The Youth Olympic Games (YOG) will be a new highlight on the world's sporting calendar. A pioneering initiative by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the YOG will be an Olympic Games for 14-18 year olds.

Featuring 26 sports, including some innovation ones such as beach wrestling and BMX biking, the YOG will showcase the best the world's youth has to offer. The successful host city can expect to welcome up to 3,200 athletes and 800 officials during the maximum 12-day Summer Games period.

But the Games will be about much more than sport. There will be a whole range of educational and cultural activities.

The first YOG, to be held in 2010, will be the dawn of a new era - an era Singapore hopes help to usher in.

The International Olympic Committee's (IOC) vision is for the Youth Olympic Games to be an event balancing sport, culture and education. The Culture and Education Programme (CEP) forms an integral component of the YOG - it aims to educate, engage and influence athletes to be true Olympians, to adopt and live by the Olympic Values of Excellence, Friendship and Respect and play active roles in their communities.

Athletes will have the unique chance to participate in CEP activities that are integrated with their sports competition schedules. Through CEP, athletes will be able to develop as true sportsmen and ambassadors in the society, and at the same time, make friends and have fun. They will learn about important global and sports issues, contribute to the environment and society, interact with other young people around the world and celebrate the Olympic movement and the diverse culture around the world.

The Culture Component of the CEP consists of live youth performances, art installations and festivals that centre on the theme of celebrating the Spirit of Olympism and cultural diversity.

The Education Component of the CEP comprises modular, fun and interactive activities planned around the sports competition schedule. An exciting range of activities such as hands-on workshops, talks by Olympians, outdoor activities, community projects and exhibition booths, will engage young people along 8 different themes:

• History of the Olympic Movement
• Olympism & Olympic Values
• Sports Context e.g. Managing a Professional Athlete Career
• Risks in Sports e.g. Doping and Betting Issues
• Wellbeing & Health
• Involving youth (Career in sports) e.g. Sports-related Career Options
• Social Responsibility
• Digital Media