School and college celebrations across the nation mark Paralympic Handover and herald the start of the London 2012 Education Programme

3,000 schools and colleges have registered directly with the London 2012 Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG), with an estimated further 2,000 institutions involved in events run by Local Authorities, sports clubs, leisure centres and cultural groups.
 
Highlights of today’s celebrations include:

• Over 50 former Paralympians and 200 school children from Aylesbury gathering at Stoke Mandeville to raise flags and watch the live screening;
• More than 750 school children from the London Borough of Hackney taking part in a 3 day Paralympic sports programme and a free community event showing the live Paralympic handover moment in Hackney Town Hall Square;
• Dane Royd Junior and Infant School, Wakefield – Question of Sport game, cheerleading coaching led by the Wakefield Wildcats to create a celebration dance, pupils wearing the Paralympic and Olympic colours and creating pieces of art around the Paralympic and Olympic values;
• Kirkby Sports College, Knowsley, Liverpool – a new school formed of an amalgamation of Brookfield High School and Ruffwood School - launching its new ethos based on the Olympic and Paralympic values with a special assembly and sports participation events;
• Aerial photo of the South African flag made up of pupils from the Wilson Stuart Special School in Birmingham. They will also learn about the Paralympic values and record messages of goodwill for their partner school in South Africa for the 2010 World Cup.

Inspired by the amazing performances by ParalympicsGB in Beijing, the schools and colleges were supported in celebrating Paralympic Handover by a set of online resources including films, posters and factsheets launched in June by (LOCOG).

The festivities across the nation gave children and young people their first taste of the creativity and inspiration that will be found throughout the London 2012 domestic education programme called ‘Get Set’ which goes live tomorrow (18 September). A new interactive ‘Get Set’ website can be found here.

The interactive website supports children and young people across the UK in learning about the Games and, exploring and committing to the Paralympic Values of inspiration, determination, courage and equality and the Olympic Values of respect, excellence and friendship.

Highlights of the ‘Get Set’ website include:

• A range of free, flexible resources with the Paralympic and Olympic Values at their heart. Resource available on the site are for 3-19 year olds and include inspirational films, interactive games, fact sheets, news articles and more, along with an Educators section for practitioners and senior management.
• The opportunity for schools and colleges to join the Get Set network and receive rewards, recognition and endorsement for work around the Values.
• The opportunity to ‘Go Further’ and get involved in initiatives supported by London 2012 partners in eight key themes - internationalism; communication, collaboration and citizenship; practical learning; PE and sport; enterprise; sustainability and regeneration; culture and creativity, and healthy, active lifestyles.

Sebastian Coe, Chair of (LOCOG) said: 'Our vision is to inspire children and young people through the London 2012 Games. Our athletes at the 2008 Paralympic Games and Olympic Games have certainly done this. The Paralympic and Olympic Values lie at the heart of our handover celebrations and are an integral part of our work with young people through schools and colleges. By motivating young people and capturing their imagination we can help them to fulfill their potential, and 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 the London 2012 Organising Committee 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. This London 2012 Organising Committee initiative - working together with ParalympicsGB - will help achieve that ambition.'

Institutions wishing to join the Get Set network must place young people in the driving seat and empower them to demonstrate a commitment to the Values. Children and young people will work with their practitioners to develop ideas, projects, goals and targets which are relevant to their place of learning and, crucially, build on existing national and local objectives.

Through the Get Set network institutions will be rewarded with a range of opportunities including the use of special London 2012 education branding. The first institutions to join the network 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.

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

For example, EDF Energy, a London 2012 Tier 1 sponsor and Sustainability Partner, is a key contributor to the sustainability and regeneration strand. EDF Energy’s website - The Pod (www.jointhepod.org) - explores climate change, energy and sustainability issues and how children and young people can make a practical difference at home, school and in their communities. Young people and their teachers can link to The Pod via the Get Set website.

The Youth Sport Trust is a key contributor to the PE and sport theme and their Young Ambassadors programme is the first education legacy programme to be awarded the London 2012 Inspire Mark.

Bringing the enterprise theme to life the annual Make Your Mark Challenge asks students to come up with new products and services in response to a top secret brief, which is being developed jointly by Make Your Mark and LOCOG. It launches on the first day of Enterprise Week, which is this year part of Global Entrepreneurship Week (17-23 November 2008).

The ‘Get Set’ programme complements the ParalympicsGB – ParaSport initiative supported by Deloitte – that is designed to engage young people and signpost opportunities to become involved in disability sport.

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 to develop their Education Programme.

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.'

