About Palestra

Accredited College of Physical Education and Sport Palestra Ltd. is a private, non-universitary college which expands the list of education opportunities on the bachelor’s or master’s level with a focus on physical education and sport and leisure-time.

The VISION

College PALESTRA aims to be the leading Czech college raising high-quality experts in leisure-time and top-level sports, wellness, fitness development and activation of clients towards accepting healthy lifestyle. Outside the field of sport and health, we also aim to develop in the direction of pedagogy and sport management.

College PALESTRA is going to continue providing top-quality education, the development of science and research activities, education of our own academic and scientific workers with a focus on motivating graduates to have a future academic career in conformity with societal demands and fulfilling the college social responsibility.

College PALESTRA aims to cooperate more intensively with both domestic and foreign institutions of similiar focus in the field of research, exchange of knowledge, students and members of the academic staff. Even during long-term and stable raise in student and accredited study programme numbers, we aim to oreserve the friendly and forthcoming approach to the students.

The MISSION

College PALESTRA is the leading college in the Czech Republic, which focuses on the raising of experts primarily in the field of active lifestyle and providing services related to the said field. It is the first private college in the Czech Republic, which has created study programmes for the field of wellness and intends to be the leader in the field of education and research activities.

The programmes at College PALESTRA offer education, which prepares graduates for careers at higher management positions in company leaderships, as team members with decision making and research experience. The study programme implementation is provided by highly qualified members of the academic and scientific staff. College PALESTRA engages in domestic and international cooperation with a number of significant institutions and associations, in which it actively participates.

The College PALESTRA study graduates are prepared to lead physical activities of the young, adult and seniors, prepared for activation of select target groups with regard to maximum development of their health potentionalities or providing complex nutritional counselling both for clients with ordinary physical aktivity and for top-level athletes. The centre of activities of the graduates lies in implementation of differently oriented activation programmes aiming to support prevention and health among their clients.

The PALESTRA BUILDING

VIRTUAL SCHOOL TOUR

Our students said about us...

Ondřej Synek, rower
I was a bit scared in the beginning, because I haven’t been to school for ten years since my finals. In the end, everybody was friendly and we made one big team. I quite enjoy studying at Palestra and it is not as stressful as I had imagined in the beginning. I can say that I’m enjoying it, but I’m also looking forward to the state exams and finishing my studies.

What is Palestra?

The inspiration for naming the newly built educational institution was for us the name of the ancient Greek ‘Palaistra‘. Palaistra (Palaestra), as well as the Gymnasión (gymnasium), that were the sports and educational institutions and played an important role in lifelong learning of Greek citizens. Here, the young were taught arts, philosophy and music. Simultaneously, they trained their bodies in an effort to achieve kalokagathia – the greek ideal of harmony between the body and the mind.

While the gymnasium served as place for training athletic disciplines such as javelin throw, discus throw or running, Palaestra (Palaistra in greek) was designated for training box, wrestling and jumping. It had a square floor plan and it consisted of an roofless yard surrounded by halls with doric order columns, suited for training in the rain. Behind the halls were various room – eg. ephibion, designed for gymnastics lessons or elaiotbesion for covering the wrestlers with oil. Rest areas used for speeches and discussions of philosophers and rhetors were also present.

Historie Palestry

1990

History of the current educational facility called Palestra began in the year 1990, when an educational centre was founded to provide re-qualification courses in the physical education and sport areas of expertise.

1992

A project of one-year and later two-year postgradual qualification studies was prepared based on the growing interest to study the field and the experience gained. The project was accredited on 30th June, 1992 and teaching in the one-year studies began on 1st September, 1992.

1993

The teaching in the two year programme began on 1st September, 1993.

1995

Project of tertiary technical school was submitted for accreditation in the year 1995. Amidst the newly accredited tertiary technical schools, we were the only one with a focus on sports.

1996

After validating the project on 1st January, 1996, the Academy of physical education and sports Palestra, tertiary technical school s.r.o., was included in the network of schools with a three year study programme “Sports manager”.

1999

Teaching in the four-year part-time programme began on 1st September, 1999.

2000

The selection of study programmes was enhanced after the year 2000, when the field of study “Free-time educator” for both part-time and full-time studies was accredited.

Preparations of the project for the college bachelor programmes also began in the year 2000.

2001

Teaching of the “Free time educator” field of study, both in part-time and full-time form of study, began on 1st September, 2001.

2002

The project for college bachelor’s studies was submitted to the accreditation committee in the year 2002.

2003

The study programme Physical education and sports with study fields “Sports and Fitness Specialist”, “Sports and Leisure-time Pedagogue” in full-time studies gained accreditation and state consent in the year 2003 under ref. number 33103/2003-30 from 19th December, 2003.

2004

Teaching in bachelor’s programme began on 4th October, 2004.

2006

The school gained accreditation for the part-time form of study under ref. number 22584 -30/1 on 10th October 2006.

2007

Study fields Sports and Fitness Specialist and Sports and Leisure-time Pedagogue were successfully re-accredited in both their full-time and part-time form of study in the year 2007.

2009

A new Diagnostic centre Palestra was opened in 2009.

International scientific conferences thematically dedicated to Wellness take place regularly at the school since 2009.

2010

The accreditation of the bachelor’a study programme Physical education and sport with study fields Sports and Fitness Specialist and Sports and Leisure-time Pedagogue was extended in 2010 to 1st August, 2017. Specialization Wellness was accredited within the study field Sports and Fitness Specialist.

Conducting exercise ECG is possible in the diagnostic centre since February 2010.

2013

The school gained accreditation for the follow-up master’s study Wellness specialist in 2013.

International conferences relating to the field of Outdoor education and Student conferences have been organized since 2013. The output of the scientific conferences are reviewed by experts or reviewed collective monographies.

2014

The school received accreditation of the bachelor’s study field Nutritional Counselling and Sports Diagnostics in both forms of study in 2014. The field of study was opened for applicants and the teaching in it began the same year. At the same time, the school gained the status of a research organization.

School Leadership

Executive director

Mgr. Pavel Špaček, MBA

Rector

Odborný profil – Pavel Tilinger
doc. PhDr. Pavel Tilinger, CSc.

Odborný profil – Pavel Tilinger

Vice-rector for science and research

Odborný profil – Milada Krejčí
prof. PaedDr. Milada Krejčí, CSc.

Odborný profil – Milada Krejčí

Vice-rector for external relations and creative activities

Odborný profil – Tomáš Mirovský
Mgr. Tomáš Mirovský, Ph.D., MBA, DiS.

Odborný profil – Tomáš Mirovský

Vice-rector for educational activities

Odborný profil – Eva Nechlebová
Mgr. Eva Nechlebová, Ph.D.

Odborný profil – Eva Nechlebová