International activity
Despite being a national organization, the Hungarian School Sport Federation (HSSF) intends to play an active role at international level as well, be it the hosting of international events (both sport and scientific events) or advocating health-enhancing physical activity (HEPA) and launching physical activity promotion campaigns. We have built strategic partnerships with some key actors in the field of school sport, physical activity and physical education, including the International Sport and Culture Association (ISCA), the European Physical Education Association (EUPEA).
HSSF also joins international organisations in their fight against sedentary lifestyles and inactivity. We have an observer status in the WHO-HEPA Europe working group, while the Hungarian government has appointed HSSF’s representative as the Hungarian national HEPA focal point. We took part in numerous European-level working groups in recent years in the field of Physical Education, grassroots sport and HEPA.
In addition to the above, HSSF takes an active part in several international collaborations: in the frame of Erasmus+ Sport program, HSSF contributes to research and development projects as well as not-for profit international sport events, small-scale collaboration partnerships, mobility projects (for more details, please see our Projects section) and also implements programs focusing on strengthening sports’ social role and promoting volunteering, social inclusion and healthy lifestyle. We are always open to new challenges related to school sports or promoting a healthy lifestyle.
We started to explore the borders territories of education and health. Outstanding results were achieved in one of our Erasmus+ projects named ‘SHA P.E.’, in the frame of which the partners elaborated the concept of health-centered, future-oriented life management key competence. The recommendation prepared with the contribution of the expert partners has also sparked the interest of the European Union and the importance of health conscious, future oriented life management has been included in the review of the Council Recommendation on kex competences for lifelong learning in 2018.
HSSF’s one of the most appreciated project is the European School Sport Day® (ESSD) which is a pan-European initiative with the main objectives to promote sport and (HEPA at international level and involve as many children and young people, schools, and organisations in physical activity (PA) programs as possible. It is basically a huge umbrella event that focuses on increasing participation in sport and PA programs. The main objective of the program is focusing on increasing the proportion of pupils in a given population who regularly engage in sports and increasing the time that is dedicated to physical activity. The first ESSD was celebrated in 2015 in a few countries, in 2023 joined more than 11 thousand schools from 41 countries and more than 2,6 million participants. In 2024 will be the 10th anniversary of ESSD.
It is also important to us to share the outcomes of our work with policy makers and the public, therefore, from time to time we organize our Hungarian International Conference on Physical Education and welcome renown speakers of the sector to Budapest.
For more information on our international activity please contact us at: international@mdsz.hu