Nick Fuller, Head of Education at LOCOG said: 'We want to maximise the involvement of children and young people in the London 2012 Games. The Get Set programme is about more than 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. Through the Get Set network, London 2012 will recognise the distance each institution has travelled to reaching its own goals and targets around the Paralympic and Olympic Values.'

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For further information please contact the London 2012 Press Office on +44 (0)203 2012 100

Notes to Editors:

1. The London 2012 Games represents a unique opportunity to welcome the Paralympic Games back to the country that inspired the creation of the new world-wide sporting movement following the success of the landmark archery competition amongst war-injured patients at the Stoke Mandeville Hospital, nr Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire in 1948.

2. The UK’s children and young people united to welcome the Paralympic Games home, the achievements of ParalympicsGB and heralded the launch of Get Set through a range of activities and events including:

• Over 50 former Paralympians and 200 school children from Aylesbury gathering at Stoke Mandeville to raise flags and watch the live screening;
• More than 750 school children from the London Borough of Hackney taking part in a 3 day Paralympic sports programme and a free community event showing the live Paralympic handover moment in Hackney Town Hall Square;
• Aerial photo of the South African flag made up of pupils from the Wilson Stuart Special School in Birmingham. They will also learn about the Paralympic values and record messages of goodwill for their partner school in South Africa for the 2010 World Cup;
• Over 150 students from across Essex’s School Sports Partnerships taking part in a range of Paralympic Sports at Chelmsford Sports and Athletics Centre;
• North Tyneside Council launching their ‘Year of Sport’ and Talented Performers Grant Scheme;
• This is the first term for the new Kirkby Sports College, Knowsley, Liverpool – an amalgamation of Brookfield High School and Ruffwood School. The school is launching its new ethos based on the Olympic and Paralympic values with a special assembly and sports participation events;
• Kent County Council launching their 2012 Games Learning Programme for all their schools in Folkestone;
• Fitzalan High School in Cardiff running Athletics and Wheelchair Basketball taster sessions for both its own pupils and those from the nearby SEN Primary School;
• Oakgrove College, Londonderry hosting a special assembly by Angela Hendra MBE, DSNI Chairperson and former Paralympian and Wheelchair Basketball, Goalball and Boccia workshops;
• An Athletics session for disabled and non-disabled young people at Kings Park Athletics Track in Bournemouth and Sailing coaching and tuition for young people from each of the South West’s County Sports Partnership areas at Weymouth and Portland Sailing Academy;
• Boccia, Tri-Golf, Track and Field and Tag Rugby taster sessions and flag, banner and cake making activities hosted for pupils at Stubbin Wood Special School in Bolsover, East Midlands;
• Dane Royd Junior and Infant School, Wakefield – Question of Sport game, cheerleading coaching led by the Wakefield Wildcats to create a celebration dance, pupils wearing the Paralympic and Olympic colours and creating pieces of art around the Paralympic and Olympic values;
• Inveralmond Community High School, Livingston, Scotland to stage a cheerleading display, a football tournament and a flag relay.

3. The Get Set website features:

• A Discover section with interactive games, fact sheets and other learning resources. The material is differentiated by each key curriculum age group: ages 3-5; 5-7; 7-11;11-14;14-16;16-19;
• A blog for children and young people to share their ideas and experiences, creating a UK-wide network of schools and colleges;
• Nine short films featuring some of the great Olympic and Paralympic moments, Olympians and Paralympians, people who are working to deliver the Games and more;
• Updated news along with regular online debates and polls on key issues;
• A section for teachers, senior management and other education practitioners with information on how to make the most of Get Set, including educators notes and case studies.

4. The Youth Sport Trust Young Ambassadors Programme is 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

5. The Make Your Mark Challenge is the UK’s biggest, live and simultaneous enterprise competition for schools and colleges. Last year 38,000 students took part. It launches on the first day of Enterprise Week which this year is part of Global Entrepreneurship Week (17-23rd November). The competition is designed for students aged 14-19 and aims to improve their enterprise capabilities including risk-taking, creativity, financial planning and communication. It’s run by Make Your Mark, the national campaign to unlock the UK’s enterprise potential, which was set up by the UK’s four main business organisations (BCC, CBI, FSB and IOD) and is supported by BERR (Department for Business and Regulatory Reform). www.makeyourmark.org.uk Press enquiries to Colman Getty PR on 020 7631 2666.

6. The Live Sites around the UK are to screen the Handover Ceremony live. Several new temporary screens have been especially installed, including one at the base of Nelson's column in Trafalgar Square for the capital’s residents, workforce and visitors to enjoy the Handover Ceremony.

7. With kind thanks to Visa for their support of both the 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Handover celebrations in the UK.