▁promote ▁the ▁cultural ▁and ▁educational ▁development ▁of ▁the ▁Olympic ▁Mov ement . ▁ ▁Many ▁people ▁who ▁had ▁attended ▁IO A ▁session ▁returned ▁home ▁and ▁started ▁spread ing ▁what ▁they ▁learned ▁in ▁Ath ens . ▁They ▁organized ▁meet ings , ▁published ▁their ▁impress ions ▁and ▁delivered ▁speech es ▁on ▁the ▁subjects . ▁These ▁meet ings ▁and ▁other ▁activities ▁became ▁the ▁found ations ▁of ▁the ▁National ▁Olympic ▁Academ ies . ▁ ▁Otto ▁Sim it zek , ▁Dean ▁of ▁the ▁IO A ▁for ▁over ▁ 3 0 ▁years , ▁wrote ▁in ▁one ▁of ▁his ▁articles ▁some ▁time ▁ago : ▁" I ▁believe ▁implicitly ▁that ▁the ▁National ▁Olympic ▁Academ ies ▁can ▁and ▁will ▁accomplish ▁a ▁task ▁of ▁great ▁import ▁and ▁consequence , ▁especially ▁so ▁if ▁they ▁are ▁in ▁touch ▁with ▁the ▁parent ▁International ▁Olympic ▁Academy ▁and ▁they ▁coordinate ▁their ▁activities ▁accordingly ". ▁ ▁IO A ▁programs ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 1 , ▁the ▁IO A ▁inaugur ated ▁its ▁first ▁program , ▁the ▁International ▁Session ▁for ▁Young ▁Part icip ants , ▁the ▁only ▁IO C ▁Session ▁by ▁that ▁time . ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁hosted ▁under ▁t ents . ▁ ▁In ▁later ▁years , ▁the ▁program ▁had ▁ 2 1 0 ▁participants . ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 6 , ▁the ▁" Intern ational ▁Sem inar ▁for ▁Sports ▁Journal ists " ▁was ▁first ▁held . ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 7 , ▁the ▁IO A ▁started ▁the ▁" Intern ational ▁Session ▁for ▁NO A ▁Direct ors " ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 2 , ▁the ▁" J