Lausanne 2020 Youth Empowerment

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Lausanne 2020 Youth Empowerment

©OIS/Jed Leicester
  • Olympic City: Lausanne
  • Country: Switzerland
  • Edition of the Games: Home of the IOC since 1915, 2020 Youth Olympic Winter Games
2016-2020
Youth

Description of the Project

Games created for the youth, by the youth and with the youth

The Lausanne 2020 YOG has always had the ambition to promote youth and develop talent and has set its sights on actively involving them in the organisation of the Games. The youth empowerment programme was conceived as a key element of commitment, which is necessary to ensure popular success.

This first commitment was therefore the centrepiece of Lausanne 2020’s operation. This resulted in the unprecedented activation of academic partners at all levels of education, public and private, allowing for the involvement of the youth not only on the field of the Games (the athletes), but also outside, where thousands of schoolchildren and students participated in the actual making of the project.

Ultimately, the involvement of youth in and around the Games is widely cited as one of the key elements in the popular success of Lausanne 2020. It was one of the central elements of the Lausanne 2020 communication strategy, which aimed to show the importance of the YOG as a vehicle for education.

As Virginie Faivre, President of Lausanne 2020 confirms, “It is simply magnificent to see the Youth Olympic Games come to life thanks to the young people of our region. Since the beginning of the Lausanne 2020 adventure, over 130,000 students have been involved in the organization of the Games – Games created for the youth, by the youth and with the youth.”

Lausanne en Jeux! Festival: the youth at the heart of the city

Featuring 8 city sites, 300+ activities, 18 sport initiations, many food and beverage spots, and more, the Lausanne en Jeux! Festival brought the worlds of sport and culture together through an exciting programme of events along with sports initiations, workshops, exhibitions, concerts and shows, all of which were open to the general public. They took place in the heart of Lausanne, highlighted by a special set-up in the city centre, and in many cultural venues across Lausanne as well.

Among the highlights of the festival was BodyCity – an original show combining video mapping, music, dance and urban sports, which told the story of the relationship between the city and the younger generation. The show featured 50 young artists and athletes, highlighting local art schools and sport performances, performed on a unique 300m2 skatepark in the Place Centrale, converted into a stage for the occasion. The 5 performances of the show attracted more than 11’000 people.

A variety of workshops covered activities such as skiing, curling, skeleton, street art and video game design, with professional instructors delivering programmes tailor-made for young people. The wide range of exhibitions included a special display at the Lausanne Museum of Contemporary Design and Applied Arts (MUDAC), which highlighted the cultural and social history of sports shoes. The eSpace Arlaud museum was transformed into a video games and digital fair play experience.

In total, the Lausanne en Jeux! Festival encompassed more than 300 events and brought together some 200’000 visitors/participants. Access to workshops, sports initiations, concerts and the BodyCity show were completely free of charge, offering a unique opportunity for young people to learn about winter sports and the connections between culture and sport.

The project was a means for Lausanne’s inhabitants and visitors to (re)discover the City and its many positive aspects, places, and opportunities. It was also a unifying project for the people involved in the conception, implementation and achievement such as City employees, students and volunteers.

As Grégoire Junod, Mayor of Lausanne said a few months after the Games, “The Olympic Capital is a city of sport and culture. The Youth Olympic Games were an opportunity to bring this together, resulting in this wonderful festival of sport and culture. Since then, the world has changed, but these Games have shown us that we need to live and enjoy shared emotions together.”

Winter YOG Athlete Ambassadors

As an integral element of previous YOGs, athlete ambassadors were present at venues, at ceremonies and around the village to mentor and enrich the overall experience for the young athletes. There were 14 Lausanne 2020 athlete ambassadors, including French Stanley Cup-winning goaltender Cristobal Huet, Swiss ski cross star Fanny Smith and French Nordic combined Olympic champion Jason Lamy-Chappuis. “The goal of Lausanne 2020 is to reveal talent, create synergies, involve thousands of young people and put together a true celebration,” said Virginie Faivre, President of the YOG Organising Committee.
To promote the Olympic spirit throughout Switzerland and neighbouring France, Lausanne 2020 brought together a pool of high-level Olympic athletes who hold and endorse Olympic values, and who inspire the next generation of athletes. During the Games, these athletes acted as Ambassadors and shared their experience with the young athletes. Lausanne 2020 and Paris 2024 collaborated on this very topic of youth engagement, with French school children invited to Lausanne’s Olympic Museum to meet and converse with Olympians.

Rooted in Lausanne 2020’s drive to foster a renewed ownership of the Olympic values among local youth, it’s fair to say that the idea of YOG “for youth, by youth and with youth” became a reality at this third edition of the Winter Youth Olympic Games.

Objectives

Empowering, inspiring and engaging youth was the central mission of the Lausanne 2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games. The ambition was to value and empower youth by enabling them to become ambassadors of the positive values of sport, to acquire new talents and to achieve fulfillment by becoming tomorrow’s leaders. This could be achieved by making the YOG a laboratory of innovation, an incubator of ideas for the youth by the youth, and by drawing on Switzerland’s unique heritage and assets in terms of education, culture and innovation.

Celebrate Olympism and its Values

The third edition of the Winter YOG brought together nearly 1,880 athletes between the ages of 15 and 18, with a perfect balance of 33 events for each gender.

What better ambassadors than youth athletes to promote and celebrate Olympic values with the youth of Lausanne, the country, and the world? The Youth Olympic Games are not just about sport – they are also about bringing together young athletes from across the globe and enabling them to create friendships and memories that will last a lifetime. The Lausanne 2020 motto, “Start now”, was conceived as an encouragement for young people around the world to pursue their dreams.

Develop human capital and generate social cohesion

The Olympic Games are an opportunity to develop skills and know-how and to incorporate these benefits into society at large. The Lausanne 2020 Youth Olympic Games (YOG) were acclaimed for several innovative concepts, one of them being the significant involvement of young people in the preparation and delivery of the event. Around 130,000 students from local schools, colleges and universities contributed their talents towards making the 3rd Winter YOG a success.

Their achievements and contributions to the Games include the following:

  • the Olympic cauldron, the medal trays as well as the podiums were all designed by students from ECAL, the Art School of Lausanne, and produced by apprentices at the EDC Construction School and C-FOR (Lausanne Utilities Training Centre);
  • the mascot, pictograms and the visual identity of Lausanne 2020 were created by students from ERACOM, a regional school for art and communications;
  • students from the cantonal engineering school HEIG helped to develop the Olympic cauldron’s eco-friendly flame combustion system;
  • the official Games’ song and the music for the awards ceremonies were composed by students from Lausanne’s music academy (HEMU);
  • students from EHL, one of the most renowned hotel schools globally, studied the benefits of sports nutrition, with specific focus on a personalised approach towards nutrition that athletes can use during the Youth Olympic Games. During the Games, these students were located at the Vortex centre, where the 1,880 athletes slept and ate, in order to share their expertise on nutrition;
  • another group of EHL students worked on various programmes for the YOG volunteers in order to enhance their experience;
  • students from another local school (HESSO) and from EPFL (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne) worked on temporary modular spaces that could be set up at the competition sites in order to provide certain services and to expand the educational experience at those venues;
  • EPFL students studied the transportation methods and housing to be used for the Olympic athletes in order to help optimise organisational aspects;
  • Students also assisted in delivering a comprehensive educational programme for the YOG athletes, developed jointly by the Lausanne University Hospital CHUV, the University of Lausanne (UNIL) and EPFL.
  • Schoolchildren decorated the Olympic Village with drawings cantered on the theme of the Olympics.

