Bhubaneswar: Taking another step towards making Odisha the sports epicenter of India, the Government of Odisha has embarked on an ambitious program to incorporate values-based education a critical aspect of the Indian education system. As part of these efforts, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik will today launch Olympic Values Education Programme into the school curriculum of Odisha. The Olympic Values Education Programme is a learning programme devised by the International Olympic Committee which recognizes the unique potential of sport as an educational and communication tool. The OVEP is a practical set of resources designed to inspire and allow young people to imbibe the Olympic values of excellence, respect and friendship. In Odisha, the OVEP programme would be incorporated in schools in association with the Abhinav Bindra Foundation Trust.
These OVEP-based projects and activities will help address the global challenges of sedentary lifestyles, lack of concentration, and adolescents dropping out of school. The resources and toolkits are designed to make it possible for young people of any skill level to enjoy and learn from physical activity and gain life-long social, cognitive and physical skills. In its first year, the programme aims to impact 32,000 children enrolled in 90 schools in the cities of Bhubaneswar and Rourkela and, once in full swing, it will 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 on board the Olympic values.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik will launch the program today which will be attended by a host of dignitaries, including Samir Ranjan Dash, Minister School And Mass Education, Olympic Education Commission Chair Mrs Mikaela Cojuangco Jaworski, IOC member Smt. Nita Ambani, IOA President Shri Narinder Dhruv Batra, Director of Olympic Foundation for Culture and Change Mrs Angelita Teo and Principal Secretary of S&ME department Bhishnupada Sethi among others. As part of the event, a selected few Odisha Olympians will also recount their experiences in relation to how these values of friendship, excellence, and respect played a role during their journey.