3rd Edition
Presentation Organized by Portugal NSA, this project is destined to children of basic education from schools of the entire country that presents as goals promoting Winter Sports and providing the first experience at ski and snowboard modalities. The third edition counted with the participation of more than 1500 children, the grand total of the three editions being more than 3700 students initiated at Winter Sports. For the fourth edition is foreseen the expansion of the project to 2100 participants, with 250 exclusive vacancies for citizens with intellectual disabilities.
How It Works The registrations open mid-September and close when all the vacancies are filled. During that period the schools set the activity date and send the documents necessary for the registration. In the months of October, November, December and January take place the various activities with the registered schools, consisting of a morning of Winter Sports that ends with lunch, offered by Pizza Hut.
Daily Schedule 09h30am – Arrival of the participants and delivery of the equipment. 10h00am – Beginning of Ski and Snowboard lessons. 11h15am – Snack break. 11h30am – Resume of Ski and Snowboard lessons. 01h00pm – End of lessons and return of the equipment. 01h15pm – Lunch. 02h00pm – Activity's end.
More Info The participation at the project has the symbolic amount of 1euro per child, value that goes entirely to the execution of activities of Winter Sports with Social Institutions with no costs for them. Ski4All takes place at Manteigas' Skipark, the biggest dry slope for Winter Sports of the country, ensuring the fulfillment of the activities even when the conditions are not met at Serra da Estrela Ski Station.
Our team Ski4All's third edition was highlighted by the huge demand from the schools, that recognize the work developed by the previous editions. This is a reflection of the commitment and ability that Team Pizza Hut – Ski4All shows on all involved actions. Formed by eight lovers of Winter Sports and snow, this is a very experienced team working with children, of which the well-being of the participants is the main concern, allowing them to have an unforgettable experience.
Ricardo Pires (coordinator) One of the oldest staff members of Portugal NSA. Participates, since 2010, on several projects linked to snow and winter sports, performing the functions of coordinator and ski instructor. Due to all the competency and dedication that he places on everything he does, this year he was invited to lead the Pizza Hut – Ski4All team.
Jaime Rendeiro (collaborator and photographer) Sports Director of Portugal NSA between 2010 and 2016, dedicated the last years on behalf of Winter Sports. Creator and coordinator of Pizza Hut – Ski4All during the first two editions, led severall sucess projects that allowed him to collect vast experience. His creativity and his high standards on all he does put him as one of the most recognized person on Portugal's Winter Sports.
José Fonseca (instructor) Known in the snow world as "Kalanga", Snowboard Instructor since 2006 is one of the most charismatic teachers. Loves the mountain, the snow and teaching snowboard. He's the oldest teacher at Serra da Estrela Ski Station.
Our team Nuno Marques (instructor) Best known as "Mancha", mountain lover and its activities, has been collaborating with Portugal NSA for several seasons on various projects. Beyond being Snowboard, Ski and Rollerski instructor, he's currently Snowboard National Coach.
Taila Wong (Instructor) Also known as "Tata". Born in Brazil but with Serra da Estrela close to her heart, that's where she's a Ski, Snowboard and RollerSki instructor. With a contagious friendliness and good mood, Pizza Hut – Ski4All wouldn't be the same without her!
Rui Gomes (Instructor) Best known as "Ruka", integrated the Ski4All team in the second edition through the degree training in Sports Science by University of Beira Interior. This year he was invited to join the team, giving an important contribute for success of the project.
Our team Joana Carvalho (Trainee) Involved in different projects of Portugal NSA in the past years, was this year at Pizza Hut – Ski4All to complete the practical component of Ski Instructor Course level 1. Stood out by her good humor and commitment at work, ending winter season already as ski instructor on several activities at Serra da Estrela Ski Station.
Luís Rodrigues (Trainee) Undergraduate final-year student in Sports Science by University of Beira Interior. Through a cooperation protocol between Portugal NSA and UBI, Luís decided to increase his knowledge about winter sports and did his internship at Pizza Hut – Ski4All.
Luís Brandão (trainee) Best known as "Louis", he's an undergraduate student in Sports Science by University of Beira Interior that has decided to complement his academic training at winter sports. Louis is one of the many Sports Science students integrating Pizza Hut – Ski4All team.
