Several municipalities in Europe struggle to engage and integrate groups of multicultural youth who are new in their communities and who will remain to live and participate in these communities. At the same time these youth oftentimes lack opportunities to participate, interact and integrate and don't feel a sense of belonging within these communities. This consortium aims to further develop street sports as a way of stimulating the visibility, participation and engagement of groups of multicultural youth in these communities. The consortium is convinced that street sport is an innovative way to contribute to further engagement and integrating of these groups of youth by providing them a positive and healthy environment. The more traditional and institutional sport sites are oftentimes communities on its own and more and more youth, especially those from multicultural backgrounds have an decreasing sense of inclusion and belonging to these sport sites. They want to have an own voice in creating this sport environment and make their own roles. Street sports (Basketball, football, fitness, parkour etc.) provides this environment, gives youth a stronger voice, stimulates youth engagement and is gaining more and more popularity. At the same time is the concept of using street sport for youth engagement relatively new and a lot of municipalities, youth workers and sport for development organisations lack the knowledge and network to properly deploy street sports for youth engagement. “Take it to the street” aims to develop curricula, best practices and tools that stimulate the use of Street Sports on community level. The project team consists of five complementary organisations that will design seven specific and concrete tools that will be used by the consortium partners, but also by other stakeholders (municipalities, youth workers and sport for development organisations) throughout Europe: - A research on the potential value of street sports for development - How to guide: designing effective street sports for youth engagement interventions - How to guide: Implementing effective street sports for youth engagement interventions - How to guide: Monitoring and evaluating street sports for youth engagement interventions - A 3x3 basketball for youth engagement and life skills facilitators guide - A 3x3 Basketball for youth engagement and life skills coaches’ manual - A video blog on how to design, implement and monitor Street Sports and Youth Engagement interventions The project team consists of the following organisations: International Sports alliance is a sport for development organisation, focussing on the capacity building of community based organisations and an expert in curriculum development and multi stakeholder approaches. GAME Denmark is a frontrunner in street sport and has years of experience and track records in running street sport for development activities in multicultural area's all over Denmark. GAME Lebanon is an implementing partner of GAME Denmark and is working on street sports as a tool for social cohesion in Lebanon. 3x3 Unites is a Dutch street basketball NGO and community sport organisation working with multicultural youth in Amsterdam. The German Sport University Cologne is Germany’s largest and most prestigious centre of teaching and research in physical education and sport science. By the end of the project, the consortium members have developed more insights and knowledge on how to use street sport for youth engagement and have improved their own programmes and interventions. Furthermore, relevant policy makers, youth workers and sport for development who struggle with reaching youth from multicultural backgrounds are engaged in street sport activities and interventions. This all contributes to a greater group of youth from multicultural backgrounds who are engaged in street sport activities and thereby increased their overall visibility, participation and sense of belonging within their 'new' communities.
ISA initiated the project 'Take it to the Street'. The project is about the value and use of street sports to promote the positive engagement of young people in society. The project was initiated on the basis of different underlying dynamics. in Europe, (local) governments struggle with the engagement and integration of young people, especially third country nationals, within their communities. The sports club can serve as an important space to foster the positive engagement and engagement of young people, but evidence shows that the traditional sports club doesn't fit for everybody. A shared belief of ISA and its consortium partners is that street sports can contribute to the engagement and integration of young people within society. This is backed by recent academic research that shows street sports are becoming increasingly popular throughout Europe. A consortium was formed with ISA in the lead and Game Denmark, Game Lebanon, Sport University Cologne and 3x3 UNITES as partners. Game Denmark has 10+ years experience in youth-led street sports for social change. Game Lebanon has specific experience working with high numbers of refugees and third country nationals using street sports. Sport University Cologne is a widely recognised institute doing research on Sport for Development. 3x3 UNITES is a young and innovative organisation that uses 3x3 basketball to promote social change. ISA has the positive engagement of young people at its core and recognises street sports as an important strategy. The aim of the consortium is to develop street sports as an effective strategy to promote the participation, engagement and integration of young people within their communities. More specific, 'Take it to the street' aims to develop curricula, best practices and tools that stimulate the use of street sports to promote positive engagement of youths. The project has resulted in: IO1: A research on the potential value of street sports for development IO2: How to guide: designing effective street sports for youth engagement interventions IO3: How to guide: Implementing effective street sports for youth engagement interventions IO4: How to guide: Monitoring and evaluating street sports for youth engagement interventions IO5: A 3x3 basketball for youth engagement and life skills facilitators guide IO6: A 3x3 Basketball for youth engagement and life skills coaches’ manual IO7: A platform on how to design, implement and monitor Street Sports and Youth Engagement interventions The project has led to more insights and knowledge among consortium partners and stakeholders on how to use street sport for youth engagement. It also led to improved programmes and interventions. This contributes to a greater group of youth from multicultural backgrounds who are engaged in street sport activities and thereby increased their overall visibility, participation and sense of belonging within their (new) communities. Two concrete examples: - In Amsterdam, 3x3 leaders are trained on the basis of the developed '3x3 for youth engagement' curriculum - War Child (as one of multiple international organisations) have shown an explicit interest in using street sports within their programmes