Integrative Detective Adventure

Do you have Polish and Ukrainian children aged 6-10 in your classroom?

Take action for integration through physical activity!

The Adventure with Detective Meryl

The Integrative Detective Adventure is an innovative initiative designed to help teachers in integrating Polish and Ukrainian students studying in one classroom – through movement and physical activity. It’s aimed primarily at students in grades 1-3.

Teachers who take up the challenge can use ready-to-use, free materials (for now in Polish) to implement the project at school. The resources are designed for a 10-month challenge, but teachers have the flexibility to use them however they see fit – whether over the course of a 10-month school year or condensed into just a few months.

About initiative

Integration through a combination of education, physical activity and entertainment

The initiative is not only about movement. It is also the gaining of knowledge about Poland and Ukraine in terms of language, culture or geography. Thus, it combines four key elements: integration, education, movement and entertainment.

INTEGRATION

It is the overarching element of the initiative and the bonding factor of all its components. Creating a positive environment will facilitate the successful integration of Ukrainian refugee children into Polish society.

EDUCATION

Creating an opportunity for the children to learn about Poland and Ukraine in a fun and engaging way. Each challenge, kids take part in fascinating expeditions across the cities of the two countries, during which they must demonstrate their cleverness and skills.

MOVEMENT

Children will engage in movement challenges that will frame a storyline that will bring them closer to discovering a detective mystery. Exercises will provide an engaging way to combine learning and fun and stimulate imagination and enthusiasm.

ENTERTAINMENT

When information is transformed into a relatable story, it becomes easier for children to connect with and learn from it. In the storytelling component of the project, students meet Detective Meryl and her faithful assistant, Wattson.

About initiative

Integration through a combination of education, physical activity and entertainment

INTEGRATION

EDUCATION

MOVEMENT

ENTERTAINMENT

The following Polish and Ukrainian cities appear in the challenges

Who is Adventure targeted at?

Initiative recipients

Teachers

All interested teachers who have Polish and Ukrainian children in their classes are invited to participate. The adventure is most tailored to primary school grades 1-3 (children aged 6-10).

Ukrainian students

Ukrainian students will enhance their sense of belonging within the school community, acquire fascinating knowledge about Poland and Ukraine, and develop a sense of unity and solidarity with their fellow Polish peers.

Polish students

Polish students will have the opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of their peers, learn about Poland and Ukraine, and as a result, become better equipped to navigate an increasingly diverse society in the long run.

Schools

Schools may have the opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to the intercultural integration of students. The project will engage the entire school community, helping to strengthen intercultural relations.

Parents

Initiative can facilitate communication and foster connections between Polish and Ukrainian parents. Through their children's participation in the project, they will have an additional pretext to interact and meet.

Why integration through movement?

The role of physical activity in integration process

Humans communicate in seven thousand languages, but body movement is the only language spoken by all children around the world. There is also growing evidence that physical activity and sport has a positive impact on displaced youth. Sports in the broadest meaning have a direct correlation with an increased sense of community and resilience in young people.

No doubt, because physical activity not only ensures the proper development of children and enhances learning, but also relieves stress, sets a good mood and provides a sense of community, not only among people from immigrant backgrounds.

This is why we use physical activity as a tool for linguistic and cultural integration in our resources.

Check out what we have prepared for you!

Ready-to-use materials

The initiative combines four key elements: integration, education, movement and entertainment integrated into a variety of learning materials.

Currently, the content is available in Polish. We aspire to translate this material into Ukrainian, enabling the use of these tools for internally displaced children in Ukraine.

Learn more how to implement the Adventure in your classroom!

Embark on our Integrative Detective Adventure step by step:

STEP 1

STEP 2

Get the starter pack: once registered, download our comprehensive starter pack. This pack will equip you with everything you need to kickstart the integration journey in your classroom.

STEP 3

Dive into the detective world: familiarize yourself and your classroom with the materials from the starter pack and prepare to lead your students on an exciting journey.

STEP 4

Implement challenges: tackle a new thematic challenge, follow the directions given, and watch your students eagerly participate in the adventure.

Start and finish at your discretion!

Teachers enjoy the freedom to utilize the content as they see fit, whether spreading it across a 10-month school year or condensing it into just a few months.

Here, you’ll find complete packs of materials for each of the 10 challenges (click here). These resources include videos, activity cards for students and scenarios for you.

STEP 5

Get the certificate and diplomas: as you progress through the adventure, both you and your students can earn recognition for your efforts. Receive certificates for your participation and diplomas for your students, celebrating their engagement and achievements.

Testimonials

The activity got the children interested in learning about the two countries - their similarities and differences.

The project diversified our school activities and developed various skills of the children, integrated them.

The Ukrainian children were pleased that we were learning about their country during the lesson.

I had a super time together with the children and Detective Meryl.

Children from Ukraine received the project wonderfully. They were looking forward to the film about the next city in Ukraine.

The project influenced the integration of the class team. The children were engaged and had fun.

Parents reacted to the project with curiosity and satisfaction. Students talked about it at home and carried the work sheets home.

The project influenced the strengthening of collegial ties. It was an opportunity for laughter and discussion and getting to know each other from a different side - one's tastes.

The map of Ukraine and Poland hung in the room all the time during the project, and the Ukrainian children were eager to meet under it and explain something to each other.

What pleases me most is that Polish children were able to learn something interesting about Ukraine. They have only had the experience so far that Ukraine is associated with war. They were not aware of the cultural heritage of the Ukraine.

Who is behind this?

The Integrative Detective Adventure was created by the V4Sport Foundation as part of the implementation of two international initiatives: Integration of Ukrainian Refugee Children Through Sport (IURTS) and We Play Together (WPT). Both of these projects were funded by the European Union, so the materials that were produced can be used by teachers for free.

A partner of the initiative is Krokiet and Lama Academy, which has produced Physically Active Learning materials. The Academy was the first initiative from Poland to win the European Commission’s prize #BeActive Awards in the EDUCATION category in 2022.

Pilot phase of the Detective Integration Adventure in Poland

We have invited forty elementary schools from different parts of Poland to participate in the initiative in the 2023-2024 school year. Any number of classes in each school could participate. However, the requirement for participation was the presence of Ukrainian students in the class.

The pilot phase was implemented as part of projects coordinated in Poland by the V4Sport Foundation, which aim to integrate refugee children through sports.

The V4Sport implemented Integration of Ukrainian Refugee Children Through Sport (IURTS) together with the International Sport and Culture Association (international, based in Denmark), Asociatia Judeteana Sportul pentru Toti Suceava (Romania), Laureaus Sport for Good Foundation (UK), Universita degli studi di Cassino e del Lazio Meridionale (Italy), Fundatia Terre des hommes-Elvetia (Romania).

Partners of We Play Together (WPT) were Mittetulundusühing SPIN (Estonia), International Sport and Culture Association (international, based in Denmark), Youth Can (Lithuania) and Latvijas Sporta federaciju padome (Latvia).

If you want to learn more about integration of refugees through movement, you’ll find more materials on this topic here:

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.