COC and IOAPA MOU Signing

– On Thursday, the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC)

became the first-ever National Olympic Committee to sign a Memorandum of Understanding

(MOU) with the International Olympic Academy Participants Association (IOAPA) to promote

and strengthen the Canadian Olympic education programs.

Under the MOU, an Olympic education hub will be created on the IOAPA website, where best

practices and programs will be shared globally for those interested in the material. Canadian

Olympic education programs, such as resources from the world class Canadian Olympic School

Program (COSP), will be the first-ever National Olympic Committee led content on the hub.

The MOU also includes further promotion of Canadian Olympic education initiatives through

IOAPA newsletters and social media platforms, as well as support for Canadian delegates

attending International Olympic Academy sessions.

"The Canadian Olympic Committee is a leader in Olympic education through initiatives such as

the Canadian Olympic School Program, and so the IOAPA is excited to be able to share their

resources to our entire network of IOA alumni and partner education organizations around the

world," said IOAPA President Richard Koo. "Education is an essential pillar of the Olympic

Movement to promote fairness, leadership and respect amongst other important values. We

hope that the collaboration with our friends in Canada will hopefully serve as a model for other

National Olympic Committees to join."

Canadian Olympic education programs aim to teach Canadians about the importance of the

Olympic Movement. The vision, is to inspire the next generation of Canadians to contribute to

building peaceful communities by educating through sport practiced without discrimination of

any kind by respecting the values of friendship, solidarity and fair play.

For over 35 years, the COC has developed valuable education initiatives that have impacted

Canadians across the country, including Team Canada Champion Chats, which incorporates

four weeks of learning activities culminating in a massive, nation-wide live chat featuring Team

Canada Olympic and Paralympic athletes that has reached over 17,000 students in its first year. It

continues to be a trusted educational resource for teachers across the country, including

content that promotes inclusion, respect and pursuit of personal excellence in the classroom.

"Our mission is to provide the best possible environment for Canadian athletes competing at the

Olympic Games and to advance the values of the Olympic Movement. Educating communities

through our Olympic education programs helps us do just that," said David Shoemaker, CEO &

Secretary General of the COC. "The Olympic Movement has the power to build bridges, link

cultures and unite the world through sport. It is an ideal that we will continue to celebrate at

future Olympic Games. We are incredibly proud to be the first National Olympic Committee to

collaborate with the IOAPA to promote sport as a positive force."

The IOAPA represents over 1,100 alumni worldwide who have attended an official session of

the International Olympic Academy in Olympia, Greece. IOAPA’s aim is to foster an international

and multicultural fellowship of past participants, providing tools and resources to facilitate

Olympic education and support Olympism worldwide.

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