Pictos_evaluation

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Evaluation

 

Figures speak for themselves:

Youth Olympic Games: 640,000 spectators (including 350,000 for the sports competitions alone).

Lausanne en Jeux! Festival of sport and culture: 200,000+ people (including 21,000+ schoolchildren experienced an Olympic event from the inside for the first time).

Online, Lausanne 2020 was a major success as well: coverage of the event on Lausanne2020.sport and the Olympic platforms (Olympic Channel and olympic.org) attracted more than three million unique users during the 13 days of competition. The content generated 66 million views on the Olympic platforms and on social media, approximately 25 times more than the previous edition of the YOG. The various Olympic social media platforms generated more than 450,000 new followers thanks to Lausanne 2020. There was also a significant increase in TV broadcasting. The YOG were watched by an estimated audience of more than 150 million people worldwide. In particular, the opening ceremony on 9 January was broadcast live on the three Swiss national channels. On RTS in French-speaking Switzerland, it achieved a high market share of 25%.

Beyond the more than satisfactory figures, excellent results were evidenced in the value of the many talents (mascot, look of the Games, pictograms, cauldron, medals, official song, visual shows, etc…) mobilised for the Games. Additionally, these talents were on display in R&D in the field of sport, health, promotion of physical activity, and performances through a unique academic collaboration with professional schools and universities. Thousands of young people improved their skills and gained valuable experience.

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Key Challenges

 

TIME is key in empowering the youth

In order to ensure a sustainable legacy which – in the case of the 2020 YOG – includes a large part of youth empowerment, legacy must be thought of as a starting point and not as a result of the Games themselves. Youth empowerment de facto implies time and a long-term vision. It includes the discovery of talents, the development of technical or management skills, the training of volunteers, and valuing the work achieved for and during the Games such as: design and look of the Games, artistic performances, journalism and reporting, management, volunteering, teaching Olympic values at school, etc. A few examples of youth empowerment conceived for the locals as well as for the athletes are available below.

School children: All schools (ages 4 – 16) in the Canton were visited. More than 130,000 schoolchildren became involved in a project related to the Games and Olympic values in the 4 years preceding the Games. 79% of schools developed projects. After four years of work based on incorporating the Olympic values, winter sports and Lausanne 2020 into the school programmes, some 80,000 schoolchildren were able to experience the event they had been anticipating. A unique programme was concocted for the school children, giving them the opportunity to visit the different host venues to cheer on the athletes and also to see the competitions in sports they had studied and tried out before the YOG (sometimes with Olympians who visited their classes). These school outings included an educational activity (sports introductions, visits to a museum, etc.) as part of Lausanne en Jeux! At each venue, they could participate in YOG competitions, use free public transport, and sometimes have the chance to rub shoulders with the Youth Olympic athletes. For the schoolchildren, this programme was the culmination of their work and the chance to see the application of the work they had done in the years leading up to the Games.

YOG Athletes: The Athlete 365 Education Programme included five activities and two events set up by Lausanne 2020, the IOC, the International Federations, and their partners. Together with its academic partners (EPFL, CHUV, HESAV), the IOC and INSEP, UNIL contributed to the development and implementation of the Athlete 365 Education Programme. This rich programme allowed 1,784 athletes from 79 countries to learn more about many areas: training advice based on performance tests, prevention of abuse and concussion in sport, meeting with champions, media management and many other activities.

With a limited budget, build upon what already exists 

The budget was clearly limited for youth empowerment projects, although the ambition was high! The organisers decided to strategically build upon what already existed: a very strong local educational fabric; a lively cultural environment; talented know-how in craft and skilled manual trade jobs; a wide range of highly qualified professional schools in specific areas (design, hotel and catering, arts, etc.); and world-leading universities.

As opposed to only providing the possibility of being a spectator/consumer of a once-in-a life event, the youth engagement programme allowed thousands of children and students to become key participants in the staging of the Olympics! “That’s why we’ve been working with schools since 2016, to make students and apprentices part of the Games through several sporting and educational projects and activities”, explained Stefany Chatelain-Cardenas, Lausanne 2020’s Youth Engagement Director. And once youth have some ownership of the event, it makes it even easier to convince families and friends to come and participate. This is also part of the popular success, as children and students were powerful information spreaders!

Pictos_recommandation. 

Key Learnings & Recommendations

 

The processes of youth engagement in the making of the event were tested and key lessons were learned. These were discussed at several debriefings between partners after the Games. The existing “International Sport” platform of the Olympic Capital will be responsible for continuing to bring these synergies to life for future events in the region and the country.

The YOG have to be conceived as an investment in the Youth

The success of the YOG should not be measured in the light of media coverage or budgetary results. Although very successful, the YOG 2020 remain a sport competition for junior athletes which cannot be compared to the Olympic Games in terms of world media coverage. Although positive, the budget result is not an issue either. As such, “the Youth Olympic Games don’t attract extraordinary amounts of money in TV rights or sponsoring. They generate social dividends,” explains Philippe Furrer from InspoweredBy.

The YOG should be conceived and assessed as an investment in the youth, not only for the young athletes, but also for the youth of a city, a region and a country. Thanks to the Games, the city, and the Canton of Vaud, as well as the other Olympic sites in St. Moritz and in France, schoolchildren and students of all ages mobilised around various projects to empower the youth at all stages of their lives, from school to apprenticeship or during academic studies.

The strength of sport, the youth, and the Olympic brand

For 10 years and since the beginning of the YOG adventure, every edition has shown increased mobilisation, fervour, enthusiasm and popularity. The Lausanne edition managed to mobilise a large portion of the population. All competitions were held in front of a crowded audience, not only in Lausanne’s venues but also in all Olympic sites in the mountains. It is true that the YOG benefited from sunny and cold winter weather, but this is not enough to explain such popular success for the Games themselves but for the Festival as well. Bringing together sport, youth and Olympism is a winning combination that reaches a large audience – the Youth and far beyond.

Pictos_information

 

More information

 

The full case is available in printable version on the members’ portal. 

In addition to the above description, the PDF version also gathers practical information including internal and external partners involved; finance and cost; use of the olympic brand; human resources and time; and contact details. 

The World Union of Olympic Cities’ team remains at your disposal for any further information and contact’s facilitation at info@olympiccities.org 

Additional resources can be found through the following links:

https://lausanne2020-report.azurewebsites.net/en/

Presentation by Stefany Châtelain-Cardenas, Smart Cities & Sport Summit 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EU2a4Xzg49E

https://www.olympic.org/news/lausanne-2020-a-popular-and-financial-success

Bilan de Lausanne 2020 – Alors, décus en bien ?, Philippe Furrer, https://blogs.letemps.ch/philippe-furrer/author/philippe-furrer/ (in French)

©Joel Marklund/OIS
©Dylan Burns/OIS
©Dylan Burns/OIS
©Laura Godenzi/IOC Young Reporters
©Laura Godenzi/IOC Young Reporters

Legacy Governance – Olympic Park Munich

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Olympic Park Munich

  • Olympic City: Munich
  • Country: Germany
  • Edition of the Games: 1972
Since 1972
Munich
www.olympiapark.de

How Legacy Governance Started In Munich

Six days after the 1972 Olympic Games, the Olympic Park was already operational and hosted its first major Post-Games event. This shows both the preparation that was anticipated before the Games and the ability of resilience after the tragic events that happened during the 1972 Olympic Games.

