Female educators played a central role in delivering Olympic values education to tens of thousands of teachers across Italy.
Sara Amiri | ASJF News
Key Facts:
Women played a central role in shaping the educational legacy of the 2026 Winter Olympics and 2026 Winter Paralympics through the nationwide education programme known as Gen26, built around the principles of the Olympic Values Education Programme.
The programme, developed in partnership with the Italian Ministry of Education and Merit, introduced Olympic and Paralympic values to thousands of students and educators across Italy.
Female educators played a leading role in the initiative. Around 80 percent of the Italian team implementing OVEP were women, while approximately 65 percent of members of the nationwide teachers’ network known as Équipe Formative Territoriali (EFT) were also women.
Through workshops, classroom activities and training sessions, the programme reached more than 5,000 teachers directly and an additional 40,000 educators through broader dissemination, bringing the total reach of OVEP in Italy to nearly 50,000 teachers.
According to Domenico De Maio, Education and Culture Director of the Milano Cortina 2026 Organising Committee, female educators were instrumental in translating Olympic values into practical learning experiences within schools and communities.
The programme also introduced an open online course on innovative teaching methods, followed by more than 1,200 teachers, with particular attention given to encouraging participation and leadership among female students.
The Gen26 programme, launched as part of the educational legacy of the Milano Cortina Games, engaged around 150,000 teachers nationwide and aims to continue beyond the Olympic and Paralympic events.
Future activities include educational initiatives linked to International Women’s Day and collaborations with organizations such as Fondazione Terre des Hommes Italia to promote gender equality, inclusion and Olympic values in schools.
Educators involved in the project say the programme has strengthened collaboration among teachers while encouraging new approaches to learning, ensuring the Olympic values continue to influence classrooms long after the Games have ended.