On May 12 to 16, 2025, a contact week of the blended intensive programme „VEIKIAM/ACTION“ (2024-1-LT01-KA131-HED-000219075-11) took place at the Department of Rehabilitation, Faculty of Health Care, Vilnius College.
The programme involved 25 students from the Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, and Massage study programmes, who came from Estonia, Latvia, Poland, and Lithuania. Lectures were delivered by lecturers from the Department of Rehabilitation and the Department of Beauty Therapy at Vilnius College Faculty of Health Care, specialists in Forest Therapy, Physiotherapy, the Foreign Languages Centre, and lecturers from Cuiavian University in Włocławek.
The aim of the programme was to develop students’ understanding of the importance of movement and comprehensive physical activity in the health promotion process. The programme focused on the essential role of movement and action in rehabilitation, following the ACTION approach, which includes Active- encouraging energy, engagement, and purposeful movement; Creative- inspiring innovation, imagination, and unique solutions; Tenacious- fostering strength, perseverance, and determination; Inspiring- providing patients with hope and confidence while enhancing teamwork skills and professional collaboration; Optimistic- maintaining a positive attitude and encouraging the use of opportunities; and Nurturing- offering care, support, and guidance to promote growth and well-being.
During the programme, participants actively, flexibly, creatively, persistently, inspiringly, and optimistically engaged in various areas of the health promotion process. They delved into transforming physical activity into purposeful movement through the lens of physiology and biomechanics, created movement elements for shadow theatre, thought creatively by simulating various diseases and age-related changes, explored movement and well-being through forest therapy, and investigated and analyzed the importance of physical activity, emphasizing that sometimes the simplest things are the hardest. All these activities were designed to help better understand and apply health promotion measures for people with various health conditions.
Students evaluated their experience positively. They said: “I am glad I came — it’s a new experience,” “It was a great week where we met new people, tried new things, and learned a lot of interesting information,” “The time was meaningful and productive, not wasted at all,” “The programme was intensive and creative, and we managed to accomplish all our plans,” and “Thanks for the excellent organization and warm welcome. Everything was well planned, carefully prepared, and easy to understand.”
At the end of the programme, students developed ideas for smart technology products which, hopefully, will not be forgotten and may even be implemented in future projects.
We wish everyone the very best and a creative future!
For more photos, please visit the VIKO SPF’s Facebook and Instagram posts.
