The international training session of the Olympic Values Education Programme (OVEP) took place in Vilnius, Lithuania, in early February. The OVEP programme was developed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). It aims to promote the unique potential of sport and physical activity, combining sport with education and cultural expression. This year's event was the second international OVEP training to be organised in Lithuania by the Lithuanian National Olympic Committee (LNOC). The first one was held in 2019. This year, 20 participants from 20 different countries came to Vilnius after being selected from the 80 applications received. 

This is the eighth consecutive year that the OVEP training has been held in Lithuania. The LNOC was one of the first NOCs in the world to have the programme translated into its native language and, with the approval of the IOC, to offer multi-level training to Lithuanian instructors. The international training was designed to share Lithuanian best practice, says Kasparas Šileikis, Director of Olympic Education at the LNOC.

"All the participants are involved in some way in the Olympic Movement. They work for Olympic Committees, Olympic Academies or sports federations. They all know what the Olympic Movement is all about. But the idea of the training was to share Lithuania's experience of almost eight years of implementing the OVEP programme in our country. We wanted to create ambassadors for the programme and develop the network of promoters of Olympic values. I have no doubt that the foreign participants will now be able to organise similar training events in their own communities. At the very least, they will have improved their skills and will be more motivated to promote the Olympic values in their own organisations," said Kasparas Šileikis. 

OVEP training events have very specific objectives and are based on five core values that explain the essence of the Olympic Movement: respect for others, fair play, the joy of effort, balance of body, mind and spirit, and the pursuit of excellence. "One of the objectives was to give the participants the opportunity to see and experience the Olympic Values Education Programme. This is the development method of non-formal education. This is what OVEP is famous for in Lithuania. We actively use non-formal education activities, which allow to experience all the values through practice and various activities. We believe that the international training was also a space for personal development and improvement of social skills," said Kasparas Šileikis. 

It is not just an offer. It is also an opportunity for improvement through collective suggestions. It is about creating spaces for future cooperation through networks. It is also a chance for all stakeholders to have a say in the development of ideas and projects, and to work together for improvement.

"For example, regarding the plans for the Erasmus+ project, we very quickly found common ground with some Olympic Committees. That's why we can say that the international OVEP training was beneficial not only for the participants, but also for us," Kasparas Šileikis was pleased to say.

The meeting was chaired by Nerijus Miginis and Donatas Petkauskas. They have been working with OVEP in Lithuania since the beginning of the programme. "During the five days, the foreign participants had to deal with many emotions and challenges. But without challenges, there would be no lasting benefits. In my opinion, everything was just perfect," he concluded.

The implementation of OVEP started in 2016 and since then it has been gaining more and more interest in Lithuania, with 150 training events across the country and the participation of more than 2,000 teachers from different subject areas. There are 19 certified OVEP trainers who are qualified to deliver the first level of OVEP training. It is planned to continue the work by offering OVEP training sessions to teachers, coaches and well-known athletes.