"Body activity, health and well-being are essential in regard to the development of children, young people and adults. Children most of all discover their environment through movement, thus giving evidence of the fact that there is such a thing as innate kinetic energy. This activates mental, social, emotional and kinetic development and enhances health and bodily well-being. In his treatise on Salutogenesis Antonovsky discusses factors, positive and negative concerning the well-being of educators of all kinds and their charges in childcare centres and schools. Lack of exercise, for example, might be a risk factor. Aims: The students are to be enabled to recognize children’s need for exercise and bear it in mind when planning activities for them. Children, experts of their own development, can take their own part in attaining health and well-being. It is important to get a feeling of one’s own strength, develop mobility, train endurance, reduce stress, learn how to relax and calm down. What children need for this is enough space, time, teaching materials and suitable methods. Above all it needs trained staff who are in a position to act as guides towards people’s health and mobility. Teaching this is essential as to a person’s general approach to sports and has considerable impact on his or her health and well-being. In the BEP (Bayer. Bildungs- und Erziehungsplan) as well as in the student’s curriculum there are sections bearing on the matter. Activities / carrying out the project: The project theme is to be taught in class in order to give theoretical an methodological-didactic background information. The students on practicum will be given concrete tasks, such as to observe the children closely in regard to their need for exercise an they are to take a closer look at the way the staff at their placement handles matters of health and fitness. The students are to support any health-related measures in cooperation with the supervisor and find out about the framework within which health and well-being are developed. The students have to hand in a portfolio reflecting the measures concerning health activities at their place of practicum. Number and qualification of participants: 36 students get the chance of doing a practicum in Ireland, England, France, Austria or Spain, working at childcare centres, nursery schools or primary schools respectively. The students taking part (aged 18-19 years) have already finished a two-year training course leading to tivated, have acquired some knowledge of English and are able to do an educational abroad practicum successfully. They apply after having been informed about the practicum abroad by teachers and by participants of the year before. Those who take part are thirdyear students, chosen according to personal qualification (assessment/commitment). Two month before leaving for their practicum they ate informed about their individual place, which age group they are going to teach etc. They are expected to prepare on their own, but there are meeting in advance providing information as to travelling arrangements, accomodation, features of their respective places of practicum. They will have to work 5 days a week, about 7 hours daily. During their stay abroad they are in close contact with the Nördlingen college – the have to report back at least once a week – and are looked after by the local supervisors who are in contact with the college as well. They can report to the following members of staff at the college (Faks) at Nördlingen: Dr. S. Christeiner, K Stehmann, A. Kaulfersch, E. List, C. Meyr. The “iniative of mobility” makes the students gain experience in several areas: They improve their international professional competence, enhance their social and intercultural expertise as well as their knowledge of languages and develop their personality. They reflect on the training and working conditions of educational staff, enrich their theoretical and practical knowledge concerning health matters. Living in a foreign country will make them more sympathetic to migrants in their own country. The gain confidence in carrying out activities with children in a foreign language, widen their horizon, which might be a incentive for going abroad again. The experience gained on the placement means an integral part of the education training and is regulary made a topic at conferences by staff and the head mistress at the college in Nördlingen. The practicum abroad is a factor in the competition of the Nördlingen college with other such institutions. It may even translate into raising the number of applicants for the college at Nördlingen.