Deadline: 20-Oct-22

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced the sixth generation of the IOC Young Leaders programme, supported by Worldwide Olympic Partner Panasonic.

The programme aims to support young people in the development and implementation of social projects that use sport to solve issues in their communities.

The IOC Young Leaders Programme is part of the IOC’s long-term commitment to support young people and empower them to become social change-makers through sport, while reinforcing sport’s role as an enabler for the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Details

• The IOC Young Leaders programme is delivered over four years to give participants sufficient time to go through the phases of developing a social business/project that provides a localised sport-based solution to a pressing challenge in their respective communities.
• Each year of the programme is designed around the development of the young leader and their sport-based social business/project.
• Overall, the learning journey encompasses a wide range of subjects and experts, in areas such as human centred-design, prototyping, ecosystem mapping, leadership skills, customer segmentation, public relations, fundraising, impact measurement, user research, user testing, digital communications and finance.
• The four-year programme has a blended approach, combining virtual sessions and discussions, community spaces and learning through in-person and networking experiences.
• Most of the monthly learning will be online, and will include expert sessions, sharing of practical resources, connect group sessions and self-directed learning activities.

Benefits

IOC Young Leader receives:

• CHF 10,000 seed-funding delivered over the four years
• Monthly expert-led workshops and guidance
• Access to thought-leaders and inspirational figures
• Exclusive invitation to attend the bi-annual IOC Youth Summit
• Invitations to attend and speak at global gatherings
• Networking and knowledge-sharing opportunities
• Leadership coaching
• A dedicated team on hand to provide support

This programme is for you if you want to:

• Turn ideation and research into real action and development of solutions
• Become a more effective and stronger leader in sport and social business (or a sport and social business entrepreneur)
• Drive local transformative change in and through sport
• Represent and embody the Olympic values in action
• Commit to a four-year entrepreneurial journey
• Be both a mentee and a mentor through a comprehensive mentorship programme
• Collaborate with fellow young leaders, experts, researchers, sports leaders and social business entrepreneurs

Eligibility Criteria

• Any young person aiming to leverage the power of sport to make a positive difference in their community can apply.
• They are looking to invest in and work with an exceptional group of young leaders who have the passion to solve local problems through grassroots sport-based initiatives and sustainable social business models.
• They aren’t looking for one type of profile but rather a diverse group of young leaders with different backgrounds, perspectives, skillsets, motivations and experiences.
• The IOC Young Leader profile:
  • 20-28 years old
  • Proficiency in English
  • Passion for sport as a tool for social and economic change
  • Interest in community action
  • Knowledge of the UN Sustainable Development Goals
  • Strong communicator and team player willing to learn and grow
  • Comfortable in managing social media, and new technologies and platforms

Requirements and Skills:

• Knowledge of English is a must, as all learning materials and communication will be in English.
• A two-hour commitment per week is required to take part in weekly virtual sessions and to fulfil weekly tasks.
• Access to a reliable internet connection and basic technology skills are necessary to navigate four virtual sessions, fill in digital feedback forms and complete weekly tasks.
• Social media skills are required to complete weekly social media tasks.

Content:

• Participants should be interested in learning about the Olympic Movement, Olympism 365 and sport-based social business and development.
• Participants should be interested in applying for the IOC Young Leaders Programme after the Learning Sprint has been completed.

For more information, visit https://olympics.com/ioc/news/ioc-young-leaders-programme-applications-are-now-open