What happens when we move learning from the classroom... to a stadium? When pupils meet with tutors not at a blackboard, but in a sports club, and their progress is monitored by researchers from IBE PIB? This is how “Playing for Success in Poland” works – a program that opens up completely new perspectives for pupils and teachers.
The “Playing for Success in Poland” project is based on a proven model from the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Its aim is to strengthen children's and young people's self-confidence, motivation, social and educational skills. Classes are held outside of school – in sports clubs and stadiums – in an environment that inspires and breaks the mold. This is where the WOW effect is born: pupils begin to look differently at learning, themselves, and their abilities.
The aim of the project is to verify whether the Netherlands’ Playing for Success program will work in the Polish context and how effective it is given the Polish education system. The pilot program will include children and youth aged 9–17, involving 960 primary and secondary school pupils. Classes will be held in inspiring locations, in small groups, under the supervision of tutors and coaches, in an atmosphere conducive to cooperation, trust, and building a sense of agency.
Cooperation with coaches and Extraklasa League football clubs
The project also has a research component. An integral part of it is a randomized controlled trial, which will allow for a reliable assessment of the project's effects, both in terms of social-emotional and educational competencies. This approach will make it possible to test the effectiveness of the model developed in the Netherlands and adapt it to the realities of the Polish education system. The project will result not only in the experiences of the participants, but also in specific conclusions and recommendations, allowing the model to possibly be implemented on a larger scale throughout the country.
The first edition for primary school pupils will start in the 2025/26 school year. Classes will be held at WOW centers in Ekstraklasa football clubs. The next stage will be to adapt the model to older pupils and implement it in secondary schools. Nearly 100 tutors will take part in the project – specialists supporting the social and emotional development of children and youth. Their work in tandem with sports coaches shows how much can be gained from combining education and sport.
The project, financed by the European Funds for Social Development 2021–2027 program, is implemented by the Educational Research Institute – National Research Institute together with its partner, the Playing for Success Foundation from the Netherlands, in cooperation with the Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy and under the patronage of the Ministry of Sport and Tourism.
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