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Paris 2024 launch Olympic and Paralympic week across schools
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Schools across France are celebrating the start of Olympic and Paralympic Week, a project by the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic bid hoping to get more young people involved in sport.

The inaugural week-long celebration of sport, education and values is part of Paris 2024’s Year of Olympism, From School to University programme.

It is expected to reach more than a million children in its first year.

The initiative, which will take place every January, becoming a permanent fixture on school and university calendars, forms "an essential part" of Paris 2024’s ongoing education and legacy programme.

"This initiative perfectly illustrates the spirit that drives us," explained Bernard Lapasset, co-chairman of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Bid.

"We want to use the Games as a catalyst and leave a strong legacy that benefits the people of France, especially the youth. We are determined to deliver Games of both passion and purpose. Within the framework of our "Year of Olympism, from school to university", we will help young people access sport while sharing the spirit Olympism and its values with future generations."

Schools participating in Olympic and Paralympic Week will balance their teaching time between general education, using sport as a teaching tool in subjects such as mathematics, history, geography and english, and physical and sports activities, where children will be introduced to a range of Olympic disciplines.

The cultural dimension of sport will also be promoted, as well as the idea of shared sport, between disabled and able-bodied children, to change the way we look at disability.

Throughout the week and beyond, top athletes will get involved in the project around the country to share their time and experience with schools.

Sarah Ourahmoune, boxing silver medallist at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, wheelchair tennis player Michaël Jérémiasz who was the flag bearer of the French Paralympic team in Rio, and Emmeline NDongue, basketball silver medallist at London 2012, all took part in the launch event at the Collège Buffon in Paris on Monday.

They joined Lapasset and Pierre-Yves Bournazel, who is in charge of the Olympic and Paralympic project for the Ile-de-France region, to lead numerous sports activities with young people at the school, including boxing, basketball, table tennis and climbing blindfolded.

Launched in partnership with the Ministry of National Education, the French National Olympic and Sports Committee (CNOSF), the French Paralympic and Sports Committee (CPSF) and school and university federations, the initiative aims to introduce Olympic and Paralympic sports to all young people, enhance access to sport throughout the country and strengthen links between the sports movement and the education community.