Japan Assists Singapore to Spread the Paralympic Movement through I’mPOSSIBLE

1 Mar 2019

News Release

In November 2018, the Japan Sport Council i(JSC), who promotes Sport for Tomorrowii (SFT), has hosted a teacher training of the Paralympic education programme I’mPOSSIBLE in Singapore, in collaboration with the Agitos Foundation (the development arm of the International Paralympic Committee) and two Japanese stakeholders.
There were 95 elementary school teachers taking part in the I’mPOSSIBLE teacher training and the programme will reach approximately 80,000 elementary schoolchildren around Singapore. In addition, the training will be implemented again in March 2019 for school teachers who could not attend in November 2018.





Since August 2018, 19 National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) have committed to implement the Agitos Foundation’s “I’mPOSSIBLE” education programme. To date, NPCs Kazakhstan and Singapore have hosted an I’mPOSSIBLE teacher training with a trainer from the Agitos Foundation. Furthermore, Japan has been the only country that contributed to the international diffusion of I’mPOSSIBLE by sharing knowledge and experience through the implementation of the programme within Japan.

On the 7th and 8th of November 2018, the JSC collaborated with the Agitos Foundation to hold a training for 95 elementary school teachers in Singapore on the Paralympic education programme I’mPOSSIBLE. It was carried out as a part of “Sport for Tomorrow”, an international contribution project through sport promoted by Japan tied with the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020. I’mPOSSIBLE is an education programme developed by the Agitos Foundation to spread the Paralympic values and the vision of the Paralympic Movement to young people throughout the world. Developed and funded by the Agitos Foundation, the I’mPOSSIBLE toolkit has been created with support from the Nippon Foundation Paralympic Support Center (NFPSC) and Foundation for Global Sports Development (FGSD), and in close collaboration with Japanese Paralympic committee (JPC). Moreover, the JPC and NFPSC have created a Japanese edition of the I’mPOSSIBLE toolkit in hopes of making it simpler for teachers to teach the values of the Paralympic Movement in Japanese schools.

Based on a request by the Singapore National Paralympic Council (SNPC) as well as the Singapore Disability Sports Council (SDSC), to apply the best practices of Japan’s experiences into their context, the training has been realized in Singapore. Trainers dispatched to Singapore from the Agitos Foundation, JPC and NFPSC conducted various training contents including a presentation showing an overview of the Paralympic Movement, highlight film on the Rio 2016 Paralympics Games, goalball activity, and group work using case studies to analyze the TREE framework (inclusion framework).

Feedback from a participant.
Ms. Nursaadah Binte Aziz, the Principal, My First School
“Attending this training has widened my horizons on sports and inclusiveness is our society. I definitely see the importance of teaching equality and inclusiveness within Singapore’s fundamental education. I want to learn more on how to promote other Paralympic sports.”

Shortly after the Training was finished in November, 7 trainees who participated in the Training came to Japan in order to observe the I’mPOSSIBLE lessons. The observation program was implemented by SDSC with the support of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry Singapore Foundation. The group visited Fuchu No. 8 Elementary School, listened to the story of Paralympian of wheelchair basketball, Hiroaki Kosai, and observed a goalball lesson. Today, these participants lead a diffusion of I’mPOSSIBLE in Singapore.

Feedback from a teacher who came to Japan.
Mr. Tan Ban Sun, Senior Teacher, Nan Chiau Primary School
“After attending the training, I'm keen on using the I’mPOSSIBLE toolkit to further enhance my current plan. I believe that the Paralympics values of Determination, Inspiration, Courage and Equality are definitely beneficial to be inculcated in my students.
An in-house school training for my school PE teachers will be conducted to familiarize them in using the toolkit. A lesson study project will be used to review the effectiveness of implementing the program and how we could further improve it.”

In order to respond to bring an opportunity for further teachers to participate in the training, we plan to hold another training session in Singapore in March 2019. In collaboration with the Agitos Foundation, we are also planning a follow-up session to monitor how the participants from November have implemented I’mPOSSIBLE in their schools.

Sport for Tomorrow will continue to spread the Paralympic Movement in cooperation with various domestic and international organizations.
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