London 2012 Education Programme: Paralympic Handover website and resources go live

A new website and resources have been launched to help children and young people make their plans for marking the moment the Paralympic Flag is handed from the Mayor of Beijing over to the Mayor of London.

As of today all schools, colleges and local authorities in the UK will receive a Paralympic Handover pack from London 2012. This includes details of the new website that can be found at: www.london2012.com/paralympichandover, a timeline showing the history of the Paralympic Games and a short DVD film featuring British athletes who are set to compete at the Beijing Games together with highlights of some of the all time great Paralympic moments.

The website presents tools, resources and ideas for whole school or college celebratory activities. Materials include assembly plans, suggested activities, fact sheets, certificates and a bank of Paralympic images.

Schools and colleges are invited to register their details on the website and share their ideas for celebration activities. Registrations received by 25 June 2008 will be in with the chance of winning a Visa Trip Package to the Beijing Paralympic Games which consists of a full programme of activity, including flights and accommodation for five nights. In addition, the most exciting and inspiring ideas for celebration activities will win a visit from a Paralympian, courtesy of Visa’s Team Visa mentoring programme. Full details of the competition can be found on the Share and Register pages of the Paralympic handover resource.

Sebastian Coe, Chair of LOCOG said: “Our vision is to inspire and change the lives of children and young people through the London 2012 Games and our Education Programme is an integral part of our work to achieve this. To help us launch the London 2012 Education Programme, we are inviting schools and colleges across the UK to plan activity around the Paralympic Handover Ceremony on 17 September, and then to join us on a four year journey to 2012.

“By motivating young people in formal and non-formal education and capturing their imagination we can help them to fulfil their potential, and we can create a legacy that will continue long after the London 2012 Games have ended.”

ParalympicsGB Chief Executive, Phil Lane said: “It is fantastic to see LOCOG committed to inspiring a younger generation through the ideals and achievements of Britain’s Paralympians and the spirit of the Paralympic movement as a whole.

“If we are to remain a leading nation in the world of Paralympic sport we must ensure that education really challenges young people and this LOCOG initiative will help achieve that ambition.”

The forthcoming London 2012 Education Programme

The activity in schools and colleges on September 17 will launch London 2012’s domestic Education Programme which will ‘go live’ the following day on 18 September.

London 2012 today announced that the core of the programme is based on creating a UK-wide network of schools, colleges and other educational institutions in which children and young people are empowered to demonstrate and live their commitment to the Olympic and Paralympic values.

A new interactive website will support children and young people in learning about, exploring and committing to these values of Respect, Excellence, Friendship, Inspiration, Determination, Courage and Equality. There will be dedicated sections for children and young people of different ages, practitioners and senior management.

The website will contain flexible resources, films and updated news to help support and shape the children’s and young people’s projects. Children and young people will work with their practitioners to develop goals and targets which are relevant to their place of learning and, crucially, build on existing national and local objectives.

An accreditation programme will incentivise and reward those who get involved, with a range of opportunities including the use of special London 2012 education branding. The first institutions to achieve qualifying status will be announced in September 2009, following a competition for young people to help design this branding and giving institutions and their young people a full academic year to plan and articulate their involvement in the scheme.

Institutions will be encouraged to post information on the website and generate their own content about their activities, sharing best practice with the rest of the network.

Nick Fuller, Head of Education at LOCOG said: 'Children and young people are at the heart of our education programme: we want to maximise their involvement in the London 2012 Games. This programme isn’t just about sport; it’s about challenging and inspiring children and young people to join in, to make a difference and to realise their potential in whatever context that may be.

'Ideas for activity that demonstrate commitment to the Olympic and Paralympic values will be submitted by young people. The scheme is about recognising the distance each institution has travelled in reaching its own goals and targets around the Olympic and Paralympic values.'

In addition, LOCOG will be working with its partners to develop resources that complement the core programme. Over the next four years eight key themes will be developed: internationalism; citizenship; practical learning; sport and PE; enterprise; sustainability and regeneration; culture and creativity, and healthy, active lifestyles.

For example, EDF Energy, a London 2012 Tier 1 sponsor and Sustainability Partner, will be a key contributor to the sustainability and regeneration strand with their new website called ‘The Pod’. ‘The Pod for greener schools’ will explore climate change, energy and sustainability issues and how children and young people can make a difference at home, school or college and in their communities.

To develop the programme, LOCOG is working with the Department of Children, Schools and Families and - through the London 2012 Nations and Regions group - the Scottish Government, the Welsh Assembly Government and Northern Ireland.

Jim Knight, Minister for Schools said: 'The Olympic and Paralympic spirit can be hugely motivating to young people - symbolising people using their abilities to achieve at the highest level. My department is delighted to be working with LOCOG to realise the educational potential of the 2012 Games.'

Brenda Bigland CBE, Headteacher of Lent Rise Primary School in Buckinghamshire and a contributor the development of the London 2012 Education programme said: 'LOCOG has worked hard to ensure the structure and content of their Education Programme has been informed by the view of children and young people, practitioners and education leaders from around the UK. The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games are an extraordinary learning opportunity and one that should be seized by all.'

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For further information please contact the London 2012 Press Office on +44 (0)203 2012 100 or visit the website at www.london2012.com. Find out the latest from London 2012 HQ on our blog.

Notes to Editors:

1. Jasmine Scott and James Welford the young people who participated in the briefing are representatives from the Young Ambassador Programme, managed by the Youth Sport Trust on behalf of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Department for Children, Schools and Families. Young Ambassadors are 14-19 year olds from School Sport Partnerships across the country who have been specially chosen to embark on an exciting role in their schools, school sport partnerships and communities to help promote sport, healthy, active lifestyles and the Olympic and Paralympic Values. For more information visit www.youthsporttrust.org

2. London 2012 is working with practitioners and senior managers from the widest range of schools, colleges and local authority education providers across the country. Approximately forty of these, recruited through a variety of channels, have an informal consultation role, advising and sharing thoughts on a number of aspects right across the London 2012 education programme.

3. Visa is a Worldwide Partner of the IPC and currently sponsors the Paralympic Games as part of its agreement with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to support both the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. Visa is the exclusive payment card and official payment service for the Olympic and Paralympic Games through 2012.