U.S. Olympic Academy
The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee serves as the Olympic Academy in the United States, providing a national forum for the advancement of the social and educational principles of Olympism. These two principles are embodied through U.S. Olympic Academy activities that aim to inspire and cultivate Olympism throughout the United States.
The social principles are tied to USOPC programming that empowers and supports U.S. Olympic and Paralympic athletes as the greatest representatives and most inspiring ambassadors of the Olympic and Paralympic movements. USOA programs work with U.S. Olympic and Paralympic athletes to further instill these values and empower athletes to make positive contributions to their communities, thereby cultivating and growing Olympism in the United States.
The educational principles of Olympism are embodied in the USOA through the preservation and sharing of Olympic and Paralympic materials and memorabilia. Central to this is the Crawford Family U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Archives, which nurture and promote the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic movements through the preservation and presentation of Olympic torches, medals, historic photos, artifacts, important documents and more. The archives develop opportunities for museum exhibits and national displays to showcase and promote the Olympic and Paralympic Games and their values. The archives also collaborates with the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum, which will open in spring of 2020 in Colorado Springs, Colo., bringing Olympism alive to thousands of visitors every year. Additionally, the USOA is committed to participating in and contributing to the mission of the International Olympic Academy, which is to preserve and spread the Olympic spirit by studying, serving and promoting the ideals and principles of the Olympic Movement.
The U.S. Olympic Academy seeks to cultivate and grow the social principles of Olympism in the United States by teaching and empowering U.S. Olympic and Paralympic athletes to act as ambassadors of Olympism. Social principles are demonstrated by USOA programs that expose Americans young and old to the inspirational stories of U.S. athletes, motivating others to seek the highest levels of excellence and to have respect for all.
Click here for additional programs driven by Team USA athletes.
The Crawford Family U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Archives will launch an online archive shortly, please visit back. Click here for information on the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum, opening in Colorado Springs in spring 2020.
The USOA is committed to participating in and contributing to the mission of the International Olympic Academy, which functions as a multicultural interdisciplinary center that aims at studying, enriching and promoting Olympism. The aim of the IOA is to create an international cultural center in Olympia, Greece, to preserve and spread the Olympic Spirit. It is the main international educational and cultural institution that aims to promote the Olympic ideals and to develop Olympic education, providing a unique opportunity for students, academics, athletes, artists and officials from all over the world to exchange ideas and share this "state of mind" in Ancient Olympia. There are a wide variety of educational sessions, academic programs and in depth research studies offered at the IOA campus in Oympia that aim towards serving the vision of the International Olympic Academy for the new century: to explore and enhance the contribution of Olympism to humanity.
The IOA holds a number of international sessions and workshops each year, including:
International Session for Directors of National Olympic Academies/Joint International Session for Presidents or Directors of National Olympic Academies and Officials of National Olympic Committees
These week-long sessions aim to support the function of the National Olympic Academies and encourage the foundation of new ones through lectures by professors, teachers and officials of the Olympic and Paralympic movements, and through group discussions.
International Session for Young Participants
This two week annual session designed as an introduction to Olympism and the Olympic Movement, bringing together a large international group of students, Olympic and Paralympic athletes and/or young people active in sport.
U.S. participants:
2011 – Maria Garcia Cruz (2006 speedskating Olympian)
2012 – Denis Petukhov (2006 figure skating Olympian)
2013 – Lars Flora (2002, 2006 nordic skiing Olympian)
2014 – Stacey Cook (2006, 2010, 2014 alpine skiing Olympian)
2015 – Catherine Raney Norman (1998, 2002, 2006, 2010 speedskating Olympian)
2016 – Administrators from the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee and National Governing Bodies
2017 – Administrators from the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee and National Governing Bodies
2018 – Emily Azevedo (2010 bobsled Olympian)
2019 – Mariya Koroleva (2012, 2016 synchronized swimming Olympian)
Additionally, the IOA acts as coordinator for the National Olympic Academies which are its branches, functioning as transmitters and amplifiers of the Academy's ideas by means of the National Programs of Olympic Education. There are currently 145 NOAs around the world, covering all five continents.
For more information on the IOA, visit IOA.org/gr.