Students from Calderglen High School off to Olympic Park
Students from Calderglen High School to run sports demonstrations for spectators in the Olympic Park
School children from Calderglen High School in East Kilbride. who are part of the London 2012 international sports legacy programme, International Inspiration will have the opportunity to organise sports demonstrations for London 2012 fans attending the Olympic Park during the Games. From Wednesday 1st August to Sunday 5th August 8 pupils from Calderglen High school will demonstrate their ability to lead and deliver activities to engage with spectators and help them enjoy the space and the additional opportunities the Park has to offer. The eight successful pupils are;
- Craig McDougal S5,
- Ian Rae S4,
- Jake Forrest S5,
- Jaqueline Fergusson S5,
- Jennifer Boag S4,
- Laura Carberry S5,
- Pamela Clark S5,
- Ryan Fennessey S5 .
These pupils were selected due to their commitment, motivation, experience, hard work and leadership skills within Calderglen High School. Out of the 28 schools in Great Britain to experience this opportunity Calderglen High school are the only Scottish school to be selected. Tony McDaid , headteacher of Calderglen High school said: “We are delighted that our pupils have been selected to participate as volunteers at the London 2012 Olympics. It is well deserved recognition for the hard work of the pupils within the International Inspirations Programme, a programme which links our school with others across the world. I'm sure our pupil sports leaders will have an unforgettable experience”
As well as seeing all the sporting action and soaking up the great atmosphere in the Park, spectators will get the chance to take part in activities which will be managed and organised by the students. The activities, which include demonstrations of traditional games from International Inspiration countries including Egypt, Jordan and Brazil, will take place in the ‘Great British Garden’ area of the Park. The students will also be delivering other activities which they created and aim to interact the crowd as much as possible, including traditional playground games and team building activities as well as quieter activities which leave a lasting memory on the garden area they will be working in. Calderglen will be working along side The Compton School from North London whilst on shift, both schools have created the joint activity plans for the 5 days of work and hopefully each school will learn from the other throughout this experience.
International Inspiration has enriched the lives of more than 12 million children in 20 countries and encourages schoolchildren, teachers and coaches in the UK to learn about other cultures and exchange knowledge and experiences with peers in International Inspiration countries. In the UK more than 250 schools are linked with International Inspiration schools. The school partnerships are managed by the British Council. The programme is delivered around the world by a unique partnership of organisations including the British Council, UNICEF UK and UK Sport. Calderglen High School have been selected for this opportunity due to their commitment and work as part of the International Inspiration programme. Over the past few year Calderglen has created fantastic links with Mount View High School in South Africa and Neimiah Primary in South Sudan. Two of the selected pupils for this trip visited Mount View this year to continue the positive link Calderglen has and help increase their knowledge of sport, leadership and leading a healthy lifestyle.
The ‘Great British Garden’ features areas with wildflowers and grasses, as well as a frog pond, swing, willow tunnel and running-track-inspired spiral paths. It also includes a 'De Coubertin oak', from an acorn collected from the tree Baron Pierre De Coubertin which was planted in 1894 to thank the citizens of Much Wenlock in Shropshire for inspiring the founding of the modern Olympic Games.
Seb Coe, Chairman of LOCOG, said: ‘The students running the activities in the Great British Garden in the Olympic Park will not only gain new leaderships skills but will also provide spectators with a fantastic addition to their London 2012 Games experience
Ian Rae, student of Calderglen High said: “Getting to go to London to be part of the Olympics is an extremely exciting but unexpected opportunity. It is a privilege that I was selected as one of the 8 pupils to attend, I intend to make the most of the trip. It will be fantastic to be involved with the games, I’m sure I will remember the experience forever.”
For further information please contact the London 2012 Press Office on +44 (0)203 2012 100 or visit the website at www.london2012.com.
The Official London 2012 Join In app is a free mobile guide to help you plan, enjoy and share your Games experience. From the Olympic Torch Relay to the Olympics and Paralympics, the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, plus all the cultural, city and community celebrations happening across the UK, the Official London 2012 Join In App is your essential companion. It is available now at app stores and at http://www.london2012.com/mobileapps/
The International Inspiration programme is governed by an independent charitable foundation. International Inspiration is supported and funded by a mixture of organisations and Foundations, including Department for International Development (DFID), the British Council, the Premier League, UNICEF, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Comic Relief, the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, the GE Foundation and individual donors. The programme is also supported by the Youth Sport Trust, the British Olympic Association and the British Paralympic Association and individual donors.
To enable longer-term impact, the programme is developed jointly with the governments, National Olympic Committees and National Paralympic Committees, where appropriate, of participating countries. The programme is supported and welcomed by the International Olympic Committee and International Paralympic Committee.
The vision of International Inspiration is to use the power of sport to enrich the lives of millions of children and young people of all abilities in schools and communities across the world, particularly developing countries, by offering them the opportunity to access and participate in high-quality and inclusive sport, physical education and play. The programme is already changing the lives of young people in twenty countries - Azerbaijan, Brazil, Bangladesh, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Jordan, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mozambique, Nigeria, Pakistan, Palau, South Africa, Tanzania, Turkey, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda and Zambia - and has already enriched the lives of over 12 million children and young people.
International Inspiration was developed as a result of the commitment made by the London Bid team in Singapore in 2005 to ‘reach young people all around the world and connect them to the inspirational power of the Games so they are inspired to choose sport’.
The school partnerships are managed by the British Council, which has long experience of linking schools internationally, working in partnership with the Youth Sport Trust, which utilises its expertise in developing teachers and young leaders through sport.
Get Set is the official London 2012 education programme for schools and colleges across the UK. It provides free learning resources for 3-19 year olds to find out more about the Games and explore the Olympic Values of excellence, friendship and respect, and the Paralympic Values of determination, inspiration, courage and equality. It also offers access to exciting prizes and opportunities through participation in competitions and partner programmes. There are over 23,500 schools and colleges registered with Get Set.
The Get Set network is the London 2012 reward and recognition scheme for the active community of schools and colleges across the UK that are demonstrating a commitment to living the Olympic and Paralympic Values. Members of the network gain the right to use the London 2012 education logo, and are given priority access to the most exclusive prizes and opportunities. There are currently over 17400 members of the Get Set network. Visit www.london2012.com/getset for more information.
London 2012 World Sport Day, which will open Lloyds TSB National School Sport Week in England and Wales, will give young people in thousands of schools across the UK the chance to take part in the final UK-wide Get Set event before the start of the London 2012 Games, and to join together in celebrating how sport can bring the world together. For more information about World Sport Day please visit www.london2012.com/worldsportday.
Lloyds TSB is the official Banking and Insurance Partner of London 2012. For more information on Lloyds TSB National School Sport Week and schools who wish to register please visit www.schoolsportweek.org.