The Australian Olympic Committee launched its Olympic education program
for the Rio Games, with 2016 Chef de Mission and Sydney 2000 Olympian, Kitty Chiller and London 2012 Olympians, Nicola Zagame and Jo Bridgen-Jones addressing 600 Sydney students at the Forestville Public School. As part of the education program, teachers around the country will have free access to a multitude of educational activities all aimed at encouraging young Australians to participate in sport and showcasing Olympians as community role models.
The program consists of teacher resources, Cheer for a Champ, Village Art, Chat to a Champ, Meet with a Champ and Olympic Day. “We are thrilled to offer primary and secondary school teachers a range of learning activities themed on the Australian Olympic Team and Rio 2016 and they all demonstrate the positive impact sport can have on one’s life.”
From today, primary school teachers can download for free 60 cross-curriculum lesson plans themed on the Rio Games and the 2016 Australian Olympic Team. The resources are linked to the national curriculum and are offered across three stages of learning – lower primary, middle primary and upper primary. Primary students can learn about the sports, venues, marketing and sustainability of the first South American Games as well as discover more about their Olympian heroes in athlete profiles and the making of the Australian team uniform.
Certain lessons also link with the ‘Learn from a Champ’ program, which contains video resources exploring what it’s like to be an Australian Olympian. Secondary teachers and their students can explore Australia’s involvement at the Olympic Games during significant historical events over the last 100 years in a new online digital resource, which can be offered in a range of e-learning environments including tablets and interactive whiteboard lessons.The 2016 program will also feature ‘Chat to a Champ’, which facilitates the opportunity for primary school students to chat with their Olympian heroes online in web video conferencing, will be offered during term time in 2016 and then daily from London during the Games. The popular Cheer for a Champ and Village Art programs will be offered in the first half of 2016.
With great prizes up for grabs, students are encouraged to produce a video message of support for the Team as well create artwork to hang in the Australian apartments of the Olympic Village. The Village Art program had great success in the past with over 2000 students submitting artworks for the London 2012 Games. The program has been widened for this year’s Games, with both primary and secondary students invited to participate in the program. “Village Art really gives students the chance to be a part of the Australian Olympic Team and help us decorate the Rio Olympic Village,” Chiller said. “This shouldn’t be limited to just primary students, and we’re really looking forward to seeing some fantastic and inspiring pieces of art from older students.”
This story first appeared in the blog, The Sport Intern. The editor is Karl-Heinz Huba of Lorsch, Germany. He can be reached at ISMG@aol.com. The article is reprinted here with permission of Huba.