More than 14,000 events have taken place in the Olympic Park since 1972. In 2019 alone, the park registered 4,3 million visitors, of which 2,9 million visited 417 events and more than 1,4 million visited the tourism and leisure facilities.

With this unique concentration and combination of different event and leisure facilities and corresponding attractions, the Olympic Park in Munich has developed to become one of the most important centers of its kind.

The Olympiapark München GmbH is an investment company 100% owned by the City of Munich.

The goal of the company is to operate the Olympic Park site and it’s functionally and locally connected facilities, including outdoor and auxiliary areas, and to conduct all business activities associated with this task.

Vision

The company’s motto is: Think and act in a creative, innovative, economic as well as customer- and future-oriented way. Its main tasks consist of acquiring and/or generating new events, keeping leisure facilities up-to-date and ensuring that the venues are in state-of-the-art condition.

The services which are offered by the Olympiapark München GmbH to its customers are of particular importance: The company’s expertise includes event organization, PR and media work, incentives, catering, ticket sales and marketing – services which are also partly provided and realized by business partners such as DO & CO München GmbH or München Ticket GmbH.

Beyond its international reputation as an event and leisure center, the Olympic Park also represents an important economic potential for the Bavarian capital.

Legacy is…

For the Olympic Park Munich, legacy is gearing the venues and facilities towards the future in a way that preserves a unique legacy.

What’s next?

Since almost 50 years, the Olympic Park has been the ideal platform for a wide spectrum of event and leisure facilities. And it should continue to be exactly that in the future. Especially with regard to the Olympic Stadium, the Olympiapark München GmbH focuses on important and economically promising events. It is also crucial to preserve the unique architecture, such as the Olympic tent roof as a hallmark of the city of Munich and at the same time making the venues and facilities ready for the future.

2020: Start of the application process for admission to the UNESCO World Heritage List

2022: 50th Anniversary Olympic Games; The European Championships Munich 2022

2023 and the next years: further renovation and modernisation of the Olympic facilities. Operationally, the Olympic Park will focus its attention on important and economically promising events.

Objectives

Promote a healthy and active lifestyle

Olympic Park Munich is the best place when it comes to sports – no matter which time of the year. It offers indoor (Soccer arena, ice rink, swimming pool, a fitness studio and wellness facilities) and outdoor (Exercise Areas, tennis, mini-golf, inline skating, boat rental) high-level facilities promoting an active and healthy lifestyle. It also hosts sport clubs for team sports such as water polo, swimming, diving, underwater rugby, figure skating and ice dancing, ice hockey or short-track. It is a place made for families and young people.

Olympic Park Munich is a convinced promoter of action sports. For the last years, it has hosted the MUNICH MASH Festival. This event combines action sports such as skateboarding, BMX, wakeboarding and brings the special culture that comes with action sports to the people – creating a unique atmosphere. Dancing, listening to music, shopping or chilling – Olympic Park celebrates action sports! With over 100 entertainment stations for the visitors, music, art, culture and infotainment, MASH is a meeting point for everyone – interactive, entertaining, exciting, and informative for people of all ages.

Promote the City by leveraging its affiliation with the Olympic Movement

Olympic Park Munich is one of the landmarks of the City of Munich as the City’s development is closely linked to its Olympic history. The City is intrinsically linked to its Olympic history. The Games were a true success in terms of sport and are linked to the tragic part of History.

The park has also managed to take the best advantage of the unique architecture and offers various guided tours through the area (such as the architecture tour, of the spectacular roof that includes roof climb and flying fox as well are architecture tours.

Evaluation

  • 219,6 mio. registered visitors; including 124,8 mio. visiting 14,324 sports, cultural and commercial events since 1972;
  • About 94,8 mio. guests of the recreational and tourist facilities.

Key Challenges

Keeping high-level facilities

From 2007 to 2020, the Olympic Hall was renovated and modernized during the daily event operations. Under the management of the Stadtwerke München Services GmbH (the client), new kiosks, new telescopic grandstands, a new ceiling, new VIP areas, a new truck departure area and new building services were installed. In addition, the display technology was expanded and modernized. A new restaurant Club/Coubertin with a beer garden was built. The new “Small” Olympic Hall was opened in 2011 and many other renovation works were carried out, which above all serve to save energy. For visitors and customers, this renovation means: more service, more comfort and an even wider range of events.

Before the modernisation, the Olympic Hall had already been used for 35 years. The planning of the hall goes back even further. Despite ongoing maintenance and modernization work over the past few decades, a building of this age can only meet the requirements of a modern event if its technology is the current state of the art. Even more when a venue plays in the top league of event venues. Therefore, the renovation was absolutely necessary for functional and technical reasons and can be seen as a clear signal for a successful future of the Olympic Park.

Maintaining political will

As a an investment company 100% owned by the City of Munich, the long-term political challenge is to keep the City of Munich as the owner of the Olympic Park. Also to secure financial support for necessary measures in the future. In 2022, the Olympic Park will celebrate its 50 years anniversary of the Olympic Games Munich 1972. The highlight with regard to sports will be the European Championships Munich 2022, the biggest multisport-event held in the Olympic Park after the Olympic Games with 9 sports in total. Hosting over 4.500 athletes, Olympic Park Munich will be in the center of attention, showing its attractiveness and connecting with its Olympic past in a forward –looking perspective.

Key learnings and recommendations

Diversify the offer

Of particular importance are the services that the Olympiapark München GmbH offers its customers: The company’s expertise includes event organization, PR and media work, incentives, catering, ticket sales and marketing – services which are also partly provided and realized by business partners such as DO & CO München GmbH or München Ticket GmbH.

Beyond its international reputation as an event and leisure center, the Olympic Park also represents an important economic potential for the Bavarian capital. Large events such as MUNICH MASH 2014/15/16/17/18/19, X-Games Munich 2013, UEFA Champions League Festival incl. Women´s Final 2012, the European Athletics Championships in 2002, the concert of the 3 Tenors in 1996, the Davis Cup final 1985, the basketball finals in 1989 and 1999, the Compaq Grand Slam Tennis Cup in the years 1990-1999, or the guest performances of “Holiday on Ice” (since 1972), shareholder meetings held by major companies (Allianz, BMW, Siemens), exhibitions and large outdoor events (e.g. FIFA Fan Fest 2006, Festivals) as well as numerous additional events have contributed to the prosperity especially of the retail and tourist industry. Not to mention the positive marketing and promotion effects that events of such caliber generate for the City of Munich and its tourist industry.

Keep high profile through cooperation with business enterprises

To secure and further extend the extraordinary diversity of leisure facilities and the economic existence of the Olympic Park in the future, an unprecedented cooperation of high-profile business enterprises in the field of event center marketing was founded in 1992 – the “Treffpunkt Olympiapark” (“Meeting Point Olympic Park”). The intention of this pool of sponsors is to make use of the communication potential of the Olympic park That way, the cooperating parties benefit from the fascination and the high experience value of the Olympic Park. At the same time, the financial means obtained by the partnerships will be used for acquiring new, attracting top events and for improving the parks’ infrastructure.

In the current business year 2020 the “Meeting Point Olympic Park”, which is supported by the S&K Marketingberatung GmbH, is made up of the following companies: AOK Bayern, BMW, Coca-Cola, Airport München, Langnese, Leonardo Hotels, Lotto Bayern, Münchener Brauereien and Stadtsparkasse München.

Pictos_information

 

More information

 

The full case is available in printable version on the members’ portal. 

In addition to the above description, the PDF version also gathers practical information including internal and external partners involved; finance and cost; use of the olympic brand; human resources and time; and contact details. 

