Paralympic School Day
The Paralympic School Day is an educational programme initiated by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC). The aim of the programme is to create awareness and understanding in schools about persons with a disability.
The PSD is a set of activities that educate youth about Paralympic sport, individual differences and disability issues in a fun and playful environment. These activities can be organized during a normal school day and target an audience of young students between the ages of 6 to 15.
In 2004, the IPC, in close collaboration with the European Paralympic Committee (EPC), initiated a two-year PSD pilot project in Europe. The project was made possible throug a significant grant of the European Commission within the framework of its “JOINT ACTIONS” programme, linking together the EU programmes of Leonardo da Vinci, Socrates, Youth and Culture 2000 to encourage projects which do not belong exclusively in education, training or youth. The following six partner organizations from six different European nations co-operated with the IPC and EPC to implement this pilot project:
- Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium
- University of Olomouc, Czech Republic
- University of Koblenz, Germany
- Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece
- Latvian Disabled Children's and Youth Sport Federation, Latvia
- Swedish Development Centre for Disability Sport, Sweden
The overall aim of the PSD pilot project was the creation of materials, including all
educational and vocational manual used throughout the project, giving schools in Europe a tool to
implement the PSD Programme independently. The result was the PSD Resource Kit consisting of three
components:
These three components include a wealth of information and materials to assist teachers
to prepare, implement and reflect on their PSD. Using these materials, teachers can
apply their own creativity and individual adaptations to create the best PSD experience
for their students.
This kit has been created by specialists in Paralympic sport, disability and pedagogy to provide teachers with the skills, knowledge and resources to conduct a successful Paralympic School Day. But the learning does not have to stop here. Disability awareness is something that can be included in lesson plans throughout the year.
We would like to encourage teachers to participate in the Paralympic School Day programme and thereby joining schools worldwide to foster awareness and positive attitudes in your students towards persons with a disability and to work for the full integration of students with a disability in the classroom.
Please note: The PSD Resource Kit is not available online. For more information and to receive the material, please contact the IPC at psd@paralympic.org.
