Book launch of innovative project React

Launch of a book with the results of the first year of research in Matosinhos and award ceremony

In 2021, the Faculty of Sport of the University of Porto (FADEUP) and the Municipality of Matosinhos signed a cooperation protocol under the REACT research project "Back in action after the COVID pandemic", which aims to identify the patterns of variability in the physical growth and motor development of children after COVID-19, as well as the importance of multiple factors - individual, family, school and community - that may condition sustainable and healthy life paths.

Last Thursday, April 20th, in the Public Session Room of the Town Hall, took place the official book launch of this innovative project developed jointly by FADEUP and the Municipality.

Highlighted in a special issue of the Sports Science Magazine /RPCD, this publication materializes the disclosure of the results of the first year of implementation of this project which aims to map the growth and development of children after the pandemic of COVID-19 and monitor their development trajectories over 18 months, to understand the impact that the pandemic had in the lives of children from 1st cycle schools in the municipality of Matosinhos and also to reflect with the educational community on strategies to be adopted for the future.

The launching of the book was attended by the Mayor of Matosinhos, Luísa Salgueiro, the councillor for Education, António Correia Pinto, the councillor for Sports, Vasco Pinho, the administrator of Matosinhos Sport, Henrique Calisto, as well as several elements of the research team led by José Maia, from FADEUP and the International Monitoring Committee of the "REACT Project - Back in Action".

The illustrations of the students from all 1st cycle schools involved in this study, and who participated in the Drawing or Composition Contest, called REACT ART and organised for this purpose, are included in the composition of the book. In this context, during the presentation session, prizes were also awarded to the students who came in the top three places, as well as honorable mention diplomas to the 32 participating 1st cycle schools.

Following the results of the project, the municipality will move forward in the next school year (2023/24), with the offer of Physical Education (AEC), twice a week for all children of 1st and 2nd years of schooling, as well as the implementation of a new physical education program with innovative proposals of didactic and methodological nature that is being tested in the schools of the municipality. This partnership will allow the continuous updating of the training of Physical Education Teachers

The REACT project is funded by the Foundation for Science and Technology and is also the result of a strategic partnership between the Municipality of Matosinhos and the Faculty of Sport of the University of Porto.