The World Union of Olympic Cities’ team remains at your disposal for any further information and contact’s facilitation at info@olympiccities.org 

Additional resources can be found through the following links:

www.olympiapark.de

Legacy Governance – Innsbruck

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innsbruck-tirol sports GmbH 

  • Olympic City: Innsbruck
  • Country: Austria
  • Edition of the Games: 1964, 1976 Olympic Winter Games, 2012 Winter Youth Olympic Games
Since 2012
Innsbruck and Tirol
Free Vector Maps

How Legacy Governance Started In Innsbruck

Innsbruck is the capital of the Tyrol, one of the best-known tourism regions and most popular holiday destinations in the Alps. Since the Olympic Winter Games in 1964 and 1976, the region has been famous for its great competence in organising major (sport) events. Innsbruck attracts millions of visitors every year. In the last few years, many European and World Championships, multiple multi-sport events, and various world cup events have been carried out. After hosting the 1st Winter Youth Olympic Games in 2012, Innsbruck became the first Olympic City that hosted the Olympic Games three times.

Due to its unique hospitality and excellent infrastructure, Innsbruck and Tyrol have the perfect preconditions for being a world-class host city and region.

innsbruck-tirol sports GmbH (ITS) is a not for profit company, formed from the legacy of the 1st Winter Youth Olympic Games 2012 in Innsbruck, Tyrol. The idea behind the company is the conservation and the further development of knowledge which was accumulated during the organisation and realisation of the Youth Olympic Games and all other major sport events organised since. ITS actively promotes the Olympic values and the well-being of every individual. ITS is constantly maintaining and extending the existing sports network and services for not only regional but (inter)national federations and partners.

Since the successful staging of the 1st Winter Youth Olympic Games in 2012, ITS has introduced many initiatives in the areas of trending sports,  school sports, winter sports and biking. The organisation is working closely together with the governing body of the regional schools of Tyrol, clubs and associations and are pleased with the continuous and sustainable further development in this area. In January 2016, ITS organised the International Children’s Winter Games, the only major sport event for pupils and young people between 12 and 15 years of age recognised by the IOC. It was also the first multi-winter sport event conducted entirely as a “green event”. In 2018 the ITS organized the UCI Road World Championships and the largest mountain-bike festival in Europe: Crankworx. Just recently, the company also added the world record multi-winter sport event – with the most participants ever – at the Winter World Masters Games 2020 to their portfolio. All this hand in hand planning towards a stringent strategy has helped to keep costs low and reuse some of the concepts but especially continue to adapt and learn from one event to the other. Nearly all of the aforementioned events have had the most efficient operating budgets in the past decade and one of the best examples for saving costs is best displayed with the ongoing active voluneerteam.tirol!

Vision

The company’s motto is: “We want to acquire, develop and organise (major) sport events, learn and share through transfer of knowledge programmes and help create benefits for the local population / communities through sustainable approaches, sports programmes and most efficient (public) spendings”.

Legacy is…

Building upon major events, such as the Youth Olympic Games or the UCI Road World Championships to maintain high-level facilities and develop local skills for the region to enhance its capacity in organising other major events (International Children’s Games in 2016, Winter World Masters Games in 2020).

ITS has also stressed the importance of a green legacy and has received numerous  green certificates – Green Event Tirol and Green Event Austria – for most of their sports events such as the International Children’s Games, the Tyrolean School Winter Games, Freestyle am Landhausplatzand the UCI Road World Championships.

What’s next?

In the long term, ITS aims at continuous development of its own events in the area of sport for young talents and acquiring and implementing new major (sports) events in Innsbruck and the Tyrol.

Next steps are the following:

  • Organise Crankworx until 2022.
  • Set up multi-year plan in the making for further bike developments.
  • Concentrate on Alpine sports competence strategy in the making until end of 2020.
  • Secure further private and public financing.

Objectives

Promote a healthy and active lifestyle

Innsbruck is an ideal location for both winter sports and summer activities. The place itself is a capital to be preserved and like no other city in the world combines an urban with an alpine flair. The breath-taking nature and landscapes of the Tyrol offer various possibilities for sports and leisure activities. The City offers a four-season programme of activities for all generations. In addition, ITS stresses the importance of a sustainable approach in all approaches and events that ITS promotes. Many types of sport are dependent on the quality of natural landscapes. The delicate ecosystem and precious landscapes have to be protected and preserved for future generations. This is the only way to maintain the opportunity of sports and leisure activities as well as recreation in nature, and to protect the environment.

After successfully initiating some best practice models during the YOG (reusable tableware, cup rental, furniture of the Olympic Village, etc.), ITS has been continuously working together with other institutions on projects to enable environmentally-friendly and resource-conserving major (sport) events. Together with the Green Event Tirol Initiative, ITS is promoting new projects which meet the “Green Event” criteria.

Events such as Innsbruck 2016 International Children’s Games and the yearly happening Freestyle Days at the Landhausplatz have been awarded as “Green Event Tirol”. The 2018 UCI Road World Champions also received the Green Event Austria Award.

Develop human capital and generate social cohesion

Volunteers’ engagement make events possible. The efforts of our volunteerteam.tirol amounts to more than 250.000h in the last 8 years. Involving all ranges of the population is at the heart of every ITS work. ITS developed the 1st Online Volunteer Platform in Austria and is a pioneer in this area. ITS looks forward to supporting and servicing different major (sport) events in the coming years together with many motivated volunteers. The community building which has happened here is an example for other areas such as youth sports.

Being a volunteer dos not only mean giving but also receiving something in return. It allows to meet many other people from different countries and cultures, to be an important connection between all the players and to ensure a successful event.  The fields of activity for volunteers are diverse and exciting. In addition to supporting the execution of sport competitions, the volunteers take care of the participants and guests, ensure the smooth operation of transport, catering, ceremonies and side events, as well as representing the event to the general public. Volunteers have the chance to use their skills and experiences as well as build new ones. Through the strong ties with universities and schools, ITS has also managed to set up a career ladder from recruiting young professionals and even Volunteers up until Team Leaders, Project Managers or Head of Functions.

Evaluation

Figures speak for themselves.

  • Per capita overnight stays make the Tyrol region one of the most touristic regions in the world. A third of all tourism nights of Austria. With approx..55% in the Winter season;
  • All Sport Events held have been followed closely with survey and economic impact studies. Over € 80 mio have been contributing to the local economy; half of it happened with the UCI Road World Championships
Source: ITS

Key Challenges

Political challenges

  • New city government and budgeting cycle.
  • Events still a major role but pause needed with respect to public spending on “traditional” major international sports events, as a huge amount happened in the last 5 years.
  • Now with new Mayor, new focus and budget consolidation phase. Uncertainty on how the standpoint towards international (major) events is coming and how regional and city governments are willing to invest in further international major events.
  • New Holding for the region has been founded; likelihood to combine functions and further companies. Uncertainty on strategy timeline.

Ensure balance between major events and long-term challenges

  • TV-output and catalyst for developments (tourism, infrastructure etc.).
  • Organising and developing more events of our own and a stronger focus on regional developments and Events.
  • More Green events (Freestyle days and ICG 2016 certified Green events Tyrol; Green Event Austria Award for 2018 UCI Road World Champions).
  • Promoting the Olympic values and the well-being of every individual.

Key learnings and recommendations

Ensure a sound network of public and private partners

Working with involved partners is essential, both from events and long-term projects.

Therefore, maintaining and extending the existing (sports) network is key for further developments. However there also needs to be a stronger shift towards private funding of elite sport events in conjunction with international federations etc.

