2008 Olympics Information

HOW DO I VOLUNTEER FOR THE OLYMPICS?

The Beijing Organizing Committee for the 29^th Olympic Games (BOCOG) and the Beijing Olympic Games Volunteer Work Coordination Group have opened up China’s 2008 Olympic and Paralympics volunteer program to applicants worldwide. 
Americans interested in becoming an Olympic or Paralympic volunteer should apply on-line with the Beijing Olympic Games Foreign Volunteer Recruitment Center.  Go to http://www.ebeijing.gov.cn/ and then click on the Olympic Volunteers Recruitment banner.    Interested applicants can find additional general information about the program and volunteering at the BOCOG site,http://en.beijing2008.cn/70/71/overseavolunteer.shtml
Applications must be in before March 31, 2008.  BOCOG will review and select applicants in May 2008.   

Applicants should have realistic expectations.  There will be 202 teams competing at the games with representation among the volunteer corps from each of the teams’ home nation/organization being proportional to team size.  Volunteer positions are limited; competition will be intense.  BOCOG will select 70,000 for the Olympic Games and 30,000 for the Paralympics.  More than 450,000 people, over 280,000 from the Beijing area alone, have already applied through the domestic recruitment program.

BOCOG has advised that foreign volunteers with either specific technical skills (e.g. professional interpreter) or a long history of working on previous Olympics will be given first priority.  All volunteer candidates will be subject to a background check per International Olympic Committee regulations and need to comply with China’s visa regulations.  Please refer to BOCOG’s website for additional details.  http://en.beijing2008.cn/83/67/column211716783.shtml