The countdown to European School Sport Day (ESSD) 2025 has officially begun, and this year’s event promises to be more dynamic than ever. With the release of three powerful new toolkits, schools, sports clubs, communities, and ESSD coordinators now have everything they need to turn a single day of movement into a lasting movement. Together, they form a comprehensive roadmap that empowers schools, communities, and institutions to not only promote physical activity, but to build lasting partnerships, spark social change, and create a culture of health and inclusion. Whether you're a school leader, teacher, coordinator, or local sports partner, the message is clear: ESSD 2025 is more than a celebration—it's a well-being a priority not just on ESSD, but all year round.

 Toolkit Highlights: What’s New and Why It Matters

 1. ESSD Toolkit: A Practical Guide to Getting Schools on the Move

The ESSD Toolkit is a vibrant, action-packed manual that offers everything schools need to plan and execute a successful ESSD. It’s more than a how-to guide — it’s an invitation to transform your school culture.

Highlights:

• Participation goal: Engage students in at least 120 minutes of physical activity on the last Friday of September.
• Inclusive programming for all age groups: pre-schools, primary and secondary schools.
• Student-led initiatives: Encourage youth to co-organise events, design posters, lead activities, and evaluate the outcomes.
• Community involvement: Tips on engaging parents, civic groups, and local sports clubs.
• Creative ideas like “Run the Year” (e.g. 2025 meters in 2025), parent vs. teacher matches, and book-inspired obstacle trails (e.g. Superworm).

Special focus is placed on sustainability through the Sport #WithoutWaste initiative, helping schools run eco-friendly events by collaborating with recycling partners and setting clear green goals.

2. ESSD Communication Handbook: Spreading the Message with Impact

Designed for coordinators and stakeholders, the ESSD Communication Handbook ensures message alignment, powerful visibility, and wide public engagement.

Key Strategies:

• Unified Campaign Objectives:
• Maintain participation from 40+ countries.
• Strengthen the ESSD brand and promote the 2025 theme: Power of Cooperation.

• Messaging Tools:
• Flyers, posters, branded PowerPoint templates.
• Short promotional videos and a coordinated visual identity.

• Media and Social Media Guidance:
• How to engage journalists and prepare media kits.
• Templates and checklists for writing compelling press releases.
• Sample posts, hashtags (#ESSD2025, #BeActive), and content calendars linked to global events like World Heart Day or Universal Children’s Day.

Social media is highlighted as a critical tool, with platform-specific guidance and app recommendations (e.g., Canva, Boomerang, etc.) to generate engaging, multilingual, and visually compelling content.

3. Power of Cooperation Toolkit: Bridging Schools and Sport Clubs

The Power of Cooperation Toolkit zooms in on the 2025 ESSD theme: strengthening ties between schools and sport clubs to promote non-competitive, inclusive physical activity all year round.

Core Framework:

• Why it matters:
• Many children can’t access sports clubs due to geography, finances, or academic pressures.
• Schools often lack the facilities or staff to offer regular sport outside P.E. classes.

• Five-step implementation model:

1. 1. Mapping stakeholders: Identify local clubs and potential partners.
   2. Formal outreach: Use ESSD-branded invitations and outreach templates.
   3. Self-assessment: Evaluate your school and potential partners for alignment in vision, activities, and added value.
   4. Joint action planning: Co-create ESSD and year-round programs.
   5. Evaluation: Track impact using dedicated templates and feedback loops.

Inspiring Practices:

• Intergenerational events involving elders and students.
• Inclusive leagues like Croatia’s Special Power League for children with disabilities.
• Infrastructure projects like outdoor classrooms and bike parks co-developed by municipalities and parents.

This toolkit positions the school as a hub of community transformation, offering practical templates and visionary ideas to move beyond a one-day event toward sustainable partnerships.

The Bigger Picture: ESSD as a Movement

Together, these three resources turn ESSD into more than a celebration — they frame it as a pan-European movement:

• Tackling the inactivity crisis.
• Mobilising cross-sectoral cooperation.
• Inspiring a generation to value health, sport, and social connection.

Whether you’re a teacher, coordinator, policymaker, or parent, these tools show how one day of movement can ripple into 365 days of impact.

Learn more and get involved at www.essd.eu

Contact: info@essd.eu

Hashtags: #ESSD2025 | #BeActive

Let’s get every school in Europe — and every child — ON THE MOVE!