The International Olympic Committee (IOC), with the partnership of Worldwide Olympic Partner Panasonic, has recently announced the Young Leaders Program. The program aims to enable youths to develop and implement social projects or businesses for the betterment of their communities through sports. This program will reinforce sport’s role as an enabler for the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs). 

Any young applicant from around the globe who aims to force the power of sports toward positive change in their communities can apply for an initial four-week learning sprint as a compulsory period. Next, 25 successful applicants can benefit from the inclusive four-year program based on the submitted project idea. 

The program approach is a blended mode that includes virtual sessions, discussions, community spaces, and learning through in-person and networking experiences. Each year of the program is for developing the young leader and their sport-based social project or business. The beneficiaries will receive funding, network support, tools, and expertise to become successful social entrepreneurs and positively impact through sport. 

Details

Registration Deadline: 20 October 2022

Organization: International Olympic Committee  

Gender: Male/Female

Funding Type: Partially-funded 

Degree: None  

Number of Positions: 25   

Eligible Countries: All

Duration: 4 years 

Language Required: English

Fields: Sports

Benefits

Each IOC Young Leader will:

• Receive CHF 10,000 seed funding for four years 
• Receive a certificate of completion 
• Benefit from monthly workshops and guidance presented by experts
• Access to inspirational figures and thought leaders 
• Benefit from leadership coaching 
• Receive an invitation to attend the IOC Youth Summit twice a year
• Receive an invitation to deliver a speech at the global gatherings
• Have networking and knowledge-sharing opportunities 
• Get support from an on-hand dedicated team 

Eligibility Requirements

The IOC seeks young leaders with different perspectives, backgrounds, skillsets, and experiences. A young leader should be:

• Between 20-28 years old
• Graduated from high school or equivalent
• Experienced and proof of at least one year of work experience like internships or part-time job 
• Proficient in the English language
• Committed to at least three hours of work per week during the program 
• Involved in sports-related activities at some level 
• Passionate for sport as a tool for social and economic changes
• Interested in community activities and actions
• Familiar and knowledgeable with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs)
• Strong communicator and team player interested to learn and grow
• Comfortable in managing new technologies, platforms, and social media
• Able to work with different people from different cultures 
• Able to meet deadlines and know basic project management skills 
• Applicant should submit a plan for a sport-based social business or project through the application process 

Expected profile: 

To be selected for the IOC Young Leaders Program, applicants have to:

• Have an entrepreneurial mindset and skills
• Be self-motivated, committed, and adaptable
• Be open-minded to being coached or mentored by experts and peers
• Be interested in learning how to coach and mentor others
• Have strong public speaking skills, leadership skills, or willing to develop them

Note: In addition to the above eligibility criteria, the selection committee will consider the following principles:

• Gender balance
• Countries and continental regions balance
• Racial and ethnic diversity
• Socio-economic diversity
• Variety of sport-based social business ideas and solutions

IOC Young Leaders Program Stages

Generally, the program consists of two stages that interested applicants should complete:

• Stage 1: This stage is 4-week Learning Sprint prerequisites for a candidate to be eligible to apply for the next step. Stage 1 is compulsory, and all applicants should complete it. Application for this stage is open from 15 September to 20 October 2022. Four weekly sessions will take place from 8 November

• Stage 2: Once applicants complete the first stage successfully and receive the certification of participation, they become eligible to apply for IOC Young Leaders Program. The application process opens on 1 December and closes on 31 December 2022. This program will start in 2023 and ends in 2026.

IOC Young Leader Application Procedure 

IOC Young Leader application procedure plan is as follows:

1. The registration process for the Learning Sprint takes place from September to October 2022
2. Delivery of the Learning Sprint takes place on November 2022
3. IOC Young Leaders Program application process opens in December 2022
4. The result announcement of 25 successful applicants takes place on January 2023
5. The program starts on February 2023

How to Apply

To register and participate in the 4-Week Learning Sprint, applicants should fill out the registration form online. Once the applicant submits the form, the selection committee will review it and notify the candidates of the result.

Register Now

 

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For further details and information, please contact the IOC Media Relations Team.

Phone: +41 21 621 6000

Email: [email protected] 

Website: http://www.ioc.org/