Adapted Teaching Method In the course of the three editions of Pizza Hut – Ski4All the instructors team initiated more than 3700 children at Winter Sports. These lessons were mainly taught at Manteigas' Skipark, an infrastructure with a 400 meters in length dry slope. Adding the floor's characteristics with the short time available for each group's lesson, it was considered appropriate to adapt the teaching method to the circumstances. Therefore the Ski4All team altered the traditional method, in order to solve several indentified issues: • Participation of too many elementary schools, with 6 year old students that have major difficulties in staying focused during the monotonous stages of the lesson. • With just 2h30 of actual lesson and with an average of 50 students per activity, it's extremely difficult to introduce components such as the wedge braking method, through the traditional teaching. • Ski4All's goal involves offering a winter sport's morning to children that otherwise wouldn't be able to reach these kind of activities. The team's main focus is that this day stays registered in their memories due to the fun and joy provided, along with the learning of a new modality. The inflexibility of the traditional teaching method ends up by, many times, difficulting the achievement of the goals stated in this point.
Alterations performed Once identified the problems, the instructors team introduced several elements to the lessons as a test. After several tests and results evaluation, a consensus was reached about what elements really are an advantage to these kind of classes.
Alterations performed • The lesson begins with a short explanation of the gear and how to use it, avoiding an exhaustive explanation, in which most of the younger students can't keep focus.
• Introduce a series of environment adaptation exercises in a roundabout way, where all the students are in a constant circular movement, ending at the starting point. At this moment are used varied exercises utilized in the traditional method. It should be noted that at the dry slope the slippage is lesser than at the snow, which allows the participants to adapt more freely. This part of the lesson ends with an explanation and execution of lateral step climb, in order to prepare the students to the direct descent. At this stage, each teacher divides the group in two, staying both parts face to face with the instructor between them. This strategy allows to perform the direct descents in half the time, with the instructor always controlling everything that happens, giving the necessary feedback. • As soon as both lines are ready for the direct descent, the teacher reminds and corrects the base position of ski, until it is acquired. The progression of the exercises is made with gradual increase of the descent distance, as well as the introduction of traditional exercises for correcting the posture. Until this point the students always move around with the skis put on so they can adapt quickly and precisely to the environment.
Alterations performed • When the base position is acquired at the direct descent, the wedge braking is introduced. At this stage, at each completed descent they take off the skis and return to the starting point set by the instructor, reducing the waiting/idle time and the students' struggle. The progression of the exercises is made in a similar way than the direct descent.
• The lesson always ends with a short period of free descents, this part is very fun for the students since they already move around with some easiness and have the chance to choose the path to follow. At the most advanced student are introduced the wedge turn.
With these changes it was noticed that apart from the waiting/idle time being shorter, the students can keep focused on their instructor easier, as they are constantly being requested. The speed in which the lesson's components can be introduced, also increased significantly, opening the possibility of having free descents that are the high point of the day.
Third Edition New Features The third edition counted with some news with regard to the previous ones: • For the first time the money raised during the regular fase of Ski4All wasn't deliverd to Social Institutions but used by Portugal NSA directly with several Solidarity Institutions, in order to carry out Ski and Snowboard lessons at Serra da Estrela Ski Station. These activities were completely financed by Portugal NSA, the Institutions were not charged in any way. 150 youngsters of 8 institutions were framed in adition of the 1500 in regular stage/time.
• For the first time, 50 citizens with intellectual disabilities of 7 local institutions attended Ski4All. The ski lessons took place without any kind of adaptation, on a partnership with Special Olympics Portugal. This was a test that went the best way, opening the possibility of more similar activities in the future. The lessons took place both as Manteigas' Ski Park and Serra da Estrela Ski Station.
Sponsors Pizza Hut – Sponsors the project since the first edition, being the first brand to acknowledge its potential, arising form this synergy the Pizza Hut – Ski4All, name that has been kept during all the past editions. They supply the food for all the participants, teachers, attendants and Ski4All staff.
Audi – Sponsor through the FIS' Snowkids project, in which Ski4All is framed, supporting the gear acquisition needed.
BPI – One of the biggest portuguese banks, supporting the project financially..
Sumol – In the project since the first edition, offer all the consumed drinks.
Sicasal – Also in the project for three consecutive years, offer ingredients for the pizzas given to the participants.
Associates IPDJ – Portuguese Institute of Sports and Youth is an organisation regulated by the Portuguese government, giving financial support for the project development.
FIS – International Ski Federation, through the program FIS Snowkidz, supports the project with gear and advertising.
Serra da Estrela Youth Hostel - Official Ski4All's accomodation with special prices for the participants. Also offers overnight stays to Portugal NSA that are then distributed among the participants by raffle or as prize of the several contests made in the project. Manteigas' Ski Park - Infrastructure with a dry slope for ski and snowboard. Has special prices and conditions that are essential to the activities made.
