|
Executive Summary:
British Council is committed to the promotion of intercultural dialogue, social inclusion and development of civil society. In response to this commitment the British Council has developed Young Advocates Programme (YAP)
The project aims are to:
1. Develop skills in a core group of young people, the Advocates
2. Enhance the confidence, leadership and communication skills of these young people through art, sport and culture so that they can contribute positively to their local communities.
3. Empower a global community of skilled young Advocates; and through them raised awareness of the Paralympics, paralympic spirit and social inclusion.
4. Increase the ability of individuals and organisations to contribute to positive social change and the strengthening of civil society
The Project:
The Young Advocates’ Programme will offer training and skills development modules to a group of 120 able and disabled young people from China and Hong Kong. The training will augment their awareness of the paralympic spirit- those ideals of inspiration, determination, fair play, equality, sustainability and dynamism, and enhance their employability. Training modules include:
- Paralympic knowledge and disability awareness
- English language skills
- Communication (verbal and non-verbal) skills
- Leadership and organisation skills
Through these Young Advocates, aged between 18 and 25 years old, disseminating information and training in their school, college or community, millions of people will become aware of the active role young people with a disability can play in society.
Through partnership with internationally renowned community education programmes from, for instance, the UK’s Royal Ballet, YeastCulture, Northern Ballet Theatre YAP will:
· deliver training around China which will support the Young Advocates and encourage social inclusion.
· work with over 100 schools to run paralympic school days, representing direct involvement of around 100,000 students, parents and teachers.
- training will be delivered via online and face to face workshops
- training will culminate at an international Youth Forum in Beijing during the Paralympics where the 240 UK/international/Chinese Young Advocates will gather for a week’s intensive training.
- reach the national and international community by using online and offline media to promote activity and key messages.
Project partners of the YAP include: International Paralympic Committee, Beijing Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (BOCOG), Chinese Disabled Persons Federation (CDPF) and the British Paralympic Association.
The Ambition:
The ambition of the Young Advocates’ Programme is to ensure that its legacy is sustained for the London Paralympics and beyond. Following the Beijing Paralympics, when the current Young Advocates Programme has been successfully established in China, UK and the international pilot countries the programme could then be rolled out globally to reach other young people worldwide.
| 
