Inspiring youth from the city and beyond
Atlanta 1996 was used as an opportunity to try to instil Olympic values into the city’s young people. Two programmes in particular helped to broaden cultural understanding and encourage a wider outlook within the local youth.
Firstly, a total of 1,800 public and private elementary and middle schools took part in an initiative entitled Olympic Day in Schools (ODIS). ODIS featured classroom studies, seminars and talks by leading local figures. Workshops and exhibitions focused on Olympic sports not widely popular in the USA, such as race walking, archery and handball.
Additionally, close to 500 16-18-year-olds from 152 countries participated in the Olympic Youth Camp. International visitors to the Olympic Youth Camp mingled with local teenagers, taking part in a series of adventure, arts and sporting classes. Participants also received tickets to the Games themselves and took in the most famous Atlanta sights.
Finally, there was also a focus on engaging with local communities. Through the Dream Team programme, 100 school students were chosen each year between 1992 and 1996 to represent the Olympic spirit in their local areas. They did this through a variety of initiatives, including delivering literacy programmes.