Working together all the way to London 2012
Why Get Set?
St Mary’s Grammar school (Northern Ireland) was already using the Olympic and Paralympic Games as a means of empowering students and had a number of Young Ambassadors working on ideas for raising the profile of the Games while working with children in local partner primary schools.
An exciting collaborative project with other local secondary schools was also underway with the ultimate aim of offering students the opportunity to attend the Games in 2012!
Joining Get Set meant being part of a whole network of schools and accessing resources to promote the Games and provide opportunities for personal development and improved citizenship.
The Journey So Far
Developed with a local school from the Protestant community and culminating with a trip to London 2012, students from St Mary’s have been engaged in a four year project with peers from other schools. Students from the participating schools have met together several times and taken part in a range of activities based around the Olympic and Paralympic Values.
Attending a residential trip together students experienced activities ranging from designing Olympic T shirts to considering issues relating to prejudice and discrimination.
St Mary’s has hosted an Olympic workshop about great Irish Olympians. Former Irish Olympian Maeve Kyle talked about her experiences in four Olympic Games and students were also inspired by Scottish gymnast Steve Frew visiting them in school.
Young Ambassadors are busy planning a range of activities including a ‘mini-Olympics’ to which they aim to invite a number of St Mary’s feeder primary schools.
Positive Values
Work based on the Olympic and Paralympic Games and Values has helped reinforce the school ethos of respect, commitment, community and discipline. All of St Mary’s pupils are aware of the work but especially the current Year 10 group who have been involved in the Olympic project for three years.
Collaborating with other schools on the project has helped promote friendship and respect in a really purposeful way.
And the highlights for students?
Having a project based around a trip to the Games has been hugely inspirational for students. A wide range of personal development opportunities have been offered to students including the chance to meet Olympic athletes and try Olympic sports.
The opportunity to socialise and work with their peers from the Protestant community has also inspired students.
Towards 2012
St Mary’s aims for lasting friendships to be formed between students and schools as a result of the collaborative project and for students’ lives to reflect the Olympic and Paralympic Values. As 2012 approaches, plans for the visit to the Games continue to be made.
Future sporting involvement is also important and St Mary’s hopes that the overall project will help to enthuse students in terms of getting active and involved. The school wants to provide a wide and broad experience of sporting opportunities designed to encourage, motivate, inspire and empower students.