Also the need for more flexibility in setting up new strategies towards ever changing political developments has become apparent. A combined approach from all sport clubs/federations and partners of the sporting industry is needed to manifest the need and relevance of Sport. A stronger focus on local, youth and physical activity promotion is one of the future priorities.

Pictos_information

 

More information

 

The full case is available in printable version on the members’ portal. 

In addition to the above description, the PDF version also gathers practical information including internal and external partners involved; finance and cost; use of the olympic brand; human resources and time; and contact details. 

The World Union of Olympic Cities’ team remains at your disposal for any further information and contact’s facilitation at info@olympiccities.org 

Additional resources can be found through the following links:

https://www.innsbrucktirolsports.com

https://www.volunteerteam.tirol/

Legacy Governance – Lillehammer-LOLSC

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Lillehammer Olympic Legacy Sports Centre

Preliminary remarks

As you may have seen, two governance cases are dedicated to Lillehammer. Reasons that support this choice are twofold. First, Lillehammer hosted two editions of the Games. If the latter built upon the former to deliver great Games, it also produced its own legacy and consequently, structures to deal with it. Second, as legacy is about both venues and facilities at one side and education, knowledge transfer and experience sharing at the other side, two different cases were necessary to encompass various ways Lillehammer manages its Olympic legacy(ies). Inherited from the 1994 Games, the Lillehammer Olympiapark is a structure run by the municipality of Lillehammer that takes care of the majority of Olympic venues and events. The Lillehammer Olympic Legacy Sports Centre is an emanation of the Norwegian Sports Federation and Olympic and Paralympic Committee and is a direct legacy of the YOG.

Obviously, many bridges and crossovers exist between these structures and collaboration and common understanding are key. The big picture also encloses the Norwegian Top Sports Centre of the Innland region dedicated to elite athletes (Olympiatoppen Innlandet), the University, the Olympic Legacy Studies Centre as well as the remaining Olympic venues run by other municipalities or private companies. With all these partners involved in managing Lillehammer’s Olympic legacy, clusters (venues, events, training, research, etc.) facilitate organisation and legacy management

  • Olympic City: Lillehammer
  • Country: Norway
  • Edition of the Games: 2016 Winter Youth Olympic Games
2017-2021
Lillehammer & the region
©Free Vector Maps

How legacy Governance Continued In Lillehammer

Based on a successful 1994 Winter Games’ edition as well as on already existing and still in-use facilities, and with the strong feeling that Olympics were a success for the city, the region and the country, Lillehammer hosted the 2016 Youth Olympic Games. 1994 Lillehammer Games remain in collective memories as successful human-sized Games with high environmental and sustainability standards. And the YOG’s bid relied on the same narrative and beliefs. Børre Roglien, the head of the Norwegian Confederation of Sports at the time, made a promise on that December day in 2011: “We will build upon the 1994 legacy while creating a new legacy built by and for youth – for Norway and the rest of the winter sports world.”

The YOG legacy included infrastructure and equipment, changes in lives of participants, development of Norwegian sport, renewed regional expertise and enthusiasm, and last but not least, a legacy Centre. “’Go Beyond. Create Tomorrow” is the vision that really says it all. We did not just plan and stage just the ten days. We staged Lillehammer 2016 to create tomorrow – a lasting legacy for the region and for Norwegian sport,” says Toms Holmestad, the CEO of Lillehammer 2016.

In the post-YOG perspective, the Lillehammer Olympic Legacy Sports Centre was foreseen as a tribute to the youth and as an example for experience promotion and expertise sharing for the generations to come. This legacy centre conceived as a unique opportunity to share the passion and expertise in winter sports found in the region of Lillehammer with young elite athletes, coaches and managers from other nations – a great way for double-Olympic city Lillehammer and the whole region to give back to sport and to the Olympic Movement. It was inaugurated in December 2017 and now welcomes Norwegian and international young athletes, coaches, leaders and event organisers of Olympic winter sports.

Vision

Legacy is…

The LOLSC is a direct legacy of the 2016 Youth Olympic Games. At the time, the Ministry of Culture vision was as such: “The region shall create a centre of expertise for winter athletes targeted to young athletes, coaches and leaders from around the world in the years after 2016. The idea of the centre is to share Norwegian winter sports expertise to countries without the same resources and knowhow as Norway”, Minister of Culture, Linda Helleland.

As for the Norwegian Sports Federation and the Olympic and Paralympic Committee, “the centre is an important contribution, both in view of the organisation’s work with increased involvement of young people in sport, as well as NOC’s international work”, President Tom Tvedt

What’s next?

By now LOLSC is only financed as a project which ends 31.12.2021. We are working on establishing the permanent centre also after this date but that has not been confirmed yet. At the moment we only have funding for the project period throughout 2021.

The main focus for 2020 and 2021 for LOLSC are the following projects:

  • International Training Camps for young athletes, coaches and leaders in the Olympic Winter Sports.
  • Legacy Research Projects focused on the long-term Legacy after 1994 and 2016.
  • Cooperation with China towards Beijing 2022
  • Dual Career Programme. Establishing programmes for international students/athletes to be able to combine their sporting career with education at the university level.

Objectives

Celebrate Olympism and its values

Olympism is a philosophy that places sport at the heart of humanity and human development. It encourages the symbiotic interaction between culture, education and sport across all of society. Over the years, the spirit of Olympism has become a part of Lillehammer’s soul. The Lillehammer Olympic Legacy Sports Centre embodies this spirit. Through educational and cultural programmes, it helps to drive human development amongst the city of Lillehammer, the country and abroad with international cooperation. Based on its expertise on winter sports, the LOLSC is open to Norwegian and international young athletes, coaches, leaders and event organisers of Olympic winter sports, with a strong focus put on nations that do not have resources and expertise as Norway in winter sports to allow talented athletes to thrive at the centre.

Develop human capital and generate social cohesion

The LOLSC aims to give young athletes, coaches & leaders the possibility to develop their skills inside winter sports. This knowledge-transfer and experience-sharing component complement the promotion of sport as such.

Olympic Games, and later one, the activation of legacy, are an opportunity to develop skills and know-how and incorporate these benefits into society at large. Through the engagement of the youth into sports, the LOLSC promotes the legacy of the 1994 Winter Olympic Games and the 2016 Youth Olympic Games. The LOLSC was founded on the boost of sport participation for generations to come that came thanks to the 2016 YOG.

LOLSC activities are organised around three pillars including training camps; seminars based on some elements of the YOG Learn and Share programme; and China-Norway collaboration for development of winter sports in China ahead of the Beijing 2022 Olympic Games.

LOLSC organises training camps for young athletes, such as sliding, curling or cross-country skiing camps. It also promotes gender-oriented camps, for instance with an international ski jumping-camp for women. The LOLSC also promotes involvement and engagement of the youth through the Young Leaders programme. As legacy and future are intrinsically linked, young athletes are hosted in the former Olympic village which was transformed into student accommodation.

Evaluation

The activites and projects in LOLSC are being evaluated by the Resource group behind LOLSC two times a year.

Key Challenges

The key challenge for LOLSC will be the long-term financing of the centre and its projects. The general level of costs in Norway is also a challenge to make camps etc attractive for young people from parts of the world with smaller resources

Key learnings and recommendations

For LOLSC, it has been essential to be able to cooperate with and use the competence in Olympiatoppen Innlandet.

The key learnings behind the project so far will be that the long-term financing of the centre is going to be demanding to secure. We have to rely on public funding to secure this. Sustainable self-financing of the centre and its projects seems to be unrealistic to achieve.

