Skateistan

Sobre nosotros

Skateistan began as a grassroots Sport for Development project on the streets of Kabul in 2007 and is now an award­winning international non-profit organization that uses skateboarding and education for youth empowerment. Over 1600 youth, aged 5­-17, attend our Skate Schools in Afghanistan, Cambodia and South Africa.

Vision
To grow a sustainable organization that is recognized, locally and globally, for changing the lives of hundreds of thousands of youth through skate-boarding and quality programs – creating leaders that change the world

Our mission
We use Skateboarding as a tool for empowering youth, to create new opportunities and the potential for change.

WHY SKATEBOARDING?
Skateboarding is one of the best types of education you can get, as it is learning through play. Thanks to skateboarding youth are exposed to people of different ethnicities, gender and beliefs. It provides you with a community to inspire, guide and challenge the participator. It also teaches you how to be creative with your ideas and it provides the outlets for that creativity. In Afghanistan, it is considered inappropriate for girls to ride bikes, but with skateboarding there is no stigma attached to it..

Skateistan´s programs are provided to youth, in particular:
• Girls: Gender-based inequality is an important social issue that Skateistan aims to address by including as many girls as possible in their programs. Over 40% of registered students are female, and Afghanistan has the highest percentage of female skateboarders in the world. Skateistan offers girls­-only sessions at all of their Skate Schools!
• Low-income youth: By using skateboarding as a tool for engagement, Skateistan aims to provide better opportunities for the future of these youth.
• Youth living with disability: Skateboarding is accessible for youth with physical disabilities, as it can be practiced in some form by virtually anyone. The ability to take part in sport and creative activities, as part of Skate and Create, builds their confidence, self­esteem, and provides platforms for self­expression.
• Migrants: For children of migration backgrounds there are many obstacles to accessing education. Skateistan works with internally displaced youth, nomadic communities, economic migrants and refugees.

Programs:
Youth come for skateboarding, and stay for education. - Skateistan has three core programs designed to empower children of all backgrounds and keep them involved in the long term.
• Skate and Create: This program combines an hour of skateboarding instruction with an hour of educational arts. Each semester Skateistan Students learn about topics such as human rights and the environment, through taking part in creative arts such as painting, sculpture or photography. Skate and Create focuses on giving youth the safe space to learn through play and develop friendships that overcome deep social barriers.
• Back to School: Back­to­School provides educational tutoring. In Afghanistan, this is an accelerated learning program for out of school youth. Students come to Skate School five days a week for classes covering the national curriculum. Upon completion of the program Skateistan enrols students into a public school, usually in the 3rd or 4th grade. In South Africa, the program provides after school homework help and career guidance at the Dropping In center of the Skate School.
• Youth Leadership: Promising youth at Skateistan may go on to become Youth Leaders, assisting the Educators in classes, building their skill sets and planning local events. The Youth Leadership program develops a sense of ownership at the Skate Schools and creates role models for the other students and wider community. The program aims to create leaders for Skateistan and for a better world!

For other net participants we can offer an expert guidance through trained staff, give an expert opinion, procure expert information and establish new contacts in the field of our work.