Olympic values head to the classroom as Utah 2034 launches education committee

The Garff family at the July 29 Education Committee meeting at Utah Olympic Park. Photo: Ken Garff for Good.

PARK CITY, Utah — The Organizing Committee for the 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games has announced the formation of its Utah 2034 Education Committee, a 16-person advisory group made up of leaders from education, business, nonprofit and sport who share a commitment to supporting Utah’s next generation. On July 29, the Education Committee met at Utah Olympic Park.

The committee will provide strategic guidance, foster partnerships, and develop statewide initiatives that connect students and educators to opportunities created in the lead-up to 2034. Its mission includes launching a statewide classroom education program.

“A key vision point for Utah 2034 is to elevate communities,” Utah 2034 President and Executive Chair Fraser Bullock said. “Our Utah 2034 Education Committee brings together a diverse group of leaders who can guide us in impacting youth through classroom programs across the entire state, serving as a model for others to showcase the power of education and sport.”

One of the committee’s key missions is to oversee a statewide education strategy that uses the excitement and values of the Olympic and Paralympic movement to strengthen student literacy, increase school attendance and track measurable student outcomes.

Amy Garff will chair the Education Committee. The Robert H. and Katharine B. Garff Foundation is a founding captain in Utah 2034’s Podium34 program. As a pioneering captain in that program, the family’s Ken Garff for Good Foundation, which has provided education pathways for Utah students for more than 20 years, will help develop educational tools that bring Olympic and Paralympic values into Utah classrooms.

Syd Dickson, Utah’s past state superintendent of public instruction, will serve as the committee’s vice chair. Olympic champion Nathan Chen, a Utah native, will serve in an athlete role.

“The Garff family has long been a believer in the power of education. Amy’s leadership of the Education Committee is a good example of how Podium34 can translate philanthropic participation into tangible statewide impact,” Utah 2034 CEO Brad Wilson, who sits on the committee, said. “In our inaugural meeting, it was remarkable to see the interchange between educators from across the state, and how everyone was joined in a common mission.”

“The formation of the Education Committee is an important milestone as we begin building the educational legacy of the 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games,” Garff said. “By bringing together passionate leaders from across the state, we’re creating opportunities for students to engage with the values of the Olympic and Paralympic Movement in meaningful ways that will extend well beyond the Games.”

The committee held its inaugural meeting July 29 at the Utah Olympic Park in Park City, where members were introduced to the vision and strategic priorities for education and took part in collaborative discussions with Olympians, Paralympians and school district superintendents. The group aims to identify opportunities to integrate Olympic and Paralympic values into education and establish measurable goals for long-term impact.

Utah 2034 Education Committee members:

• Chair: Amy Garff, president, Ken Garff Philanthropies
• Vice chair: Syd Dickson, past Utah state superintendent of public instruction
• Brad Wilson, CEO, Utah 2034
• Mindy Benson, president, Southern Utah University, and Utah 2034 board member
• Doug Bowser, past president, Nintendo of America, and Hasbro board member
• Nathan Chen, figure skating gold medalist
• Andy Cooley, vice president of technology services, Kornerstone
• Lexi Cunningham, executive director, Utah School Superintendents Association
• Sheri Dew, executive vice president, Deseret Management Corp.
• Kathi Garff, chair, Robert H. and Katharine B. Garff Foundation
• Molly Hart, superintendent, Utah State Board of Education
• Geoff Landward, commissioner, Utah System of Higher Education
• Alisa Olsen, elementary school teacher, Nibley Elementary, Cache County School District
• Andrea Seminario, principal, Northwest Middle School, Salt Lake School District
• Erin Trenbeath-Murray, president, Ken Garff for Good