International Canoe Federation

The vision for the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) of an event integrating sport, culture and education, means the Culture and Education Programme (CEP) forms an integral component of the Youth Olympic Games, and will provide a memorable and inspiring experience for all participants. Specially formulated for young athletes, the CEP is intended to engage and inspire athletes to be true champions, to adopt and live by the Olympic values of Excellence, Friendship and Respect, and to play active roles in their communities.

The CEP encourages athletes to embrace, embody and express the Olympic values of Excellence, Friendship and Respect. Through fun and interactive activities, the CEP is designed to facilitate the learning and reinforcement of the Olympic values, and encourage athletes to reflect on how these values would apply in their lives.

The CEP comprises modular, fun and interactive activities centred on the five themes.

1. Olympism
   Activities reflecting this theme include the Olympic Gallery exhibition which traces the origin, philosophy, structure and evolution of the modern Olympic Games to the present day.
2. Skills Development
   Interactive workshops will be conducted for athletes to reflect on various facets of a professional athlete’s career, including personal development and managing transitional phases in life.
3. Well-Being and Healthy Lifestyle
   Beyond the interactive workshops and exhibitions that promote healthy eating for athletes, this theme also deals with the issue of doping in sport.
4. Social Responsibility
   Athletes will learn about their roles as responsible members of their own communities and how they can be responsible global citizens by taking part in environment-related activities and workshops that support sustainable development initiatives.
5. Expression
   Activities reflecting this theme include learning, interacting and celebrating via the engagement of digital media and participation in the three evening festivals at the YOV.

The five themes will be covered over seven different formats:

In Chat with Champions, athletes will have the opportunity to interact with Athlete Role Models, who will share their personal experiences on achieving success in both sports and life. Each role model will share with the athletes his or her own key message to inspire athletes to become role models themselves.
The objective is to: “inspire the young athletes “towards achieving greater excellence in all they do and to be change makers in their communities.

Appearing in different formats from exhibitions to workshops, and interactive displays, Athletes will have the opportunity to learn about all aspects of life as an athlete. Topics include exhibitions in the Olympic Gallery, the Career Corridor and the Health Zone; workshops covering aspects of networking, managing an athlete's lifestyle; and interactive displays from various international organisations.
The Objective is for the athletes to develop a better understanding of global issues, of health and injury prevention, of public speaking and to inspire athletes to embrace embody and express the Olympic values of excellence, friendship and respect.

Based at the heart of the Youth Olympic Village, World Culture Booths will feature the culture and way of life of each of the participating National Olympic Committees as interpreted by Singaporean youths participating in the Friends@YOG NOC-Schools Twinning Programme.
The objective is to provide a platform for athletes and local youths to develop global perspectives appreciate multi-culturalism and foster respect between cultures. This is also an opportunity for friendships to develop between international athletes and Singaporeans.

Presented in a series of evening festivals, an exciting mix of music performances, dance acts and inspirational artwork provide a platform for athletes to celebrate and connect with others in a fun and informal setting, via the universal language of music and dance.
Covering the theme of Expression, the objective is for athletes to express themselves and connect with other participants.

Covering the theme of Social Responsibility, athletes come together to practice and learn about fun activities like drumming and circus arts. Learning these simple activities, athletes can take home their new skills and share with their communities.
The objective is to learn to appreciate diversity and reach out to their local communities or people who may be different from themselves.

Held at the Marina Barrage and at HortPark, athletes will explore interactive displays highlighting the threats to our ecosystem. Athletes will learn about the importance of water as an integral part of the earth's ecosystem, and the need for its conservation. In the HortPark activity, athletes will build their own mini-garden in a bottle (terrarium), with the objective of demonstrating how some of our daily activities can have a negative impact on our natural ecosystem and to encourage athletes to embrace a healthy respect for the environment.

This is an outdoor activity on Pulau Ubin. Athletes come together in teams to overcome physical challenges. These activities include among others, building rafts and rock climbing. In addition, athletes will be introduced to local fruits, flora and fauna found on this small Singaporean island.
Teamwork, mutual respect and friendship will help athletes truly embrace the Olympic values.

The programme is an important tool to promote exchange between the young athletes, to help them build friendships and to teach them about cultures from around the world. They will become true ambassadors of sport in their communities.