<p>One of the main goals we had this year for the Goodpush Alliance was to bring as many of the leading and emerging&nbsp;skateboarding-for-good initiatives as possible together in the same space. So much of our work and our lives these days happens online or on our phones and computers, which is fantastic for allowing us to access resources and connect with others around the world, but is never quite the same as face-to-face meetings.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Our Goodpush events in Copenhagen and South Africa this year brought together nearly 100 people from more than 50 different skateboarding initiatives worldwide to share knowledge and build connections.&nbsp;</p>

<h4>Goodpush Meeting in Copenhagen&nbsp;</h4>

<p>first-ever Goodpush Alliance meeting, held in Denmark in August. The biggest takeaway is that as an Alliance, we hold a huge wealth of knowledge. At this full-day meeting, we were 61 individuals representing 38 social skateboarding organizations. We are an enormously passionate and motivated group working incredibly hard to change people’s lives for the better. By sharing resources, solutions and ideas we can move ahead on addressing some of our biggest challenges, and collaborate to support each other’s work. We hope this is just the first of many Goodpush meetings!</p>

<p>Our meeting earlier this week in Copenhagen involved workshops and discussion around our goals, challenges and how we achieve the impact we want to have in the very different communities we work in worldwide.<br />
?<br />
We also talked about gaps: in our knowledge, in mental health supports, in resources for paying staff, and in how our projects can take into account environmental sustainability. ✨<br />
We hope that everyone left the meeting feeling more connected and motivated to continue the amazing work these 60 people do within 30+ social skateboarding projects globally. A full meeting summary will be released in a few weeks! ?<br />
Thanks to everyone who joined and to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/pushingboarders/">@pushingboarders</a>&nbsp;for so many valuable inputs we brought into the meeting. Also to our presenters from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/hull_services/">@hull_services</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/dropinrideout/">@dropinrideout</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/skateistan/">@skateistan</a>! Also big thanks to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/alis_wndrlnd/">@alis_wndrlnd</a>&nbsp;For the free space</p>

<p dir="ltr">What are the benefits of a common big picture goal?</p>

<ul>
	<li>
	<ul>
		<li dir="ltr">
		<p dir="ltr">Sharing the load through partnerships&nbsp;</p>
		</li>
		<li dir="ltr">
		<p dir="ltr">Holding each other accountable&nbsp;</p>
		</li>
		<li dir="ltr">
		<p dir="ltr">Sharing experiences and knowledge</p>
		</li>
		<li dir="ltr">
		<p dir="ltr">Supporting each other</p>
		</li>
		<li dir="ltr">
		<p dir="ltr">Sharing materials, tools and resources</p>
		</li>
	</ul>
	</li>
</ul>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>a presentation by Skateistan South Africa Educator, Wendy Ngwenya, and a workshop on challenges and solutions. Wendy talked about past and ongoing challenges related to running Skateistan programs in Johannesburg. Then the participants worked in groups of 5-10 people&nbsp; to brainstorm challenges and discuss solutions.</p>

<p>Key challenges mentioned:</p>

<p>Sustainable funding</p>

<p>Human resources (Reliable/available volunteers/teachers, skills gap, low pay for staff, finding leaders within community)</p>

<p dir="ltr">Burn out</p>

<p dir="ltr">Lack of facilities/workshop space&nbsp;</p>

<p dir="ltr">Weather affecting activities (no indoor space)</p>

<p dir="ltr">Getting skateboarding equipment</p>

<p dir="ltr">Lack of inclusiveness &amp; diversity&nbsp;</p>

<p dir="ltr">Girls’ participation&nbsp;</p>

<p dir="ltr">Measuring (long-term) impact</p>

<p dir="ltr">We learned about the basics of logic models and how these can help us plan programs and seek out funding.&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li dir="ltr">
	<p dir="ltr">We will work together to make a shared impact model for social skateboarding.</p>
	</li>
</ul>

<p dir="ltr">Joel Pippus from Hull Services presented on his work and the research around the brain, emotional trauma, and skateboarding’s ability to heal the brain from trauma. The presentation built off of the short documentary released in 2018, <a href="https://vimeo.com/281117753">Push to Heal</a>, which explains the concepts in detail.&nbsp;</p>

<p dir="ltr">Sophie Friedel, who uses “skateboard therapy” in her Drop In Ride Out program in Germany, facilitated a Q &amp; A after the presentation.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p dir="ltr">Joel shared the below infographic showing how each level of brain development can benefit from skateboarding. There are four levels of the brain:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li>
	<ul>
		<li dir="ltr">
		<p dir="ltr">Brainstem - sensory;&nbsp;</p>
		</li>
		<li dir="ltr">
		<p dir="ltr">Diencephalon - pattern/repetition behaviour;</p>
		</li>
		<li dir="ltr">
		<p dir="ltr">Limbic system - relational skills;&nbsp;</p>
		</li>
		<li dir="ltr">
		<p dir="ltr">Neocortex - cognitive (ie. tricks/complex skills).&nbsp;</p>
		</li>
	</ul>
	</li>
</ul>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p dir="ltr">Skateboarding and the Brain</p>

<p dir="ltr"><img height="324" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/2ICAUoAessR_UK37APp2ehCsZczcesyvjqLlHOvTE2LhKRIYc5Q64GJdW6KsbUo3Nu7lPfykARtCSZC4fTNN8WnXgMTiXyTsIYeK4UaL8dtFbGK-KJK6lkx_5FVRta2jsMkQs_2h" width="324" /></p>

<p dir="ltr">&nbsp;</p>

<p dir="ltr">Skateboarding can heal the brain from trauma</p>

<ul>
	<li dir="ltr">
	<p dir="ltr">The Neurosequential Model (NM) lens legitimizes what we inherently knew but couldn't explain: that skateboarding is healing and can literally save lives.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
	</li>
	<li dir="ltr">
	<p dir="ltr">Using this lens intentionally and skillfully adds another layer to the amazing work already being done around the world through skateboarding.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
	</li>
	<li dir="ltr">
	<p dir="ltr">The NM lens can also be a tool to communicate with potential funders about the work that we do.</p>
	</li>
</ul>

<p dir="ltr"><br />
Therapeutic relationships are central to any lasting change when working with people&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li dir="ltr">
	<p dir="ltr">Relationships are more important than choosing an appropriate program strategy or model.</p>
	</li>
	<li dir="ltr">
	<p dir="ltr">The main factor in determining the outcome of therapy is the relationship between the staff and the person. It’s not so much “what you do” but how you do it. Just being there and building a strong relationship is already a huge help for children affected by trauma.&nbsp;</p>
	</li>
</ul>

<p dir="ltr"><br />
Skateboarding is defined by the DIY mentality&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li dir="ltr">
	<p dir="ltr">This is a central area of strength for skateboarders.&nbsp; It also presents a risk.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
	</li>
	<li dir="ltr">
	<p dir="ltr">Skaters at times try to do everything themselves rather than be open to collaborate with the "wraparound"of services often required (when possible) to best support the complex populations we are working with.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
	</li>
	<li dir="ltr">
	<p dir="ltr">This DIY mentality can also create a stigma against asking for help.</p>
	</li>
</ul>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<h4>Goodpush Summit in Johannesburg (October 2-5)</h4>

<p>South Africa this year brought together</p>
