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Across education systems, young people are expected to succeed academically, yet often lack opportunities to develop the life skills they need to navigate everyday challenges. Skills such as resilience, critical thinking, teamwork, leadership and decision‑making are essential for wellbeing and participation in society, but are difficult to develop through traditional, classroom‑based learning alone. Educators are increasingly asked to teach values, wellbeing and citizenship, while also responding to social issues. However, many lack training and practical, engaging approaches to do so.
OVEP was created to address this gap by integrating Olympic values into interactive lessons that use experiential learning in real‑world contexts. By combining sport, movement and reflection, OVEP makes learning concrete, dynamic and engaging, encouraging young people to develop skills such as resilience, leadership and critical thinking.
OVEP also responds to broader social challenges by promoting global citizenship, community engagement and intercultural understanding. Through sport and cultural exchange, it helps bridge divides, foster mutual respect and support positive youth development. By addressing issues like social justice, environmental awareness and inclusion, OVEP empowers young people to become proactive, responsible citizens. By merging sport with values‑based education, OVEP helps young people build skills for life while contributing positively to their communities.
In practice, OVEP a flexible, scalable framework rather than a one‑size‑fits‑all curriculum. Delivered through local partners and adapted to local cultures, needs, and education systems, and with resources in around 20 languages, it ensures relevance and accessibility across contexts. OVEP supports partners end to end, from creating learning pathways to building educator capacity to supporting effective implementation.
At the learner level, OVEP is implemented through experiential, activity‑based sessions that use sport to develop values and life skills in real‑world contexts. Simple physical activities are paired with guided reflection, enabling young people to practice tacit skills like teamwork, respect, and decision‑making rather than learn these concepts only in theory.
OVEP’s train‑the‑trainer model equips enables to contextualise the programme while maintaining consistency. This “centralise to decentralise” approach enables the sharing of best practices across regions while supporting continuous learning and adaptation. Evidence from partner reports shows improved academic engagement, increased participation in sport and stronger appreciation of Olympic values. In schools implementing OVEP, attendance and participation have increased by 8-20%, and girls’ participation in sport has grown significantly, including first‑time participation for many. These outcomes demonstrate how OVEP translates values‑based education into lasting educational and community impact.
Globally, OVEP has expanded steadily through 2026 and is now active in over 100 countries. This growth has been driven by the programme’s focus on capacity building, strengthening partnerships and developing adaptable resources to support sustainable, locally led implementation at scale.
In Senegal, OVEP has already reached approximately 600,000 children and is on track to reach 900,000 learners across 11,000 schools as part of the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games educational initiatives. In Italy, OVEP played a central role in the Milano Cortina 2026 education programme, scaling from an initial national workshop in early 2025 to nationwide implementation, engaging around 45,000 teachers and reaching around 315,000 students. In India, OVEP has reached over 12 million children across 65,000 schools, engaging educators, students and communities.
OVEP’s expansion shows a clear trajectory from targeted educator engagement to large‑scale impact across education systems. The programme’s innovation and impact have been recognised through international education awards, like the QS Reimagine Education Awards.
Looking ahead, OVEP aims to strengthen its global community of educators, engage at least 50 additional countries, and explore AI and digital tools to personalise learning while preserving its experiential, values‑based approach. In parallel, OVEP will continue to develop resources and advanced educator training to consolidate its leadership in values‑based education worldwide.
To get started with OVEP, explore the free OVEP resources on the website and identify how the Olympic values align with your local needs and priorities. Begin by identifying educators or facilitators who will deliver the sessions. OVEP supports partners end to end, including capacity building and implementation guidance. Contact your National Olympic Committee or the team at ovep@olympic.org or to discuss partnership and support options.
