Movement initiative in schools

By project ACTIVE ID

Published on 10 April 2025

Sweden

About this good practice

The movement initiative in schools lays the foundation for an active lifestyle early in life,
the initiative engages youth in sport and leisure activities and involvment in sportsclubs, which creates demand for materials and requires a functional infrastructure where they grow up. An infrastructure that results in more visitors, enables large events, and creates several opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises within the S&L industry. RF- (The Swedish Sports Confederation has initiated a national effort aimed at promoting physical activity and movement among school children. The background to the Movement Initiative in Schools is that too many children and young people are sedentary. RF-SISU Dalarna helps and supports schools with process management, training, lectures, networking meetings, and materials to stimulate more movement. The initiative includes various activities such as organized activities, movement breaks in classrooms, movement during leisure time, and collaboration with local sports clubs. The Movement Initiative inspires children to feel joy and want, can, and dare to participate in activities. During school years, children develop habits that have a significant impact on their well-being and health throughout life. The initiative currently includes 137 schools from all municipalities in Dalarna, of which 19 are also secondary schools. Currently, the initiative reaches approximately 27,300 students and about 4,000 staff.

Resources needed

The largest cost items are personnel costs for 6.0 positions Other costs include premises, materials, licenses, consumables, transport/shipping costs, and costs for external lecturers and competence-enhancing networking meetings for school staff.

Evidence of success

Schools notice a positive change in increased safety and fewer conflicts. Above all, movement joy has increased in schools. This means that students train more on basic motor skills, which is an important factor in addressing the significant deterioration in children's motor skills that has occurred in recent years. Follow-up research shows that movement also benefits children's social development. Children who are physically active interact with each other, contributing to social interaction.

Potential for learning or transfer

The Movement Initiative in Schools is a concept for other regions to adopt for increased safety in schools and to increase the chances of getting more children moving. It can also provide opportunities to develop and strengthen the association life through collaboration. The model can drive the region's work for better health for the entire population, as the approach can be applied from an early age and throughout schooling, to universities, colleges, and even nursing homes as examples. Each municipality and school have been assigned a movement consultant from RF-SISU Dalarna, who leads the school management, educators, and other staff. Through a systematic approach, we work with development efforts within the entire school to create opportunities for sustainable health for the individual. We create goal dialogues together with schools and design each school's unique action plan for increased movement during the school day, based on conditions, ambitions, and needs.