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Special Olympics - 2009 Idaho Games

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Special Olympics University Partnership

Special Olympics has always had strong ties with universities particularly in Europe. In 1998 Special Olympics Europe/Eurasia initiated the Special Olympics University Partnership model with the objective of facilitating inclusion of Special Olympics information in the university physical education curricula.

The University Patnership model was founded by Special Olympics Europe/Eurasia.

Expertise development 
In 2004 a curriculum was written to facilitate the inclusion of Special Olympics in the university physical education programmes.  It includes both classroom instruction and Special Olympics practical experience and was developed by experts from around the world with experience in coaching athletes from around the world.

Today the Special Olympics University Curriculum has been incorporated into physical education programs in more than 224 universities around the world including Europe, Eurasia, China, India, North America and South America. It is available in Chinese, Czech, English, French, German, Polish, Spanish, Romanian, Russian, and Turkish languages. More than 200 university faculty have been trained.  The universities in turn have trained nearly 10,000 university students and have collaborated with Special Olympics national programs in more than 500 Special Olympics events, creating sport training and competition opportunities impacting approximately 25,000 Special Olympics athletes.  The Special Olympics University Partnership continues to promote Special Olympics training and competition opportunities as a vehicle for Special Olympics program growth.

For more information on University Partnership contact Mariusz Damentko, Sports Director at mdamsoce@it.com.pl

 

Highlights of Programme across Europe/Eurasia:

  • Palacky University in Czech Republic offers a course where students organize the regional athletics, football, aquatics, and bocce competition. 
  • Professors at the Ukraine Sport Academy wrote a book on Special Olympics for their students. 
  • Faculty at the National Sport Academy in Lithuania are conducting Special Olympics research with their students. 
  • Faculty at the State University at Minsk in Belarus have established a Motor Activities Training program for severely disabled athletes. 
  • Special Olympics Romania has a consortium of 15 universities working directly with the national program. 
  • At the University of Coimbra in Portugal, the required adapted sports course for undergraduate students includes a 15-hour module of Special Olympics study. 
  • Students at the University of Veliko Turnovo in Bulgaria have the option of taking a 30-hour course in Special Olympics. 
  • Special Olympics study is incorporated into several core pedagogy and sport psychology courses as a part of the Erasmus Mundus Masters in Adapted Physical Activity, based at Catholic University in Belgium. 

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