About Palestra
Accredited College of Physical Education and Sport PALESTRA, spol. s r. o. is a private college that extends the range of educational opportunities at the level of bachelor and master studies with a focus on physical education and sport and leisure.
Vision
VŠTVS PALESTRA wants to be a leading recognized Czech university, educating quality professionals for recreational and peak sports, wellness, fitness development, for activating clients to adopt a healthy lifestyle - a healthy way of being. Outside the field of sport and health, it wants to continue to develop the direction focused on pedagogy and sports management.
VŠTVS PALESTRA will continue to work to ensure the high quality of teaching, the development of scientific and research activities, the education of its own academic and scientific staff, with an emphasis on motivating graduates for future academic careers and in accordance with social requirements and fulfilling the social responsibility of universities.
VŠTVS PALESTRA wants to cooperate more and more intensively with our and foreign institutions of similar focus in the field of research, exchange of experience, students and academic staff. Even with a long-term and stable growth in the number of students and accredited educational programmes, it wants to maintain a friendly and helpful approach to students.
Mission
VŠTVS PALESTRA is the leading university in the Czech Republic, whose aim is to educate professionals primarily for the field of active lifestyle and the provision of services related to this area. It is the first private university in the Czech Republic that has created study programs for the wellness field and wants to be a leader in this area in terms of education and research activities.
The VŠTVS PALESTRA programs offer an education that prepares graduates for careers in senior management positions, corporate leadership, as team members with decision-making and research experience. The implementation of the study programmes is ensured by highly qualified academic and scientific staff. VŠTVS PALESTRA is involved in national and international cooperation with a number of important institutions and communities in which it is active.
Graduates of PALESTRA are prepared to lead physical activities of youth, adults, seniors, activation of selected target groups with regard to the maximum development of their health potentials, or to provide comprehensive nutritional counseling for clients with normal physical activity, as well as for top athletes. The focus of the graduates' activities is on the implementation of variously oriented activation programs, serving to promote prevention and health of clients.
What is Palestra
The inspiration for the name of the newly built educational institution came from the ancient Greek Palaistra. Palaistra (Palestra), like gymnasion (gymnasium), was a sporting and educational facility that played a significant role in the lifelong education of Greek citizens. Here young people learned art, philosophy and music while exercising their bodies in an effort to achieve kalokagahtia, the Greek ideal of harmony of body and spirit.
While the gymnasium was used for training in athletic disciplines such as javelin throwing, discus throwing and running, the Palestra (Palaistra in Greek) was used for training in boxing, wrestling and jumping. It had a square plan and consisted of an uncovered courtyard surrounded by Doric columned halls, suitable for training in rainy weather. Behind the halls were various rooms, such as the ephibion - for gymnastic lessons or the elaiotbesion - for oiling the wrestlers. There were also rest rooms used for speeches and discussions of philosophers and orators.
History of Palestra
1990
The history of the current educational facility called Palestra begins in 1990, when an educational centre was established to provide retraining courses in the field of physical education and sports.
1992
Based on the experience gained and the increasing interest in studying in this area, a project for a one-year and later two-year post-secondary qualification study was developed. The project was accredited on 30 June 1992 and teaching began in the one-year course on 1 September 1992.
1993
On 1 September 1993, teaching in the long-standing studio began
1995
In 1995 we submitted the Higher Vocational School project for accreditation. Among the newly accredited HEIs, we were the only one with a sports focus.
1996
After the approval of the project on 1 January 1996, the Palestra Academy of Physical Education and Sport, a higher vocational school with a three-year course "Manager of Sport" was included in the school network.
1999
On September 1, 1999, teaching also began in the four-year distance learning course.
2000
The range of study fields was expanded in 2000, when the study field of Leisure Time Pedagogy was accredited for full-time and distance study.
In 2000, the development of the undergraduate bachelor's degree project was also initiated.
2001
Teaching in the field of Leisure Time Pedagogy in full-time and distance learning
She started her studies on 1 September 2001.
2002
In 2002, a university project was submitted
of the Bachelor's degree to the Accreditation Commission.
2003
Accreditation and state approval for the undergraduate Bachelor's degree programme Physical Education and Sport with study
Sports and Fitness Specialist and Sports and Leisure Educator in full-time form was awarded this project in
2003 under No. 33103/2003-30 of 19.12.2003.
2004
Teaching of the Bachelor's degree started on 4 October 2004.
2006
On 10 October 2006, the school received accreditation for the combined form of study under No. 22584 -30/1.
2007
In 2007, the study fields of study of Fitness and Sports Specialist and Sports and Leisure Educator, both in full-time and combined form of study, were successfully re-accredited.
2009
In 2009, the new Palestra Diagnostic Centre was opened.
Since 2009, international scientific conferences on the topic of Wellness have been regularly held at the school.
2010
In 2010, the accreditation of the bachelor's degree programme Physical Education and Sport with the study programme Sport and Fitness Specialist and Sport and Leisure Educator was extended until 1 August 2017. The specialisation Wellness has been accredited within the study programme Sport and Fitness Specialist.
Since February 2010, the diagnostic centre has also been able to perform stress ECGs.
2013
In 2013, the school received accreditation for the follow-up Master's degree in Wellness Specialist.
Since 2013, international conferences in the field of Experiential Pedagogy and Student Conferences have also been organized here. The outputs of the scientific international conferences are peer-reviewed proceedings or peer-reviewed collective monographs.
2014
In 2014, the school received accreditation for the Bachelor's Degree in Nutrition Counselling and Sports Diagnostics in both forms of study, and the same year the course was opened to interested students and teaching began. At the same time, the school obtained the status of a research organisation.
