Vancouver 2010 to connect with students and teachers across Canada through an online education portal: vancouver2010.com/edu
September 25, 2007
Victoria, BC — Students and teachers
in classrooms across Canada now have a direct link to Vancouver
2010, the positive influence of the Olympic and Paralympic
Movements and the three pillars of sport, culture and
sustainability through an online, bilingual e-magazine
(‘e-zine’) and portal located at
vancouver2010.com/edu. This new portal on the Internet, known as
/EDU, serves as the foundation for what is expected to become a
lively online interactive community — one that will
connect teachers, students (from kindergarten through grade 12) and
schools, while celebrating the spirit of the 2010 Winter Games.
In its initial stages, the /EDU portal at vancouver2010.com/edu will target Canadian schools, teachers and students looking to build content and maximize opportunities to showcase local and national education resources. In the coming weeks, a teachers’ forum moderated by the University of British Columbia will come online at /EDU. Also among its many offerings, /EDU provides links to programs affiliated with non-profit organizations including the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) and the Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC), as well as Canadian museums, environmental groups and arts and culture organizations.
Education programs are integral to the mandate of the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC). With the support of the BC Ministry of Education, VANOC is working with representatives from each of the 13 ministries responsible for education in Canada. Each ministry has agreed to work with VANOC to inform and involve teachers in the program; identify the best education resources in sport, culture and sustainability; and collaborate on the development of new educational resources as opportunities arise.
“Vancouver 2010 creates a climate of possibility that helps us discover the greatness inside ourselves,” said John Furlong, VANOC Chief Executive Officer. “Through the Vancouver 2010 website, /EDU will connect students to students, teachers to teachers and schools to schools from across Canada. It will provide them with Olympic and Paralympic resources to help them set their own podiums and identify their own dreams.”
To celebrate the launch of /EDU, VANOC and the Province of BC were joined today, in Victoria, by ministers responsible for education from provinces and territories from across Canada, along with other Canadian education professionals. /EDU was introduced today in advance of a regular meeting of the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC) by the Honourable Shirley Bond, Minister of Education from British Columbia, together with Terry Wright of VANOC, executive vice president of service operations and ceremonies.
"As the Host Province of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, BC is pleased to support /EDU because school is a great place to learn about the Games, sport and fitness, culture and the arts, and sustainable living" said Minister Bond. "This has been a commendable cooperative effort between VANOC and all of Canada's provinces and territories that can benefit Canada and every student, teacher and school in the country."
“Canada has a history as an innovator in Olympic and Paralympic education and as a leader in developing online learning and resources for teachers,” said Wright, on behalf of VANOC. “I’m pleased to be able to say that /EDU is the first-ever fully online, interactive Olympic and Paralympic Games program.”
With the launch of /EDU, Vancouver 2010 continues a Canadian trend, leading the way with Olympic and Paralympic education. Beginning with the first-ever education program, produced for the Montreal 1976 Summer Games, and a very successful Olympic education program with the Calgary 1988 Winter Games, /EDU sets a new benchmark with its interactive capabilities and access to cutting-edge education resources and
programming – tools available in provinces and territories across Canada.
“We are excited to start using the /EDU program. Improving access to francophone education resources will provide better exposure for the wealth of French resources across Canada,” said Marie Bourgeois, Chair, Board of Regional Trustees, Conseil scolaire francophone de la Colombie-Britannique. “Not only that, we will be able to draw information from /EDU for some of our online initiatives with teachers and students.”
“Education is a powerful tool. It’s about awareness, understanding, and accessibility – which leads to true inclusion,” said Carla Qualtrough, president of the Canadian Paralympic Committee and director of sport, tourism and inclusion initiatives at 2010 Legacies Now. “We hope one of the lasting legacies of /EDU will be more teacher and student awareness of our programs and the values of inclusivity . . . perhaps inspiring children with disabilities, or those from disadvantaged backgrounds to achieve their own dreams.”
Looking ahead, beyond next year’s Beijing 2008 Summer Games, /EDU will be expanded to international student and teacher audiences, so they can fully experience /EDU and its innovative Canadian content.
