Piacenza enthusiastically welcomed the multi-centre project “Wahps”, an acronym which stands for Whole active health promoting schools, which puts schools in motion bringing the values of physical activity among school subjects.
project supported by the local health authority and the municipality
Shared in four regions (Abruzzo, Lombardy, Marche and Emilia Romagna) and financed by the 2019 prevention program of the National Center for Disease Control (CCM) of the Ministry of Health, the project was proposed to the schools of Piacenza with the support of Local health authority of Piacenza and the Municipality of Piacenza, as well as the territorial school office and the Italian Federation of pediatricians.
Piacenza among the pilot cities of the experimentation
Piacenza was included among the pilot cities of the Wahps project experimentation also by virtue of its consolidated experience, gained in the context of the permanent laboratories on the topic developed by and with the Environmental Education Center – Infoambiente.
what does the wahps project consist of
The aims of Wahps are the fight against sedentary lifestyle, the prevention of pathologies related to overweight and obesity, the development of psycho-relational skills, the improvement of the quality of time spent at school, a more effective management of teaching tasks, knowledge of the territory and, finally, education on the sustainability of lifestyles.
Based on scientific evidence, a global approach has been used to increase the daily level of physical activity of girls and boys. Movement is introduced at different moments of the school day through planned activities and changes in the organization and physical environment: the timed interruption of sedentary activity in the classroom (active pauses or active breaks), active transport on foot to school (pedibus), recreational intervals in lively play areas with specifically horizontal markings set up in the school courtyards (marked playgrounds) which allow you to actively optimize recess times by also activating inter- and intra-personal transversal skills for full development of the child as a person. The contents and structure of the entire project align with the aims of the action plan for the promotion of an active lifestyle for the population at a global level of the World Health Organization (Global Action Plan on Physical Activity 2018 – 2030, More Active People for a Healthier World) and thereby connected with the sustainable development objectives set by the 2030 Agenda.
the Piacenza institutes involved in the project
Three institutions were involved in Piacenza: the Mazzini primary school of the second teaching circle, the Vittorino da Feltre primary school of the fifth circle and the Pezzani school of the seventh circle for a total of 59 classes, 1246 pupils and 187 teachers.
