Logo IOC Panasonic
Source: IOCPanasonic
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) today announced that it has selected 25 new young leaders to harness the power of sport to make a difference in their communities. This fifth generation of young leaders will benefit from an enhanced version of the program, which is moving from an annual model to a four-year model. The program will indeed provide young leaders with additional tools and expertise they will need to become successful social entrepreneurs and have a positive impact through sport.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The program, which begins in February, aims to empower new talent to found their own social enterprise as a local sports solution to a pressing problem in their respective communities. Participants will receive seed funding of CHF 10,000 over four years, be supported by weekly learning modules and be offered leadership opportunities.
As ambassadors of Olympism, the young leaders of the IOC will play an active role in advising the organization, and more broadly the Olympic Movement, on specific subjects, while ensuring the promotion of the Olympic values “‹“‹on a global scale. .
As IOC President Thomas Bach said: "All members of the Olympic community share the same mission, which is to make the world a better place through sport. The IOC Young Leaders program gives young people around the world the means to accomplish this mission in their communities. " He continued: “Thanks to our Olympic partner Panasonic, we can build on the success of the first three editions of the program and develop it even further. With a focus on building sustainable social enterprises focused on sport, 25 young people will be offered unique opportunities. "
And to conclude: "In this Olympic spirit, I wanted to welcome the new promotion of young IOC leaders, who have already impressed us with their energy and motivation. I look forward to meeting each of them and to learn about their ideas on how to bring positive change to their communities through sport and through sport. "
The 25 participants ultimately selected for the program were selected from 350 applicants, all with a clear experience or passion for the sport.
The list of 25 young leaders chosen is balanced in terms of universality and diversity, with 13 women and 12 men, from 25 countries on five continents. The list also includes countries that had not yet been represented in the program.
You can consult the list of the 25 young new leaders of the IOC here.
The IOC Young Leaders Program
Launched in 2016, the IOC Young Leaders Program gives young people the opportunity to harness the power of sport to make a difference in their communities. To date, thanks to IOC seed funding and a network of mentors, these young talents have completed 116 projects around the world, using sport to promote themes such as education, social inclusion, sustainability and well-being. The projects have already directly benefited more than 30,000 people.
Previously known as the Young Change-Makers program, the initiative was renamed in 2019 to better reflect the important role these young people play at the heart of the Olympic Movement. Young leaders also attend international conferences and events to spread the message that sport can be used to build a better society. Some of them are even part of the IOC commissions. Renewed support from global Olympic partner Panasonic Global Olympic partner Panasonic has supported the IOC Young Leaders Program since 2017 and continues to do so by providing additional funds to be used as grants, as well as audiovisual material, and by producing impactful narrative films to promote the program and young leaders themselves. Source: OIC
