 social inclusion social inclusion goodpushadmin fri 1042019 1538 what is social inclusion  social inclusion means finding ways to encourage all individuals and groups to take part in your programs and in society inclusive programs provide opportunities and dignity to people who are facing discrimination and inequality why be inclusive  the problem  marginalized people lack opportunities to learn play make friends reach their full potential costs social norms and conflict limit access to safe free play spaces for youth holding back their personal development girls need a boost gender inequality is an issue worldwide take special steps to help girls overcome deeprooted social and cultural barriers to their involvement in skateboarding sports and education unless special efforts are made to include people facing additional barriers your project is unlikely to reach those who may benefit the most be a part of the solution  diversity is a society s strength an essential step to building strong communities is to encourage participation from people who are usually excluded based on ethnicity economic status ability gender and other factors building trust and friendships is a muchneeded first step towards overcoming ethnic and class divisions in communities countering gender inequality and reducing discrimination working with the young generation creates positive role models within divided communities who can contribute to positive social change in the longterm why skateboarding  skateboarding is a uniquely effective tool its simplicity makes it widely accessible and uncomplicated to pursue and its creativity inspires people to push their own limits regardless of physical or cognitive disabilities it is a simple concept with an accessible entry point stand or sit on the board push a skateboard can keep even the most challenging children engaged yet skateboarding presents challenges that can engage an individual over a lifetime it is a noncompetitive individual activity that allows youth of all backgrounds and abilities to come together as part of a community skateboarding builds confidence social supports and new friendships in short the skills to reach their personal potential and make positive contributions big or small to their communities skateboarding is a relatively new sport so is less likely to be seen as a sport just for boys and more likely to be accepted as an activity for girls as well skateboarding is not subject to existing cultural restrictions of more established sports like football this is most effective if girls are included and female role models are present from the very start in a new community it also provides a pathway to connect participants to larger educational and personal development opportunities  video of skateistan educators in afghanistan teaching a deaf skateboarding class what does an inclusive skate program look like  is a safe and supportive environment where all youth feel welcomed includes lowincome communities provide access to facilities equipment and instruction free of charge has participant recruitment policies that favour vulnerable youth and girls has a strong focus on staff training to create a supportive environment involved the community at all stages from building the skatepark to registering participants and celebrating events encourages female participation especially 13 and up provides privacy for female students and girlsonly skate classes and skilled female instructors reaches out to newcomer and ethnic minority children and their families since these youth may not be afforded the same access to public services as permanent residents and citizens has disabled access to the skatepark and learning areas other tips for making your project inclusive  for culture of inclusion to be most successful sessions should be facilitated or cofacilitated by members of the demographic you are seeking to reach females youth with disabilities lowincome ethnic minorities it s important to provide role models to participants and to reflect inclusion commitment within the staffing put up a sign that says discrimination won t be tolerated and be consistent in reinforcing the policies participants with differing disabilities do not necessarily wish to always be placed together in one group people with disabilities should be given the option of joining the open session classes if they feel comfortable to do so don t expect people from a demographic to speak for represent all of that demographic track progress if capacity allows it can be insightful to collect data that is separated by gender finds ways to adapt the skateboard sessions depending on abilitylevels tin skateistan cambodia s programs officer describes her experience teaching blind students   at first i explained to the children what a skateboard was and encouraged them to discover it by touching then i asked them to sit on a board and count three steps in pairs i asked them to rely on their hearing to find their friend they enjoyed the game so much they are not yet standing on the skateboard we are reflecting on balance activities we can do in a secure way  next steps  1 set goals  the most important step is to decide that you want to make your programs inclusive set goals on who you want to involve in your programs and be persistent note it s easier to be inclusive right from the start than to try to make it happen later since a culture of exclusiveness and division will already be established those who aren t from the same gender economic background ethnicity or level of ability may be too intimidated to participate 2 check out other relevant goodpush toolkits  community engagement toolkit  for tips on connecting with new communities or demographics monitoring evaluation learning toolkit  for tips on figuring out what impact your project aims to achieve and how you can measure your progress along the way 3 do the keep girls in sport ecourse this free online course from adidas and up2us is a great resource for anyone who is coaching girls and young women or wants to find ways to get more girls involved in their skateboarding sport programs  embedded video for social inclusion learn about the social barriers that might stop people from joining your programs learn about strategies to make your skatebased programs more accessible and welcoming to participants of all backgrounds with special tips for including girls and children with disabilities blog how to get more girls skating at your skatepark women skate the world  international guide to providing sport programs for girls women win  the facts gender inequality and violence against women and girls around the wo  unesco guidelines for inclusion gender mainstreaming european institute for gender equality  keep girls in sport ecourse adidas up2us  guide for girls sport programming in humanitarian settings women win  inclusive skateboarding programs worksheet docx  