UBI, Sports Science - University of Beira Interior established an internship program protocol with Portugal NSA, giving so the possibility of its students to gain professional experience. In the past edition participated students of the 3rd graduate year of Sports Science.
DespUBI – Sports Science Students Nucleus o University of Beira Interior supports Ski4All through voluntary work of its associates.
Facebook Insights Ski4All updates its info and keeps its followers informed through Facebook and Instagram. These allow to create interaction with participants and followers, providing statistic data that prove the continuous growth of the project.
Facebook Insights
Statistical Data The 3rd edition of Pizza Hut – Ski4All took place between September 2016 and March 2017. 1523 students (711 boys and 812 girls) had Ski and Snowboard lessons during the 33 days of the activity. At the execution of the project were present 25 people, of which 1 coordinator, 2 collaborators, 5 instructors, 2 trainees and 15 volunteers. At the second stage of the project, 150 more children were framed, with the total amount of 1673 participants.
More numbers: • Pizzas: 640 (large) • Bebidas: 560 (1,5l bottles) • Sobremesas: 1700 (jello and chocolate mousse) • Gifts: 1523 (discounts from several sponsors, balloons, chocolates and pens) • Lesson hours: 564h • Photographies: 4281. • Schools: 30
Highlighted photos
Public presentation of Pizza Hut – Ski4All (at Pizza Hut Covilhã) João Farromba and Manuel Ramos, two young Skiers that represent Portugal at Alpine Ski, didn't miss the presentation at Pizza Hut Covilhã.
3rd edtion's 1st day of activities Students of Afonso de Albuquerque School, from Guarda at Manteigas' Ski Park with instructor Ricardo Pires.
Highlighted photos
1st school from outside Serra da Estrela Students from 1st and 2nd years of Feteira School from Alcobaça during a lesson with instructor Joana Carvalho.
Solidary Activity with E6G project – Quero ser Mais This was the first solidary activity of this edition, done with the project "Quero Ser Mais", supported by "Escolhas" program of the portuguese government.
Highlighted photos
Pizza Hut Ski4All Staff At the end of the first snow at Serra da Estrela, on the way to Manteigas' Ski Park, a short stop was made to enjoy the great conditions in November.
1st school of Oporto district at Pizza Hut – Ski4All Vallis Longus School from Valongo, was the first of Oporto district at this project, during the three editions.
Highlighted photos
Ski4All at World Snow Day Pizza Hut – Ski4All was in one of the most important events of the Winter Sports world, the World Snow Day, with the participation of two Social Institutions with no cost for them.
1st activity with citizens with intellectual disabilities For the first time the project received the visit of 50 participants with intellectual disabilities, from 6 IPSS of Serra da Estrela region. This was one of the highest points of the third edition.
Highlighted photos
1st Solidary Activity at Serra da Estrela Ski Station With the raised money during the regular stage of Pizza Hut –Ski4All we performed activities with several social institutions at the snow. ADM Estrela was the first.
1st activity with citizens with intellectual disabilities at Serra da Estrela Ski Station
This day was marked by the participation of ERID, institution from Castelo Branco that promotes, protects and assures personal development and social inclusion. It was the first time that an activity like this took place directly at the snow.
Highlighted photos Exclusive Snowboard Activity at Serra da Estrela Ski Station
Once again with E6G – Quero Ser Mais project. After the ski lessons at Manteigas' Ski Park, there was an activity at the snow with instructor "Kalanga".
Last Third Edition Activity
To finalize this edition of Pizza Hut – Ski4All, Imaculada Conceição Foundation went to Ski Park with 2, 3 and 4 years old children that enjoyed a Winter Sports day. The tender age of the children in no way prevented them to achieve the goals set by the teacher.
Contacts To keep track of all info and news about PIZZA HUT® - SKI 4 ALL you can consult the project's webpage, the facebook page or contact directly with Portugal NSA, through e-mail or phone. GENERAL CONTACTS Webpage: www.fdiportugal.pt/ski4all Facebook: www.facebook.com/ski4all Phone: 275 314 048 E-mail: ski4all@fdiportugal.pt
Portugal NSA President Pedro Farromba Phone: 962001110 E-mail: pedro.farromba@gmail.com PROJECT COORDENATOR Ricardo Pires Phone: 916363781 E-mail: Ricardopires@fdiportugal.pt