January, often a quiet month, was anything but an eventful in Cluj-Napoca this year. On January 22-23, 2024, at the beautiful Casino-Urban Cultural Centre in Central Park Simion Barnutiu, the Cluster of Education, C-EDU - as a partner organisation, hosted the kick off meeting for the Erasmus+ “Healthy Wave” Project, a Cooperation partnerships in school education, that started at the end of 2023, an ambitious 36 month initiative, running until November 2026. The project’s objectives align with the European Child Guarantee and strive to implement sustainable, nutritious, and inclusive school lunch concepts across Europe.
The event brought together key stakeholders from diverse partner cities, 4 mentoring cities and 4 implementing cities, including representatives form Rotterdam, Riga Erasmus MC, Rikolto, Milan, Gothenburg, Obs Delfshaven (BOOR), GAL Somes -Nadas, Almada and the local host, The Cluster of Education, C-EDU. The primary aim of this event was to get to know each other, learn about the other partners and share best practices to achieve the project’s ambitious goals.
Day One: Setting the Stage
Simona Baciu, President of C-EDU and Rene Keijzer, Project Manager of Healthy Wave, warmly welcomed the participants. Oana Buzatu, Executive Director at C-EDU provided an overview of the agenda, setting a positive and enthusiastic tone for the days ahead. The day’s agenda featured a “Who’s in the Room?” session where each participant introduced their city and shared their stories. This interactive session facilitated networking and idea exchange, laying the groundwork for the next 36 months.
Rene Keijzer, the project manager presented an in-depth overview of the projects, detailing financial aspects, upcoming steps, and the project timeline. Rikolto followed with a presentation on the Whole School Food Approach, emphasising the importance of a holistic strategy to integrate healthy meals into the school system. Erasmus MC concluded the day’s presentations by outlining the research plan to monitor and evaluate the project’s impact.
The day ended with a delightful dinner at one of Cluj-Napoca’s finest restaurants offering participants an opportunity to further bond and discuss the day’s insights and allowing everyone to get to know each other in a less formal setting.
Day Two: Hands- on Learning
The second day was marked by a dynamic agenda, starting with a site visit to a local school, The Pedagogical College “Gheorghe Lazar”. The group was welcomed by the headmaster and given a tour of the facilities, including the school canteen. Here, they observed firsthand how meals are prepared and served, and engaged in discussions about the weekly menu and the logistical challenges of providing healthy meals to students.
In the afternoon, the participants joined Annelies Smets for a mentoring training session. This session aimed to provide the project partners with the skills and knowledge necessary to ensure the successful implementation of the project’s goals and objectives, helping the participants in the same time to dream about a perfect scenario and identify the needs of the mentors and mentees. The day culminated with a city tour.
A vision for the Future
The kick off meeting in Cluj-Napoca was not just an event, but a significant step towards creating healthier and more inclusive school environments across Europe. By utilising the collective expertise of diverse partners, the Healthy Wave Project aims to make healthy and sustainable food a central part of children’s lives, particularly those at risk of social exclusion. This initial gathering set a promising tone for the project’s future, demonstrating a shared commitment to improving children’s health and well-being.
As the Healthy Wave project progresses, we look forward to sharing more updates and lessons learned. Together, we can ensure that every child has access to nutritious meals and the opportunity to develop healthy eating habits that will last a lifetime.
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