The Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Bid Committee has launched an innovative new program to engage, educate and inspire youth in France and around the world. Developed in collaboration with UNICEF and PLAY International with support from the French National Olympic Committee (CNOSF), "Playdagogie - values of Olympism" aims to use sport and the Olympic values as a learning tool to encourage social development in children.
Paris 2024 Co-Chair Tony Estanguet, London 2012 Olympic basketball silver medallist and Paris 2024 Education Ambassador, Emmeline NDongue, and Laurence Fischer, Karate World Champion and member of the Paris 2024 Sport and Society Committee joined children at the Colette Magny primary school in central Paris on Thursday to introduce the programme.
"Playdagogie" is a training technique that helps children learn and grow through play. It is based on methodology successfully developed by PLAY International and its partners in countries such as Kosovo, Bolivia, Afghanistan, Burundi and Haiti.
The new programme, created by Paris 2024, UNICEF, PLAY International and the CNOSF, builds on the established approach of using games and sport to build knowledge and develop life skills by bringing in the concept of Olympism and integrating the Olympic values of friendship, excellence and respect into educational content for kids.
One the core pillars of the Paris 2024 bid campaign is to draw on the Olympic values to engage the people and deliver real community legacies, strategies that can be shared abroad to help drive broader positive social change around the world.
It is hoped this edition of the Playdagogie programme, which will be incorporated into UNICEF’s ongoing mission in France, will reach and inspire thousands of children by teaching them about the significance of the Olympic values in their own lives while raising awareness of their fundamental right to access leisure, sport, culture and play, as enshrined by the International Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The launch of the initiative coincides with the start of a week-long celebration of sport and the Olympic values in schools and universities around France. National Olympism and Paralympic Week will see children across the country take part in activities and events, encouraging them to discover and learn about the Olympic Games, its values and the importance of sport and physical activities in their daily lives.
Tony Estanguet, Paris 2024 Co-Chair, IOC Member and triple Olympic Champion, said:
"Olympism has always inspired me and I am convinced that the values it teaches can be used to enhance the education of youth in France and around the world. By launching this unique programme so early in the bidding phase, Paris 2024 is demonstrating its commitment to finding new and inspiring ways to use the Games as a catalyst for change.
"The Olympic spirit is in the DNA of Paris – the city where Pierre de Coubertin first imagined a better world through sport – and we want to honour this legacy by sharing innovative projects like this that focus on the positive role sport can play in society. We are determined to deliver a Games of passion and purpose that inspires people on and off the field of play."
David Blough, Executive Director PLAY International, said:
"This educational programme is a concrete illustration of the ambition that Paris 2024 shares with UNICEF France and PLAY International to promote the education of children in France and abroad. When translated into life skills, the values of Olympism are a remarkable way to help children grow and we are pleased to work with Paris 2024 to see Playdagogie used at the service of children."
Jean-Marie Dru, President of UNICEF France, said:
"Sport and play are the fundamental rights of children and play a vital role in their development, happiness and well-being. UNICEF France, which promotes the participation of children and young people on a day-to-day basis, is delighted to be associated with this positive initiative alongside PLAY International and Paris 2024. This initiative will allow as many children as possible to understand their right to play."
Denis Masseglia, President of the CNOSF, said:
"Sharing the values of Olympism in France is the first mission of the CNOSF and it is only natural that we work with Paris 2024 on this innovative educational tool. This initiative already represents a strong legacy from Paris 2024 to the sports movement and will continue to positively impact the lives of children in France."
More information on the programme and its educational content can be found here: http://www.playdagogie.org/paris2024
For more information, please contact:
Raphaël Leclerc
Paris 2024 Bid Committee
Email: rleclerc@paris2024.org
Tel: +33 6 73 16 88 06
Amelia Fisher-Starzynski
VERO Communications
Email: afisher-starzynski@verocom.co.uk
Tel: +44 (0)207 812 6589 / +44 (0)7557 418 187
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