The World Athletics Championships Oregon22, which is coming to the heart of the University of Oregon campus this summer, is offering a special program for youth.

As part of the buildup to the event, the local organizing committee has developed an extensive youth engagement program called Making Tracks. The program, first launched in November and designed for K-12 students, invites all youth to be a part of the history, cultural diversity, global unity and excitement of the world coming to Oregon for the first World Athletics Championships to take place in the United States. 

This program represents a dedicated effort to connect the sport of track and field more broadly with a younger generation of fans. The Making Tracks digital activity library hosts a variety of lesson plan guides and activities available across five content categories: global explorations, career explorations, arts and culture, STEM, and active healthy lifestyles. The digital activity library was recently expanded to include more modules.

New activities will continue to be added, including: 

• Content collaboration with ASICS, a World Athletics partner.
• Resources to help participants become active by learning the fundamental skills of track and field with USA Track & Field’s RunJumpThrow curriculum.  
• Lesson plans exploring how concepts of sustainability come into play in the planning of the World Athletics Championships, developed by local recycling nonprofit BRING. 
• Content aimed at empowering girls through track and field and embracing the diverse and inclusive nature of the sport, developed by nonprofit TrackGirlz.
• A downloadable card pack and games that enable the exploration of the 200-plus nations represented by delegations competing in the World Athletics Championships.

Completion of a simple registration form is all that is needed to access all materials for free and to receive email updates about any new opportunities. Educators are encouraged to delve into the library and to get set for additional content and in-person youth activations in the lead-up to and during the event. Program materials can be accessed on the Making Tracks website.