LUBLIN — On October 5, 2023, the cultural hub of Lublin, proudly serving as the European Youth Capital for the year, played host to the prestigious annual SALTO Awards ceremony. Amidst a gathering of international changemakers, youth advocates, and European project coordinators, the #SMILE initiative—an innovative collaborative effort exploring the powerful intersection of sports and social inclusion—earned high-level recognition on the European stage. Representing the Bulgarian Sports Development Association as the coordinator of the initiative, organization chairperson Yoanna Dochevska attended the ceremony to accept the distinguished accolade in person.
The annual SALTO Awards have established a vital tradition within the European framework: recognizing outstanding, transformative work while inspiring young people, European citizens, decision-makers, and candidates of both the Erasmus+ program and the European Solidarity Corps to drive a deeper, more lasting social impact within their communities. The 2023 edition spanned several critical areas of societal development, featuring categories dedicated to Digital Transformation, Environment and Climate Change Action—a newly introduced focus area—Inclusion and Diversity, Participation in Democratic Life, Solidarity and Volunteering, and a highly competitive Special Category centered on Competence Development.
It was within this latter classification that the #SMILE initiative shone brightest. Co-funded by the European Union’s flagship Erasmus+ program, the project was specifically designed to tackle social exclusion by providing international mobility and participation opportunities in sports activities for individuals with intellectual disabilities. By implementing a diverse array of structured national and international activities, the project team actively fostered a stronger European identity while simultaneously nurturing essential personal and social competencies for individuals living with intellectual disabilities in both Bulgaria and Croatia.
The special category for "Competence Development" was established to champion the principles of lifelong learning and encourage active skill building by meaningfully engaging a wide spectrum of stakeholders across the educational and youth policy sectors. Through this category, SALTO actively directs public attention toward the tangible, long-term impact that European youth programs yield in supporting continuous personal growth. The selection committee sought out inspiring initiatives that successfully encouraged youth, youth workers, organizational representatives, and surrounding community stakeholders to critically reflect on their educational journeys and skill development pathways. When reviewing the record number of proposals submitted for the 2023 cycle, the evaluation panel expressed a particular, keen interest in grassroots practices and creative approaches that effectively scaffolded the learning processes of young participants and youth workers alike.
Out of approximately 200 competitive proposals submitted across all available categories for the 2023 awards, the "Competence Development" category evaluated every eligible submission for its overall quality, depth of activities, and systemic reach. Ultimately, the jury distinguished one singular project that stood far above the rest. Dick Smit, the chairman of the jury for the Competence Development category, detailed the rationale behind the committee’s unanimous decision during the awards presentation.
"The SMILE project was unanimously selected by the committee because it is one of the few projects in Europe that actively involves individuals with intellectual disabilities in mobility and provides them with an active platform for inclusion and competency development," Smit noted, underscoring the pioneering nature of the initiative.
The core philosophy of the #SMILE project is deeply rooted in the horizontal objectives championed by the European Union’s Erasmus+ program, which seeks to guarantee uncompromising inclusion and diversity across all spheres of education, training, youth initiatives, and sports. At its heart, the project operates on the fundamental premise that individuals facing fewer opportunities should have unobstructed access to international participation. Furthermore, the initiative directly aligns with broader European union priorities aimed at promoting active engagement in sports and physical activity. Every single activity rolled out under the umbrella of the SMILE project has been thoughtfully engineered to promote the sustainable, long-term inclusion of individuals with intellectual disabilities in athletic pursuits at local, national, and international tiers.
The successful execution of the #SMILE initiative is the result of a dedicated partnership between two specialized organizations committed to expanding horizons for marginalized populations: the Bulgarian Sports Development Association and the Rijeka Sport Association for People with Disabilities. Together, these entities bridge geographic and structural divides, creating tangible avenues for the integration of individuals with disabilities in Bulgaria and Croatia.
For those wishing to learn more about the methodology, ongoing updates, and broader scope of the initiative, comprehensive information remains publicly accessible through the official project portal at www.inclusivesport.org, alongside video documentation of the Lublin awards ceremony for public viewing.
