This innovative Erasmus+ Sport project called VIBES (Virtual reality sports Interaction Between European Schools) officially concluded its 30-month journey this May 2026,marking a significant milestone in the modernisation of Physical Education (PE) across Europe. VIBES is an Erasmus+ Cooperation Partnership in the field of Sport, running from late 2023 to May 2026. To celebrate the completion of all project activities, the consortium hosted its final International Conference in Palermo, Italy, on the 14th and 15th of May 2026.
The project was coordinated by the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) in Belgium, and brought together a multidisciplinary consortium including UCLan Cyprus, the Polytechnic of Leiria (Portugal), INQUIRY FUSE (Cyprus) (formerly known as Inquirium Ltd), and the University Sport Center Palermo (CUS Palermo, Italy), alongside associate partner ISCA (International Sport and Culture Association).
Funded under the Erasmus+ Sport programme, this collaborative partnership successfully addressed the growing societal challenge of sedentary behaviour and declining physical activity among youth by blending the worlds of gaming and exercise.
During these 30 months, the VIBES project achieved its core specific objectives through a series of interconnected milestones. Firstly, partners mapped the theoretical foundations of Virtual Reality (VR) in education and conducted focus group interviews across all participant nations to localise the distinct needs of teachers and school students.Following this, the team developed an innovative training package corresponding to 3 ECTS, published as an open-access e-book in English, Dutch, Greek, Portuguese, and Italian. This resource aims to equip PE teachers with the pedagogical strategies and
technical skills required to effectively integrate VR technologies into their lessons.
To maximise European impact, the training material was digitalised into an interactive ecourse, launching a vibrant virtual community where educators across the EU can continuously exchange ideas and establish future cross-border collaborations. During the final school implementation phase, students immersived through VR in racket sports games. Through interclass and iintraschoolintraschool tournaments they played friendly games. The absolute highlight was a series of live, cross-border international VR tournaments where students in Cyprus and Belgium, Portugal and Italy, played against each other in real-time, without leaving their school buildings.
The final report on school implementations confirms that the project achieved highly positive outcomes. The final evaluation gathered 414 valid student responses across Belgium, Italy, Cyprus, and Portugal. Feedback via the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI) showed stellar student scores in the interest and enjoyment category, with pupils highlighting that the VR sessions were exceptionally fun. Students also reported an improved understanding of sports activities and a big motivation to participate in PE. The activities successfully brought together regular athletes and students with limited prior
exposure to racket sports or VR technology, creating a safe, comfortable, and dynamically inclusive environment for everyone. The final two-day conference in Palermo, Italy, took place between the 14th and 15th of May 2026, bringing together PE teachers, researchers, education specialists, and policy makers from across Europe. Attendees explored the project’s main outputs, interacted with live VR sport stations, and observed specialised feedback sessions where teachers and pupils shared their real-world experience using technology.
The project website, open-access e-platform, and multilingual training material will remain fully functional and open to the public for at least three more years to facilitate lifelong learning and digital transformation in global sports pedagogy.
