IAKS Nordic and Tverga presenting livestream webinar: Transforming Schoolyards

Ellen Beate H. Sandseter is professor at the Section for Physical Activity and Health at Queen Maud´s College of Early Childhood Education (DMMH) in Trondheim, Norway.

She has a master's degree in sports from Norway's Sports Academy and a doctorate in psychology from Norwegian University of Science and Technology.

Her research interests primarily include children's physical and motor play with an emphasis on exciting and risky play in kindergarten, both from the perspective of children and adults.

She clearly takes the floor to emphasize the importance of children's right to free play, outdoor play and play where children explore their own and their environment's limits and possibilities, and in that way is a strong spokeswoman against Western society's increasing focus on security.

“In risky play children experience happiness and excitement as well as learning how to deal with real life risky situations and finding out what is safe and not safe”

Andrè works as Agency Manager for Active Lives at the City of Fredrikstad, Norway. His department is responsible for: overall strategic planning and development, and building of facilities, which gives their citizens possibilities to engage in organized and self-organized sport, outdoor activities, daily physical activity and urban active possibilities.
They manage public fundings, and initiates programmes in accordance to overall strategic goals. The city of Fredrikstad was approved as a Global Active City in 2021.

Andrè has former worked as university and high school lecture in sport and physical education. Andrè was elected president by the executive board of IAKS Nordic  in April 2021.

Ola is a development consultant at the Danish Foundation for Culture & Sports Facilities. Originally from Norway but has lived in Denmark for 25 years. Ola is experienced and highly skilled in developing and consulting on construction of modern facilities for sport and leisure activities.

Ingunn is Professor, PhD, at Telemark University College, Faculty of Arts, Folk Culture and Teacher Education, Norway. Her field of research includes physical activity and motor development in children, outdoor environments and outdoor education. Ongoing research program ”Enabling better learning through landscapes and place pedagogy – materiality and learning within teacher education and the application for schools and kindergartens” including Master and PhD-students and international cooperation.

Lise is an associate professor at the Faculty of Humanities, Sports and Education Sciences, Department of Sport, Physical Education and Outdoor Studies at the University of South-Eastern Norway. For several years, she has worked on the topic of physical activity and health among children and young people. She is an advocate for physical activity in school and says, "the schoolyard should offer affordances that provide room for varied physical activities, physical challenges and excitement and contribute to improving the pupils´ motor skills".

Kine graduated as a landscape architect from the University of the Environment and Life Sciences at Ås in 2012, with specialization in overall planning. The main task was within cemetery planning.

Kine has experience from the public sector as subject manager, subject manager, project manager and landscape architect. She has broad experience in public administration and project management. In Sandnes municipality, Kine has been responsible as a specialist for parks, open spaces, playgrounds and burial grounds. Kine is employed as a landscape architect in Stavanger municipality, Sport and outdoor environment in Strategy and project.

She has main responsibility for the program areas 'Project schoolyards', 'Project Kindergartens' and 'Creative playgrounds'. In addition, she prepares reports, strategies, disposal plans for open spaces and landscape plans for green areas and cemetery facilities. She is passionate about creating exciting outdoor spaces, for public health, children's and young people's growing conditions, biological diversity, urban ecology, urban trees and blue-green solutions.

Lisa Mari Watson is managing director of Tverga, Norway's resource center for self-organized sports and physical activity. She has worked within the sports industry for twelve years and is a skilled speaker and narrator with a passion for social equality and a more inclusive sports industry.