Implementation Activities

The 20-week Transnational Inclusive Club Operational Program brought the D (special) DAYS approach into practice across four local branch-clubs in Santa Maria da Feira, Kočani, Piraeus and Daruvar. Each branch provided a safe and inclusive environment where trained teachers, secondary school students and youths with special needs could take part in structured activities developed specifically for the project.

The Operational Program was organised around the five D DAYS disciplines: Drama, Dance, Art, Yoga and Sport. Each discipline included four working sessions, creating a total of 20 sessions over the implementation period. The programme translated the methods introduced during the teacher-training activities into practical local work adapted to the physical, cognitive and emotional capabilities of participants.

Activities were delivered by trained secondary school teachers working as instructors and mentors of mixed teams. The project model brought together secondary school students and youths with special needs in small teams, encouraging peer support, participation, communication and teamwork while allowing activities to be adjusted to individual abilities and needs.

One “A Special Day” working session was organised each week, with individual sessions lasting approximately 60 to 90 minutes depending on the activity and participants. Through regular Drama, Dance, Art, Yoga and Sport sessions, the four branch-clubs created opportunities for participants to develop skills, confidence and positive social interaction in a supportive environment.

Implementation across the four countries also strengthened cooperation among teachers, schools, municipalities and project experts. Experiences and feedback from the local sessions supported ongoing adjustment of activities and helped the partnership prepare for the Special (Olympic) Games, where achievements developed during the 20-week programme were shared and celebrated at transnational level.

The Special (Olympic) Games in Daruvar, Croatia, brought together participants from the four partner countries for the concluding transnational activity of the D (special) DAYS implementation phase. Members of the selected mixed teams of secondary school students and youths with special needs came together to share the skills, teamwork and experiences developed through the local Inclusive Club activities.

The event built directly on the 20-week Operational Program implemented in Santa Maria da Feira, Kočani, Piraeus and Daruvar. It created an international setting in which participants could demonstrate and celebrate achievements from the five D DAYS disciplines while meeting peers, teachers and project representatives from the other participating countries.

The programme included Drama and Dance activities, followed by Art activities and sessions focused on Sport and Yoga. Rather than treating the event only as a competition, the Special (Olympic) Games emphasised participation, teamwork, inclusion, creativity and recognition of the effort made by the mixed teams throughout the project.

The transnational gathering also strengthened cooperation between the participating schools and project partners. Teachers and coordinators exchanged experiences from the local implementation phase, while the event provided an opportunity to reflect on how the inclusive activities had worked across different educational and community settings.

The Special (Olympic) Games concluded with evaluation and recognition of the participants' work and achievements. As the culminating activity of the Transnational Inclusive Club programme, the event celebrated the progress made through Drama, Dance, Art, Yoga and Sport and reinforced the project's wider message of participation, belonging and inclusion for youths with special needs.