It is also essential to have a close cooperation with the national sport federations in Norway to be able to organize our projects with high quality.

Pictos_information

 

More information

 

The full case is available in printable version on the members’ portal. 

In addition to the above description, the PDF version also gathers practical information including internal and external partners involved; finance and cost; use of the olympic brand; human resources and time; and contact details. 

The World Union of Olympic Cities’ team remains at your disposal for any further information and contact’s facilitation at info@olympiccities.org 

Additional resources can be found through the following links:

https://www.olympiatoppen.no/om_olympiatoppen/regioner/innlandet/page4069.html

https://en-gb.facebook.com/pg/LoscLillehammer/about/

https://olympiaparken.no/en/

Legacy Governance – Vancouver

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2010 Legacies Now

  • Olympic City: Vancouver
  • Country: Canada
  • Edition of the Games: 2010 Olympic Winter Games
2000-2011
British Columbia
©Free Vector Maps

How Legacy Governance Started In Vancouver

It is never too early to activate the Olympic Legacy and Vancouver is the perfect example of what can be implemented from the bidding process onwards to ensure building upon not only the event but also the preparation process. 2010 Legacies Now was created as an innovative response to the legacy development challenge faced by Games hosts. It aimed at building support for Vancouver’s bid for the 2010 Games and ensuring a stronger sport system in British Columbia (BC). In 2004, the scope was expanded to focus on developing community legacies leading up, during and beyond the Games in the areas of literacy, arts, volunteers, accessibility and inclusion, The organisation has been recognised for its ability to forge partnerships, to create compelling programmes and to achieve social goals with entrepreneurial creativity and energy. A new and bold understanding was born during the Bid Stage for the 2010 Winter Games: what if tangible legacies were identified and developed before the Games even took place, legacies that would benefit not only the host community, but also the host country?

According to Dr Jacques Rogge, former IOC President, “2010 Legacies Now is the first of its kind to use the Olympic and Paralympic Games as a catalyst for change.”

In order to leave lasting legacies in BC communities well beyond the Games and maximise ability to capitalise on Games‘ opportunities for BC communities, work was approached with three main ideals: to create mutually-beneficial partnerships, to be a highly-engaged funding organisation, and to use innovative methods to broaden the reach. Through its network, the organisation identified useful resources and facilitated new partnerships to create far-reaching self-sustaining community legacies. The first mandate was to support provincial and community sport outreach programmes, while building capacity and increasing the sustainability of sport in BC. The organisation also aimed to see more British Columbians on Olympic and Paralympic teams.

Vision

Legacy is…

“Harnessing the opportunity as a catalyst to create lasting social and economic impact that will change a community and a nation forever.”

What’s next?

Moving beyond the 2010 Winter Games, the organisation is embracing the spirit, drive and dedication of the world’s athletes to ensure that the work leading up to the Games continues. Many programmes were strategically transferred to partners who continue today to carry them forward as they continue to create lasting community benefits. As part of the transition, two new agencies were established.

Building on its international reputation as a leader in social innovation, the business model has evolved to further the work in creating positive and lasting social change.

In 2011, LIFT was set up to replace 2010 Legacies Now. LIFT aims to be a leader in advancing positive and lasting social change. It strengthens social purpose organisations to make them sustainable and effective at delivering social impact that improves the health and productivity of Canadians.

LIFT focuses on 3 areas: health, education and skills development leading to employment

Objectives

Promote a healthy and active lifestyle

Attention was focused on three areas: sport development, community capacity building and province-wide community outreach. The primary commitment, however, was to fund and promote sport development programmes to take athletes from the playground to the podium. Aimed to introduce youth and communities to the joy of sport and provide promising young athletes with support to excel.

Over time, efforts led to increased participation in sport, greater athletic excellence, and active and healthier communities.

Develop human capital and generate social cohesion

The second objective is intrinsically linked to the first one as 2010 Legacies Now aimed to strengthen sport and recreation, healthy living, literacy, accessibility and volunteerism, using an inclusive approach. Indeed, social cohesion and BC communities are at the heart of the whole legacy project. 2010 Legacies Now found innovative ways to work with over 4,000 organisations and groups across the province in the quest to see BC communities discovering and creating lasting legacies leading up to 2010 and beyond.

2010 Legacies Now was deeply anchored into the communities of British Columbia and carried by a strong involvement in supporting all communities including children, youth, families, Aboriginal communities, etc.

Evaluation

2010 Legacies Now took an innovative approach to leveraging the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games into local, tangible legacies in over 400 neighbourhoods and communities throughout British Columbia. The organisation strategically invested in programmes, organisations and communities to create legacies which would continue to live for many years.

2010 Legacies Now worked with many universities to evaluate and measure the impact of some of their programmes and initiatives. Several KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) were established with the support of an accounting services organisation.

During actual Games-time, 2010 Legacies Now focused on information sharing about its delivery model, best practices and achievements’ measurements.

2010 Legacies Now is recognised internationally as a leader and innovator in community legacy development. Read the two case studies of 2010 Legacies Now that were commissioned by the International Olympic Committee:

• Catalyst, Collaborator, Connector: The Social Innovation Model of 2010 Legacies Now, Mr. Joseph Weiler and Mr. Arun Mohan, 2009
• The Evolution of 2010 Legacies Now – A Continuing Legacy of the Games through Venture Philanthropy, Mr. Joseph Weiler, 2011

Key Challenges

The establishment of a new entity

It was the first time an independent legacy organisation was established at the bid stage. Being a “first of” comes with many challenges and opportunities. Due to the fact that 2010 Legacies Now was set up to support the bid, its vision and mandate aligned with the Games. The initial challenge was to clearly establish where the organisation fit as part of the Olympics as it relates to hosting the Games, how to compliment and add value to established organisations who play a key role. Plus establishing and creating meaningful partnerships with community organisations and sector associations. The challenge was overcome by face-to-face meetings, planning and setting an environment for collaboration based on respect as well as a common vision. Becoming a trusted partner by delivering what was promised played a vital role in the organisation success. It was also important for 2010 Legacies Now to have its own funding in place so it could invest strategically and play a convening role when needed. As the partnerships grew, more opportunities evolved.

Legacies beyond Bricks and Mortar – Getting people to understand social legacies

When people thought of legacies related to major events and, in particular, the Olympics they thought of new stadiums and infrastructure left post Games. No Games had a vision on creating social legacies to the extent of the Vancouver Games and in particular on creating legacies leading up to during and beyond the Games. It took a lot of education and communications to explain and get people to understand the concept of social legacies. This was particularly true with anything beyond sport. There was also the task of showing how many of the social legacies impacted or contributed to economic benefits. It was important to communicate along with the partners the successes and impacts along the way to make things more tangible.

Mobilising and sustaining engagement throughout the whole Games’ cycle

Due to the financial commitments of the provincial (state) government in the overall Games is was critical to have legacies across the province of British Columbia not just in the host city of Vancouver and mountain venue of Whistler. Mobilisation and engagement started during the international bidding phase, prior to being awarded the Games, as the Vancouver 2010 bid promised a legacy win or lose. 2010 Legacies Now was an important factor in generating the support of the BC sport community in the Bid to host the 2010 Winter Games. In the months leading up to the OCOG being established and in the early years of the OCOG, 2010 Legacies Now and its partners played a critical role keeping the momentum and engagement throughout the province. The plans were designed to allow for certain programmes to be ramped up closer to Games time, plus activities and the focus could shift depending on the type of social or economic legacy. Programmes and initiatives needed to be rolled out strategically to ensure sustained engagement and momentum.

