New Children and MSEs Online Course – Call for Testers

The Centre for Sport and Human Rights (CSHR) is pleased to announce that a new online course: Children and Mega-Sporting Events (MSEs) will soon be available for all those aspiring to host or who have recently been awarded the right to stage an MSE. The course aims to:

• Raise awareness of the rights and specific risks related to children in the context of MSEs
• Help increase knowledge about child safeguarding, youth participation and other child rights issues like child labour, and where to access resources on these topics
• Facilitate the practical application of the learning across the MSE lifecycle from planning to legacy, with particular emphasis on the host city or country level, so that MSEs are delivered in the best interests of the child.

The course makes use of video, animations and infographics to share insights from leading global experts and to introduce key management frameworks, and is illustrated using case studies of emerging good practice employed by MSE hosts and their partners.

Before we can formally launch the course and make it freely available to learners, we need to put the course through “beta-testing”. This will enable us to ensure that the course addresses the learning needs and expectations of our target audience and meets a high standard usability.

CSHR is calling for volunteers to register their interest in supporting us with beta-testing. We are looking for geographical diverse input and representation from a wide range of functional areas and disciplines, including public officials, event organisers, international federations and others involved in the bidding, planning, delivery and legacy of MSEs. Testers will have a chance to take the course and benefit from the learning experience, while supporting this important global learning initiative.

If you would like to support this process, please sign up below to register your interest. Given the need to ensure a diverse spread of pilot users please understand that we reserve the right to limit numbers. Selected testers will be informed in due course.

The module covers the basics about child rights and well-being in relation to the planning and delivery of an MSE. Learners will understand the different phases of a MSE and be able to identify potential impacts to children at each stage, and will become familiar with the international frameworks that can help MSE hosts to organise a child-friendly event.

This module explains why it is important to take children’s views, perceptions, and concerns into account in decision-making processes in a meaningful and practical manner. Learners will receive guidance on the best way to consult and involve children in a meaningful way.

The module covers what child safeguarding is in an MSE context and explores the particular safeguarding risks confronting different groups of children in and around an MSE. Learners will discover how to engage with the topic and apply the International Safeguards for Children in Sport and other key resources.

We kindly thank and acknowledge the International Safeguards for Children in Sport Initiative for use of the International Safeguards for Children in Sport in this video which are covered in further detail in the full course.

The module covers what is meant by child labour and the various forms of child labour and the principal child labour risks in relation to MSEs. Learners will look at responses to the challenges and learn about key considerations for child-friendly procurement.

The module covers what is meant by an MSE legacy and key considerations in creating a positive legacy for children. Learners will gain an understanding of how to assess the impacts of a legacy on children and become familiar with positive and negative MSE legacies for children.