Mike Moran, Assistant Executive Director
Media and Public Affairs
U.S. Olympic Committee
One Olympic Plaza
Colorado Springs, CO 80909
(719) 578-4529

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE. "Reach for the Rings: The Science of the Games" U.S. OLYMPIC COMMITTEE ANNOUNCES NEW NIE RESOURCES

(San Francisco, CA, February 17, 2000) The United States Olympic Committee, in collaboration with the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, has announced plans for new educational materials designed for middle and high school students and teachers.

“Reach for the Rings: The Science of the Games” focuses on the intricate relationship between science and sports — from the biomechanics of the body to the engineering of the competition equipment. The program will profile Olympic athletes and examine how science has had an impact on their athletic development. It will also give students and teachers an insider’s look at how progress in science and technology are connected to sports.

The educational materials are part of an outreach program of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) and are offered in partnership with Newspaper in Education (NIE) programs in communities throughout the country. Use The News, the premier provider of NIE curriculum resources, will create the materials.

In recent years, the growth of science and technology has changed sport development and personal athletic progress in very important ways. Students will enjoy reading stories of athletic triumphs and how advancements in science and technology played a part in them.

“New technology has advanced sport development in positive ways,” says Sheila Walker, USOC’s Senior Director of Sport Development. “Students today are tuned into technology. They will be especially interested in how these developments affect an athlete’s competitive abilities.”

The educational materials in the “The Science of the Games” series include a 16-page newspaper-style Student Supplement, a comprehensive Teacher Activity Guide for use with the Student Supplement, 10 newspaper features, and a video for classroom use.

The Student Supplement takes a look at the activities of the Science, Sports and Technology Department of the United States Olympic Committee. Students will make connections between the science in their own lives and the science that helps Olympians excel. The Teacher Activity Guide provides background, lesson plans, and reproducible activity sheets that use the newspaper to relate the real world to the science and sports concepts in the Student Supplement.

A series of 10 in-paper features illustrate the application of science to sports in the Olympic Games. These high-interest features can be run in the newspaper to promote the program. They feature colorful graphics, stories about the Olympic Games, and newspaper activities for young people and their families.

The video introduces students to the personal accomplishments of Olympic greats. It highlights dramatic competitions and explores the relationship between technological development and athletic success.

Educators can use “The Science of the Games” in conjunction with the upcoming Olympic Games in 2000. In addition, the series can be used independently of the Games by linking the materials to a school’s athletic programs, science and technology classes, or other curriculum areas. “The Science of the Games” is available to newspaper publishers on a per-item fee basis. The Student Supplement costs $150.00, the Teacher Activity Guide $75.00, the series of 10 in-paper features $75.00; all three are available for $295.00.

Use The News is one of the nation’s fastest-growing educational services companies. It publishes a variety of distinguished educational resources for middle and secondary school curriculums.