarking on a virtual journey across Europe while at the same time becoming more active together. I want to wish every school taking part the very best of luck and I hope pupils, teachers and school communities enjoy this exciting challenge over the coming weeks.
“I would also like to acknowledge the valuable support of Healthy Ireland and the Blue Star Programme in the development of this initiative, which will help inspire thousands of children to be active, healthy and engaged.”
Minister for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy Minister Murnane O’Connor said:
"The Active School Flag initiative plays a crucial role in encouraging physical activity among children and young people and the #RunAroundEurope challenge provides an excellent opportunity to connect with similar international initiatives. Healthy Ireland’s support for this programme highlights the importance of promoting physical activity from an early age to help build lifelong healthy habits that can positively influence health and wellbeing in the years ahead. I would like to congratulate all the children and their teachers for the commitment and dedication they have shown in taking on this worthwhile challenge."
This year’s initiative is supported by the Blue Star programme, which teaches primary school pupils about European cultures and the EU through creative activities and projects which complement the national primary curriculum. It is coordinated by European Movement Ireland with funding from the Department of Foreign Affairs. The programme has shared EU Member Fact Files to support schools in meeting the ‘Run Around the EU’ challenge.
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