The City of Paris, the Paris Academy and the French National Olympic and Sports Committee (CNOSF), have launched a new initiative to promote the passion for sport and the purpose of Olympism to up to 275,000 Parisian students. Ten measures were unveiled to encourage the practice of sport, a powerful legacy for younger generations that is fully in line with the bid’s vision for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Speaking from Francois Villon School in central Paris, where the programme was launched on Tuesday, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, said:
"This initiative is a further demonstration of the importance we place on the Olympic and Paralympic Games. We want the Games to benefit Parisians and the entire French population, leaving a strong legacy for young people and future generations to have positive Olympic values embedded into their daily lives. I welcome the action of the Ministry of Education, which is committed to joining the City of Paris and the sporting world in this ambition."
The 10 measures that will be implemented from 2017 onwards by the City of Paris, the Paris Academy and the CNOSF are as follows:
1. To share and develop resources for the promotion of the values of Olympism and the development of sporting practice among the school community and young people in Paris.
2. To expand access to schools and educational courses for young athletes, with flexible schedules that allow them to reconcile their studies and their training.
3. To develop meetings between Olympic and Paralympic athletes and the school and university community. This includes a focus on women's sport and access to less commonly practised sports.
4. To strengthen partnerships between municipal and school sports facilities, encouraging and facilitating the use of school sports facilities outside school hours.
5. To introduce the history and values of Olympism through the programme "On your marks, get set, Paris! Living the history and values of Olympism." Developed by the League of Education, with support from the CNOSF, the Ministry of Education and the French Paralympic Committee, it will be broadcast to 15,000 pupils, 614 Parisian 5th grade classes and 150 middle schools in the capital.
6. To support all initiatives promoted by the educational community on the organisation of sports events, in particular the initiatives in favour of para-sport, adapted sport, shared sport and women's sport.
7. To develop a programme of extra-curricular, out-of-school activities for students dedicated to the discovery of Olympic sports and the promotion of Olympic values.
8. To promote initiatives in schools that can be used in the context of school sports competitions.
9. To place sport at the heart of the Paris Participatory Budget, a city initiative that allows Parisians to propose investment projects for their communities, so that children and teenagers can vote to choose the projects that best meet their expectations.
10. Include sport in international school exchanges by developing interactions and correspondence between Parisian pupils and students from cities that have already hosted the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The new programme complements the educational initiatives implemented earlier this year by Paris 2024. "Playdagogie – values of Olympism", developed in collaboration with UNICEF and PLAY International and based on the established approach of using games and sport to develop life skills, brings the concept of Olympism and integrates the values of friendship, excellence and respect into educational content for kids. Alongside Playdagogie, the ‘Olympic and Paralympic Week’, which will take place annually as part of the National Education curriculum, will mobilise more than one million kids in France in its first year alone, sharing the Olympic values as part of Paris’ vision to host a Games of passion and purpose.
Tony Estanguet, Co-Chair of Paris 2024, said:
"This great initiative by the City of Paris, Paris Academy and the CNOSF will increase the opportunities for young Parisians to get involved in sport. It is also a great pathway for our Generation 2024 athletes to achieve their goals. These measures are a further example of the strong unity that exists between the bid, the city, our NOC and our partners, and our common purpose to deliver a Games that not only benefits the local population but leaves a significant and lasting legacy on future generations."
Denis Masseglia, President of the CNOSF, said:
"By working in close collaboration with the National Education and the City of Paris we are able to create better access to sport for students while at the same time encourage greater awareness and understanding of the history Olympic movement and the core values that lie at its heart. Through our bid for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games we have an incredible opportunity to transform the way young people interact with sport on a daily basis; by taking this philosophy directly into schools we can drive meaningful change more effectively."
For more information, please contact:
Saint-Clair Milesi
Paris 2024 Bid Committee
Email: SMilesi@paris2024.org
Phone: +33 6 79 50 72 46
Sujit Jasani
VERO Communications
Email: sjasani@verocom.co.uk
Phone: +44 (0)207 812 6589 / +44 (0)7940 375 282
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