The Douzelage Association in Chojna, the Secondary School Complex in Chojna, together with partners from the Czech Republic and Romania, are implementing the "More active, more healthy" project as part of the Erasmus+ program. A meeting of the project partners was held in Chojna from July 20 to 25, 2015. The participants were young people from three countries: Poland (Chojna), the Czech Republic (Sušice), and Romania (Siret), aged 15 to 20.   

The main goal of the project was to promote a healthy lifestyle among young Europeans, but not only them. Thirty young people and six adult coordinators participated in special classes to learn how to properly care for their bodies. Project participants also learned that health education is one of the most important issues in the modern world and undoubtedly has a significant impact on human lifespan. During the participant exchange, informal learning methods were used, such as sports games, team-building activities, workshops, panel discussions, and multimedia presentations. The youth had the opportunity to learn more about less common forms of recreation, such as karate, yoga, slackline, and boules, and to try their hand at them.

One of the most challenging tasks for everyone was getting to know each other, as the ability to make new friends is crucial to carrying out any project-related activities that focus on teamwork. Therefore, the students prepared and played several team-building games. This gave them a lot of satisfaction and encouraged them to fully engage in the project.

Before the exchange, the participants prepared very interesting presentations presenting the results of surveys conducted in their hometowns. The research in question concerned the physical activity and eating habits of residents of Chojna, Sušice
and Siret. Participants drew many intriguing conclusions, leading them to consider the risk of diseases associated with a sedentary lifestyle. Furthermore, one of the main issues addressed in the project was stress. During special workshops, students learned how to cope with this psychological condition and discussed the causes of stress. Stress has a significant impact on human health and can lead to lifestyle diseases, as it affects many people in Europe and other wealthy countries. A short lecture on this topic was also given by a project participant. Another highlight of the meeting was the assertiveness workshop. Students learned how and why it's sometimes appropriate to say "no" in various situations.

In addition to exercises and games, the building also hosted numerous outdoor activities, including Nordic walking with the residents of Krzymów. Students also played several typical games from each partner country and created a project logo. At the same time, selected students prepared salads in the school's culinary workshop. Participants had a lot of fun measuring their BMI, which allowed them to determine whether they were at risk of obesity. The project culminated in a sports and recreational event for all Chojna residents, including, of course, the project participants and leaders. Furthermore, project coordinator Janusz Cezary Salamończyk led a training session on organizing such an international event. The young people then presented their proposals for future projects.

All participants and leaders are pleased with the results of this project. They gained very useful knowledge that can help them solve healthcare-related problems. Furthermore, they had a lot of fun, met new friends, and had the opportunity to explore our beautiful city of Chojna.