Key learnings and recommendations

Have legacy front and centre

From the beginning of the bid stage, it is critical to build your vision of hosting the Games with Legacy in mind. Hosting the Games requires much more than the actual sport competition. You need to have the perspective of what hosting the Games can do for the city, region and country. Clearly articulating the legacy vision and objectives are an integral element to securing and building meaningful partnerships. The community needs to understand the legacy vision and see the value in it. Legacies need to be relevant to the local citizens from grassroots communities to elite athletes. It is critical to involve community organisations in the planning and delivery. Engaging community organisations creates a more inclusive approach and authentic programming and delivery.

Value added through entrepreneurial methods and collaboration

As 2010 Legacies Now evolved, the organisation increasingly embraced the use of entrepreneurial methods and approaches in the pursuit of the organisation’s mandate. Deployed a wide range of entrepreneurial tools to elevate programmes’ impact to a higher level including: Connecting programmes to the 2010 Legacies Now network and helping them obtain credible media attention; Acting as an advisor and coach on strategy, planning and other operational matters; Identifying new revenue streams for programmes; and Guiding groups through the institutional landscape and helping to design ‘cross silo’ solutions that eliminate barriers to elevated impacts.
The entrepreneurial approach was enhanced by collaborations which were a key feature of the 2010 Legacies Now model. Placing emphasis on a collaborative approach and the creation of collaborations to yield increased benefits. Collaborations were pursued in several ways. In some cases, the 2010 Legacies Now role was to introduce new partners or combine partners who do not ordinarily work together. In other situations, the 2010 Legacies Now contribution was to create a productive and trusting environment for partnering, focused on a single agenda – heightened programme impact. 2010 Legacies Now played many roles in creating this productive setting, acting as a mediator or referee, finding common ground and purpose amongst many different views.

Ten strategies for social legacies

Start planning early; develop a multi-year plan
Offer strategic funding for capacity-building, partnership development and sustainability
Provide a variety of resources, including expertise, guidance and management support
Implement measurement process to demonstrate return on investment
Begin planning for post-event operations 18-24 months prior to the event
Recognise the power of the event (brand) and capitalise
Use the closing of the event to launch the next phase of work
Harness lessons and expertise of partners to ensure long-term success
Create a continuum of learning to improve operations and impact
Share successes and impact in both hard numbers and softer stories

Pictos_information

 

More information

 

The full case is available in printable version on the members’ portal. 

In addition to the above description, the PDF version also gathers practical information including internal and external partners involved; finance and cost; use of the olympic brand; human resources and time; and contact details. 

The World Union of Olympic Cities’ team remains at your disposal for any further information and contact’s facilitation at info@olympiccities.org 

Additional resources can be found through the following links:

www.liftpartners.ca/
http://www.2010andbeyond.ca/

Sustainable Sports and Events (SSE) Toolkit

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Vancouver, Canada

Read more

St. Moritz Sport Tourism Strategy

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St. Moritz, Switzerland

Read more

Youth Obesity Prevention Programme

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Youth Obesity Prevention Programme

©Nanjing
  • Olympic City: Nanjing
  • Country: China
  • Edition of the Games: 2014 Youth Olympic Summer Games
2013-2015
Youth
No official website

Description of the Project

The Nanjing Youth Obesity Prevention Programme was an educational initiative built around the hosting of the 2014 Youth Olympic Games.

The ultimate goal of the programme was to prove that there is a link between the level of physical activity and healthy lifestyle choices between young City residents and the incidences of obesity. This involved a unique, never-before-taken approach combining informational interventions and increased physical activity with principles of scientific measurement.

The programme was run by the Local Organising Committee of the 2014 Nanjing Youth Olympic Games and involved engaging directly with local schools, parents, as well as with the young participants themselves. It used the platform of the 2014 YOG to attract and inspire those involved in the project.

The target group was 4th and 5th grade school students located across 32 primary schools in 16 urban areas dotted around the City of Nanjing. Classroom-based tutorials were combined with incentivised competitions such as poster design, painting and essay writing, all specifically around the theme of educating pupils on the benefits of healthy and active living. Alongside this, interventions in the form of access to increased recreational time and better sports facilities were introduced during school hours, while specific home assignments were allocated to parents through the students to instigate changes in the domestic environment.

The success of the various interventions was measured by applying scientific analysis on the levels of improvement of participants across physical and knowledge-based metrics. This process measured the results between the experimental group and a separate control group. Clear evidence was found that interventions that promoted physical activity and changes in lifestyle could help to fight youth obesity. State institutions have taken these findings and will now use them to inform relevant aspects of their public health policy.

Objectives

Develop human capital and generate social cohesion

A strong focus was placed on educating the pupils through self-learning and creative expressions. Competitions in essay writing, poster design and other artistic endeavours encouraged students to take initiative in learning about healthy lifestyles and applying them in their own creative way. Students were also given the chance to be part of a radio production which focused on topics related to the programme. These were also supported by quizzes and academic tests that were administrated at regular intervals throughout the programme. This helped to build a bank of knowledge and skills within the group that can be taken forward and shared with the community as they grow older and enter into adult society.

Promote a healthy and active lifestyle

The Youth Obesity Prevention programme involved end-to-end interventions across both home and school environments to try and divert youth away from unhealthy and inactive lifestyles. This allowed the organisers to remove all possible barriers and introduce all reasonable promoters of positive behaviour amongst the participants. They were then able to test the effect of these changes on an increase in healthy activity in youth and the reduction in indicators of youth obesity. The data collected will now be used in the designing of public health initiatives centred on increasing the overall health of society within the City.

Pictos_evaluation

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Evaluation

 

The organisers recorded data across numerous separate but interrelated fields. This included the Body Mass Index of participants at various times, test scores and data related to physical activity levels, to name a few. This data set was captured from both the experimental group and a control group and the differences between the two were used to draw inferences on the level of success of the programmes various initiatives.

Academic studies and comprehensive assessment conducted after the programme led to the following conclusion: “This policy-oriented, multicomponent, school-based physical activity programme was scalable and effective in increasing physical activity and preventing obesity in Chinese children. The intervention strategies can be readily translated into large-scale obesity prevention programmes in a range of schools in China.” (Dr Fei Xu et al.)

Pictos_key_challenge

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Key Challenges

 

Managing scale

To ensure that the conclusions drawn from the programme were as accurate as possible, the organisers removed every possible external influence that could cause the results to be misunderstood. This involved a huge amount of work and a great attention to detail. Every point in the lives of the students was covered, both at home and in the classroom. Furthermore, data on a nationwide level was compared alongside data from control groups to verify causation between the actions taken by the organisers and the results being obtained.

The scale of this undertaking was only made possible due to the close coordination and cooperation of the state bodies involved in the programme. Existing close ties between the organisers, the Department of Health and the school systems meant that the implementation and coordination of the programme between these bodies was very straightforward and without complication.

 

Generating parental buy-in

The organisers of the programme were keenly aware of the fact that to truly impact behavioural change in young children, you needed to reach them at home. While school plays a very important role in education, it is at home where the most influential factors are at play and parents are the key influencers in this. As a result, it was absolutely critical to obtain the buy-in and commitment from the parents of the students in order to generate real results. This was not always an easy proposition as many parents instinctively felt that initiatives related to physical activity and well-being were a distraction from academic work.

To help build buy-in from parents and reduce resistance to the programme, specific home assignments were delivered to parents throughout the programme. These assignments were designed to be completed at home with both the parent and the student working together. This helped build commitment from the parents as well as educate them on the benefits of involvement for their children.

