Olympism
Sport as a School for Life 
The world is changing at an unprecedented pace, and this has a far-reaching impact on the well-being of young people.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is responding to this change through Olympic Agenda 2020, the strategic future plan of the Olympic Movement.
Sport helps build social networks, develops self-confidence, and teaches youth to respect others and themselves — both on and off the playing field.
Sport has been proven to be a powerful educational tool — providing a universal language to convey key messages on issues such as:
Healthy lifestyles, social inclusion, gender equality, and rebuilding local communities.
Sport has the power to bring about positive change among communities around the world.
As ambassadors of sport, we cannot be satisfied with the growing number of young people who only watch the Olympic Games. Only children who play sports or engage in physical activity can truly benefit from the educational and health values of sport. We want to inspire these children by providing better access to sport. We want to engage them wherever they are.
We want the Olympic values education program to be included in school curricula around the world.
“Sport is a source of inner improvement for everyone.”
— Pierre de Coubertin
The Olympic Values Education Programs
The Olympic values education program combines sport and the core principles of Olympism, encouraging participants to experience values-based learning that fosters responsibility and good citizenship.
The program connects the benefits of sport and physical activity through an understanding of Olympism and its influence on personal health, enjoyment of effort, and the creation of social connections.
Integrating the concepts of sport, education, and culture continues to be the foundation of the Olympic values education curriculum of the Israeli Olympic Committee. The program is based on the Olympic philosophy, which emphasizes learning through the development of balance between body and mind.
Physical activity and sport have a positive influence on health and well-being.
Through sport, it is possible to achieve outcomes such as peace, holistic learning, and social development.
Sport serves as an educational and communicative tool, providing inspiration and opportunities to experience life skills such as excellence, respect, and friendship.
Our Objectives
The overarching goal of the program is to build a better world through sport, using pedagogical sports tools within a values-based curriculum.
The program uses Olympic culture and the positive values of sport as a foundation for teaching life skills, values, and a lifestyle that integrates sport to achieve a healthy way of living.
How Can We Bring These Benefits Into Our Lives and the Lives of Others?
At this point, the Olympic values education program comes into play.
The program leverages the universality and power of the Olympic Games as a social development tool, teaching life skills, respecting human values, and promoting enjoyment through sport.
The program encourages participants to imagine, create, and express themselves through different forms of activity — using games, storytelling, art, and various media.
To make it easier to learn the Olympic values, the International Olympic Committee expanded the three core Olympic values into five Olympic educational themes: Joy of Effort, Fair Play, Respect, Pursuit of Excellence, Balance between Body, Will, and Mind.
The Olympic values education program helps guide young people to find common ground and commitment to activity, embracing the core Olympic values: Excellence, Respect, and Friendship.
The program is not aimed only at the small percentage who reach the podium, but rather at the 99% of the population, with the goal of encouraging them to participate in physical activity.
Your role as teachers is to educate the younger generation through sport and activity, instilling in them the Olympic values.
The International Olympic Committee focuses on promoting universal participation in sport and physical activity, as well as developing appropriate educational tools to attract and empower youth.
The new program emphasizes a fundamental shift — so that the learning of Olympism and Olympic values takes place through activity.
Together, let’s bring sport to life!!!
