The National Olympic Committee of Turkey – Culture and Olympic Education Commission has taken an important step for younger generations to gain a sports culture in earlier times of their lives with its “Sports Culture and Olympic Education Project” run with the support of Ministry of National Education and National Education Directorate of the City of İstanbul. Since 17th February 2006, around 200.000 4th and 5th grade students from 1500 elementary schools have seen this presentation. This project aims to deal with issues like sports culture, olympic games, olympism, fair play, environment and nutrition together with children with its mascot Oli and its motto “We are Strong, Friendly and Full of Love because We Do Sports”.

This entertaining and educating, interactive presentation comprising films, animations and awarded contests was prepared by the support of academics, child psychologists and pedagogues. We are running a project where we realize that it is very important to speak the same language with children, showing them innovative solutions and teaching them with enjoyable technics prepared in accordance with their perceptions, interests and age. We believe we have reached 500.000 people together with the children’s families, teachers and friends. Thus, we think that this project created an awareness and conscious among the future athletes and sports audience. With this project that we started in the second semester of 2005-2006 Educational Year, we have reached around 200.000 4th and 5th grade students from Adapazarı, Edirne, Kırklareli, Manisa, Mersin, Konya, Eskişehir, Bolu, Balıkesir, Tekirdağ, İzmir, Trabzon and Kocaeli.

We were awarded with “The Mission of the Year in Education Sector” in 2007 by Gökçe Karataş Foundation and received our reward from the 9th President of Republic Süleyman Demirel.

We are proud to have created a world-class project as the 100th anniversary of our republic is approaching. We believe that with this project, helping in the development of a cultured and educated youth, aware of the benefits of sports is very important for the Olympic Games that we are planning to organize in the future.

We also have a website called www.olimpistler.org.tr where children can obtain information on olympic games, sports culture, nutrition and project news exposed in the pres and can exchange messages with our mascot Oli.