IOC’s Olympic Values Education Programme Kickstarts In Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar: The training of headmasters and Physical Education Teachers (PETs) under IOC’s Olympic Values Education Programme (OVEP) was kickstarted in Odisha capital on Wednesday.

Abhinav Bindra Foundation Trust (ABFT) in collaboration with International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Olympic Foundation for Culture and Heritage (OFCH) conducted the inaugural ‘Train the Trainers’ session. The headmasters and PETs selected from 90 schools in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela are participating in the training programme that would continue till June 28.

The programme that aims at integration of the OVEP into the school education system of Odisha will include a mix of intensive activities, theoretical and interactive sessions conducted by trainers from the IOC. The training activities will leverage the cultural heritage and art history of Odisha in contextualising the OVEP curriculum which will be delivered to the school children.

Launched in Odisha last month, the OVEP is one of the first major IOC projects to be implemented in India. The programme is being developed in partnership with the state government’s School and Mass Education department and the ABFT.

In its first year, the OVEP aims to impact 32,000 children enrolled in 90 schools in the cities of Bhubaneswar and Rourkela. It expects to ultimately reach around 7 million children. The state of Odisha intends to take OVEP to all its schools and higher education institutions in a phased manner, thereby enabling its young population to truly take the Olympic values on board.

The programme was launched by Anupam Saha, State Project Director, OSEPA; Abhinav Bindra, founder of ABFT and Olympic champion; team members and trainers from IOC Frederique Jamolli, Xenia Kourgouzova and Additional Director, Quality, OSEPA Prashanta Kumar Swain.