The Legacy and Sustainability plan for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games — 83 DEPLOYMENT OF THE OLYMPIC AND PARALYMPIC WEEK (OPW) Held for the first time in January 2017, the OPW is now a recurring feature in the annual calendar of the French Ministry of National Education, Youth and Sport. Developed with all schools and higher education institutions in mind, the OPW seeks to: • build awareness of the Olympic and Paralympic values among pupils and students; • use sport as an educational tool; • introduce pupils and students to the Olympic and Paralympic disciplines; • change the way young people view disabilities and encourage them to take part in sport; • empower young people to become engaged and active members of the community. These projects, which are primarily championed by teachers with support from school and university sports federations, help bring children together around the Olympic and Paralympic sports, expand the social circles of young people, students and athletes, use sport as a gateway into other disciplines and raise awareness about disability. In 2020, over 450,000 pupils and students took part in the OPW. The event has proved to be an effective way to discuss disabilities; two thirds of projects include children playing or learning about parasports. The OPW facilitates the implementation of the Generation 2024 strategy, accelerates greater understanding, and shines a spotlight on the benefits of sport. Furthermore, the OPW explores a different societal challenge each year (such as diversity, interculturalism and health), thereby demonstrating the vast range of opportunities sport and the values it champions have to offer in education. © – Dunne-Odhran