Paralympic School Week Underway in Canada

A number of schools across Canada are learning more about the Paralympic Movement this week by taking part in Paralympic School Week.

The week-long programme adopts the ideals of the Paralympic Movement and showcases people with a disability who are making a difference. Paralympic School Week provides a focus for school-wide community building and subject-related instruction.

The programme was created by the Vancouver 2010 Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in partnership with the British Columbia Ministry of Education and the Canadian Paralympic Committee. The Canadian Paralympic Committee would like to keep the momentum of the programme strong and therefore invited schools across Canada to participate.

The Paralympic School Week is an expansion of the Paralympic School Day, a concept developed by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) to create awareness and understanding in schools about persons with a disability.

The IPC created a Paralympic School Day kit containing a set of activities and background information, which can be used to educate children and youth about Paralympic sport, individual differences and disability issues in a fun and playful environment.