Sport and Education Program 2026

• Full title: Sport and Education Program: from Ancient Olympia to the Present
• Organized by: CHS Greece, IOA, in cooperation with Harvard Athletics, University of Patras, and Stark Center for Physical Culture and Sport at the University of Texas at Austin, with the support of Harvard’s Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, and the AEGEAS Non-Profit Civil Company, and under the auspices of the General Secretariat of Sport, Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports, Hellenic Republic
• Language: English
• Faculty: Prof. Charles Stocking, Academic Director of the program (University of Texas at Austin/CHS), Dr. Georgios Mouratidis (British School at Athens), Prof. John Zilcosky (University of Toronto), Prof. Mark Dyreson (Pennsylvania State University)
• Guest speakers: Panagiotis Pelekoudas (Coach, General Secretary of the Panhellenic Association of Professional Volleyball Players, and former international volleyball player), Dimitra Papadimitriou (Professor, Department of Business Administration, University of Patras), Cory Johnson (Assistant Librarian and Researcher at Texas Tech University, Expert on Mixed Martial Arts, Sanda, Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Kickboxing, and former Coach of the USA National Sanda Team), Ted Minnis (Men's and Women's Water Polo Head Coach, Harvard University)

Synopsis

For five days this summer, a diverse body of students and faculty convenes in Olympia and at the state-of-the-art facilities of the International Olympic Academy. During plenary sessions and small-group discussions, participants engage in experiential learning, conversation, and debate around key themes and topics introduced by the faculty on how sport shaped ancient models of knowledge, and how, in turn, the ancient athletic-knowledge complex, known as paideia, served as a model for modern universities and professional sports. Additionally, faculty-led sessions on the archaeological site and museum of Ancient Olympia, and the Museum of the History of the Olympic Games of Antiquity, give students a sense of vital connection to the embodied past. Learn more about the Sport and Education Program.