VANOC is responsible for the planning, organizing, financing and staging of the XXI Olympic Winter Games and the X Paralympic Winter Games in 2010. The 2010 Olympic Winter Games will be staged in Vancouver and Whistler from February 12 to 28, 2010. Vancouver and Whistler will host the Paralympic Winter Games from March 12 to 21, 2010.
In its initial stages, the /EDU portal at vancouver2010.com/edu will target Canadian schools, teachers and students looking to build content and maximize opportunities to showcase local and national education resources. In the coming weeks, a teachers’ forum moderated by the University of British Columbia will come online at /EDU. Also among its many offerings, /EDU provides links to programs affiliated with non-profit organizations including the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) and the Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC), as well as Canadian museums, environmental groups and arts and culture organizations.
Education programs are integral to the mandate of the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC). With the support of the BC Ministry of Education, VANOC is working with representatives from each of the 13 ministries responsible for education in Canada. Each ministry has agreed to work with VANOC to inform and involve teachers in the program; identify the best education resources in sport, culture and sustainability; and collaborate on the development of new educational resources as opportunities arise.
“Vancouver 2010 creates a climate of possibility that helps us discover the greatness inside ourselves,” said John Furlong, VANOC Chief Executive Officer. “Through the Vancouver 2010 website, /EDU will connect students to students, teachers to teachers and schools to schools from across Canada. It will provide them with Olympic and Paralympic resources to help them set their own podiums and identify their own dreams.”
To celebrate the launch of /EDU, VANOC and the Province of BC were joined today, in Victoria, by ministers responsible for education from provinces and territories from across Canada, along with other Canadian education professionals. /EDU was introduced today in advance of a regular meeting of the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC) by the Honourable Shirley Bond, Minister of Education from British Columbia, together with Terry Wright of VANOC, executive vice president of service operations and ceremonies.
"As the Host Province of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, BC is pleased to support /EDU because school is a great place to learn about the Games, sport and fitness, culture and the arts, and sustainable living" said Minister Bond. "This has been a commendable cooperative effort between VANOC and all of Canada's provinces and territories that can benefit Canada and every student, teacher and school in the country."
“Canada has a history as an innovator in Olympic and Paralympic education and as a leader in developing online learning and resources for teachers,” said Wright, on behalf of VANOC. “I’m pleased to be able to say that /EDU is the first-ever fully online, interactive Olympic and Paralympic Games program.”
With the launch of /EDU, Vancouver 2010 continues a Canadian trend, leading the way with Olympic and Paralympic education. Beginning with the first-ever education program, produced for the Montreal 1976 Summer Games, and a very successful Olympic education program with the Calgary 1988 Winter Games, /EDU sets a new benchmark with its interactive capabilities and access to cutting-edge education resources and
programming – tools available in provinces and territories across Canada.
“We are excited to start using the /EDU program. Improving access to francophone education resources will provide better exposure for the wealth of French resources across Canada,” said Marie Bourgeois, Chair, Board of Regional Trustees, Conseil scolaire francophone de la Colombie-Britannique. “Not only that, we will be able to draw information from /EDU for some of our online initiatives with teachers and students.”
“Education is a powerful tool. It’s about awareness, understanding, and accessibility – which leads to true inclusion,” said Carla Qualtrough, president of the Canadian Paralympic Committee and director of sport, tourism and inclusion initiatives at 2010 Legacies Now. “We hope one of the lasting legacies of /EDU will be more teacher and student awareness of our programs and the values of inclusivity . . . perhaps inspiring children with disabilities, or those from disadvantaged backgrounds to achieve their own dreams.”
Looking ahead, beyond next year’s Beijing 2008 Summer Games, /EDU will be expanded to international student and teacher audiences, so they can fully experience /EDU and its innovative Canadian content.
VANOC is responsible for the planning, organizing, financing and staging of the XXI Olympic Winter Games and the X Paralympic Winter Games in 2010. The 2010 Olympic Winter Games will be staged in Vancouver and Whistler from February 12 to 28, 2010. Vancouver and Whistler will host the Paralympic Winter Games from March 12 to 21, 2010.
Contact
VANOC Communications
mediarelations@vancouver2010.com
mediarelations@vancouver2010.com
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