Under the MOU, an Olympic education hub will be created on the IOAPA website, where best practices and programmes will be shared globally for interested parties.

The IOAPA represents more than 1,100 alumni worldwide who have attended an official session of the International Olympic Academy in Olympia in Greece.

Its stated aim is to foster an international and multicultural fellowship of past participants, providing tools and resources to facilitate Olympic education and support Olympism worldwide.

"Our mission is to provide the best possible environment for Canadian athletes competing at the Olympic Games and to advance the values of the Olympic Movement," said David Shoemaker, chief executive and secretary general of the COC.

"Educating communities through our Olympic education programs helps us do just that.

"The Olympic Movement has the power to build bridges, link cultures and unite the world through sport.

"It is an ideal that we will continue to celebrate at future Olympic Games.

"We are incredibly proud to be the first National Olympic Committee to collaborate with the IOAPA to promote sport as a positive force."

Canadian Olympic education programmes, such as resources from the Canadian Olympic School Program (COSP), will be the first-ever NOC-led content on the hub.

The MoU also includes further promotion of Canadian Olympic education initiatives through IOAPA newsletters and social media platforms, as well as support for Canadian delegates attending International Olympic Academy sessions.

"The Canadian Olympic Committee is a leader in Olympic education through initiatives such as the Canadian Olympic School Program, and so the IOAPA is excited to be able to share their resources to our entire network of IOA alumni and partner education organizations around the world," IOAPA President Richard Koo said.

"Education is an essential pillar of the Olympic Movement to promote fairness, leadership and respect amongst other important values.

"We hope that the collaboration with our friends in Canada will hopefully serve as a model for other National Olympic Committees to join."

Canadian Olympic education programmes are designed to teach Canadians about the value of the Olympic Movement.

The aim is to - by educating through sport - inspire the next generation of Canadians to contribute to building peaceful communities without discrimination of any kind by respecting the values of friendship, solidarity and fair play.

For more than 35 years, the COC has developed education initiatives delivered across the country, including Team Canada Champion Chats, which incorporates four weeks of learning activities and culminates in a nation-wide live chat featuring Team Canada Olympic and Paralympic athletes.

The Chats initiative reached more than 17,000 students in its first year.