The objective of the project “Intercultural Education through Physical Activity, Coaching and Training” (EDU-PACT) applies to the consistent migration flow towards Europe as well as the intercultural challenges, which are most of the countries in Europe are facing nowadays.

The planned project aims to improve quality of pre-service and in-service education strengthening the professional profile of both sport related teaching professions preparing teachers and coaches for inclusive intercultural education in and through physical education and sport.

Although in most European counties, (physical and sport) educators teach culturally, ethnically and linguistically heterogeneous classes of pupils (or athletes), teachers and coaches have not been well prepared for this task of intercultural education through sport. Research into intercultural education indicates that many teachers and coaches still do not have sufficient professional competence in this area and that initial teacher and trainer education (pre-service) and continuing professional development (in-service) neither provides them with the necessary knowledge, nor covers practices, skills, competences and appropriate models of to the everyday reality in classrooms and training sessions, respectively (consistent guidelines and didactical concepts are lacking)

Based on a survey on intercultural learning in formal education (pre-service and continuous professional development of physical education teachers and coaching license education) the aim of the EDU-PACT project is threefold:

• Development of teaching and learning guidelines, didactical concepts and study units for initial teacher / trainer (coaches) education and continuous professional development towards an inclusive intercultural behavior.
• This step is followed by a piloting training of expert university staff from all project partner universities in intercultural competence(expert knowledge, methododical competence, personal competence, organisational competence). This training is partly performed by experienced NGOs with comprehensive experience and competence in this area. (key indicators 15-20 university staff members trained).
• As a next step each of this newly qualifyied teacher-trainer educators will empower between 20-25 (physical educators – and coaches) who implement their appropriated skills and competences in the practical teaching and coaching of children and adolescents with migrant background together with youth from the hosting community and (approximately 2000 children and adolescents trained).
• Both teaching staff and pupils/athlets will provide feedback which will be part of the review and validation process of the (guidelines, didactical approaches, study units and moduls and is expected to result in their adaptation, respectively.