Pictos_recommandation. 

Key Learnings & Recommendations

 

Take a scientific approach

The scientific approach taken by the organisers was particularly helpful. Firstly, it helped to convince people of the merit of the project. Where there is much scepticism and resistance, hard data and proven facts are difficult to argue with. Secondly, methodologies and results documented using the scientific method are far easier to take and replicate for later use. The local government has already signalled the usefulness of the results obtained and intends to use these results and the data generated from the programme to explore how they can better tackle child obesity in society on a larger level.

 

Believe in your objective

The key result arising from the programme was the evidence of a clear link between the initiatives introduced and a reduction in the levels of obesity-related indicators in the target group. Before the programme started there was still conflicting evidence and much public scepticism about whether low levels of physical activity and adverse lifestyle behaviour could have a major influence on youth obesity. The Nanjing Youth Obesity Programme successfully dispelled these doubts and proved that with the correct application, dangerous trends in youth obesity can be successfully reversed through the promotion of physical activity and positive lifestyle habits.

Pictos_information

 

More information

 

The full case is available in printable version on the members’ portal. 

In addition to the above description, the PDF version also gathers practical information including internal and external partners involved; finance and cost; use of the olympic brand; human resources and time; and contact details. 

The World Union of Olympic Cities’ team remains at your disposal for any further information and contact’s facilitation at info@olympiccities.org 

Additional resources can be found through the following links:

Full article: Childhood obesity prevention through a community-based cluster randomized controlled physical activity intervention among schools in china: the health legacy project of the 2nd world summer youth olympic Games (YOG-Obesity study)

Awareness of knowledge and practice regarding physical activity: A population-based prospective, observational study among students in Nanjing, China

A school-based comprehensive lifestyle intervention among Chinese kids (CLICK-Obesity)

Policy-oriented, school-based physical activity intervention to prevent childhood obesity in China

©Nanjing
©Nanjing
©Nanjing
©Nanjing

Let’s Ride

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Let’s Ride

Sydney_Lets_Ride©Australian_Olympic_Committee
  • Olympic City: Sydney
  • Country: Australia
  • Edition of the Games: 2000 Olympic Summer Games
Permanent since 2015
Youth

Description of the Project

Let’s Ride is a national junior riding programme designed by Cycling Australia (CA) to be a fun learning experience for kids. The programme teaches them to ride safely by developing their knowledge, skills and confidence – giving parents peace of mind.

Learning to ride safely is a skill that must be taught as children grow and gain independence. With 1.9 million Australian kids riding bikes every week, and no official programme to teach kids the necessary life-saving skills, there was a huge gap that needed to be addressed.

Cycling Australia has undertaken an extensive research and development process that led to the implementation of the Let’s Ride programme. Independent experts, representatives from state cycling bodies, potential instructors, marketing agencies and internal experts have all contributed with their own expertise in shaping the programme for maximum appeal to kids and their parents.

The Let’s Ride programme offers activities before, during or after school hours. Cycling Australia accredited instructors can come to your school to deliver the industry leading six-week program or Let’s Ride offers schools the option to deliver the skills course internally by providing the school with a comprehensive and yet easy to use package. Let’s Ride Delivery Pack contains all of the resources and content required to deliver the program.

Cycling Australia has also partnered with the Australian Sport Commission who had an existing school sport programme to help combat the increasing levels of obesity that has been observed among the youth. Through this partnership, schools can access the governmental funding to cover the cost of their students who are interested in participating in the programme.

Operationally, 30 delivery centres have been created in the different areas, of which 19 are in Sydney. Linked to local clubs and schools, these centres are mandated by Cycling Australia to handle the delivery of the programme in the various districts.

The program was piloted in 2015 and launched nationally in 2016. Since then, the program has operated in all states and territories across Australia. Having great success during this time the program is on the cusp of reaching 10,000 participants.

Objectives

Promote a healthy and active lifestyle

The Let’s Ride programme provides a unique opportunity to target children and to promote cycling as a fun way to practice sport and to use bikes as an alternative means of transportation. It further offers a way to educate the youth and to encourage them to adopt a healthy and active lifestyle. Ultimately, this could help combat youth obesity, which is becoming an issue not only in Australia, but worldwide.

Develop human capital and generate social cohesion

The programme targets both parents and children. In order to make the road safer for biking, it is important to educate both these groups. For kids, knowing how to ride a bike independently does not necessarily translate to road awareness and safety. The Let’s Ride programme aims to fill this gap.

By offering programmes through schools Cycling Australia and the Australian Sport Commission created a new approach towards teaching children how to ride. The programme aims at educating children on the proper techniques and road safety measures that are needed in modern day cycling.

Pictos_evaluation

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Evaluation

 

A post participation survey is sent to the parents whose child took part in the programme. The coaches aim at finding out what the kids think of the programme by asking specific questions.

In addition, meetings are organised with the delivery centres every six months to get their feedback on how the programmes is working in the various local towns.

Pictos_key_challenge

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Key Challenges

 

Defining the programme

In a typical week, one out of every six Australians will ride a bike. Biking is really popular in Australia and it is important to teach children to learn how to ride. Before defining the programme comprehensive and robust research was required to ensure the right set-up. Thousands of parents, teachers and kids were involved in the process. Independent experts also contributed in the research by sharing their knowledge and assessing potential solutions. This was a long process but a lot of crucial information and guidance were gained, which helped shaping the programme for maximum appeal to kids and parents.

 

Maintaining Quality

Due to the fact that the programme is delivered by various centres, it is a challenge to make sure that the programme is consistent across the country. The objective is to keep up the standards level of delivery regardless of where the programme is held. Parents and children should get the same level of response, knowledge and experience.

The online registration which coaches have to complete at the end of each session helps the governing team to monitor the progress of the various sessions taking place and therefore, if they feel that something needs to be adapted or changed, they can deal directly with the appropriate centre or coach.

Pictos_recommandation. 

Key Learnings & Recommendations

 

Research, research, research!

The information gathered during the research phase of the programme proved to be quite relevant and useful. It allowed the team to know what age groups to target, how the concept of learning to ride was perceived in the market and how to build the communication strategy.

The research showed that 1.9 million out of 2.6 million children in Australia are riding bikes. However, it also showed that the majority were taught by parents who did not know the proper techniques and safety measures needed in cycling These results helped the team obtain the much needed financial support from the government.

 

Target the right audience

For a programme such as Let’s Ride to be successful, it is important to know who the target audience is. By conducting extensive research, this information can be obtained and used to better reach the set objectives.

The results of the research showed that parents were the most likely persons to teach their kids how to ride. This was a critical information for the development of the programme. The focus of the communication has therefore been geared towards the parents. It also helped tailor the programme for the different age groups to meet their different needs.

Pictos_information

 

More information

 

The full case is available in printable version on the members’ portal. 

In addition to the above description, the PDF version also gathers practical information including internal and external partners involved; finance and cost; use of the olympic brand; human resources and time; and contact details. 

The World Union of Olympic Cities’ team remains at your disposal for any further information and contact’s facilitation at info@olympiccities.org 

Additional resources can be found through the following links:

www.letsride.com.au

Sydney_Rules©Australian_Olympic_Committee
Sydney4©Australian_Olympic_Committee
Sydney3©Australian_Olympic_Committee
Sydney6©Australian_Olympic_Committee
Sydney1©Australian_Olympic_Committee
Sydney8©Australian_Olympic_Committee