Schools across France are celebrating the start of Olympic and Paralympic Week, an innovative and engaging legacy project of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Bid that will drive forward its vision and purpose to get more young people involved in sport and the Olympic Movement. The inaugural, week-long celebration of sport, education and values is part of Paris 2024’s ‘Year of Olympism, from school to university’ program. It is expected to reach more than a million children in its first year, sharing the power of Olympism with a new generation of passionate and socially connected young people.
The initiative, which will take place every January, becoming a permanent fixture on school and university calendars, forms an essential part of Paris 2024’s ongoing education and legacy programme. By mobilising the educational community to promote the values of Olympism and the practice of sport among young people in school, Paris is tapping into the collective imagination of the next generation, to share their ambition of bringing the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games back to Paris for the first time since 1924.
"This initiative perfectly illustrates the spirit that drives us," explained Bernard Lapasset, Co-Chair of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Bid. "We want to use the Games as a catalyst and leave a strong legacy that benefits the people of France, especially the youth. We are determined to deliver Games of both passion and purpose. Within the framework of our "Year of Olympism, from school to university", we will help young people access sport while sharing the spirit Olympism and its values with future generations.
Schools participating in Olympic and Paralympic Week will balance their teaching time between general education, using sport as a teaching tool in subjects such as Mathematics, History, Geography and English, and physical and sports activities, where children will be introduced to a range of Olympic disciplines. The cultural dimension of sport will also be promoted, as well as the idea of shared sport, between disabled and able-bodied children, to change the way we look at disability.
Throughout the week and beyond, top athletes will mobilise around the country to share their time and experience with schools. Sarah Ourahmoune (boxing), silver medallist at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, Michaël Jérémiasz (wheelchair tennis), flag bearer of the France Paralympic team in Rio, and Emmeline NDongue (basketball), silver medallist at London 2012, all took part in the launch event at the Collège Buffon in Paris on Monday. They joined Bernard Lapasset, Paris 2024 Co-Chair, and Pierre-Yves Bournazel, in charge of the Olympic and Paralympic project for the Ile-de-France region, to lead numerous sports activities with young people at the school, including boxing, basketball, table tennis and climbing blindfolded.
Launched in partnership with the Ministry of National Education, the French National Olympic and Sports Committee (CNOSF), the French Paralympic and Sports Committee (CPSF) and school and university federations, the initiative aims to introduce Olympic and Paralympic sports to all young people, enhance access to sport throughout the country and strengthen links between the sports movement and the education community.
Najat Vallaud-Belkacem, Minister of National Education, said:
"Schools in France are places of great learning and also places that express the values of Olympism. Respect for others, an appetite for perseverance and surpassing oneself are all qualities that forge future citizens. The new Olympic and Paralympic Week in schools will make it possible to enhance these existing values."
Denis Masseglia, President of the CNOSF, said:
"The 2024 Generation is at the heart of our actions. School is a privileged place to raise awareness about the values of Olympism and the practice of sport. It is with the support of the schools and with the hope of an Olympic and Paralympic Games in France on the horizon that the sports movement can help guide young people towards an active citizenship and a healthy lifestyle for their future as well as that of our society. Each year, educational institutions will dedicate the last week of January to Olympism and Paralympism, becoming an essential factor in leading young people towards the practice of sport."
Emmanuelle Assmann, CPSF President, said:
"Our bid for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games will inspire a world where diversity can act as a catalyst for development and integration. It is the solidarity and determination of Generation 2024 that will build a society where everyone works together towards a common goal and a sustainable future. It is therefore essential to support and share the values of Olympism and Paralympism with youth."
For more information, please contact:
Raphaël Leclerc
Paris 2024 Bid Committee
Email: rleclerc@paris2024.org
Tel: +33 6 73 16 88 06
Sujit Jasani
VERO Communications
Email: sjasani@verocom.co.uk
Tel: +44 (0)207 812 6589 / +44 (0)7940 375 282
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