<p><em>At Skateistan, we believe that skateboarding can be a force for good all over the world. In the last 10 years, we’ve learned many lessons about how to use skateboarding programs effectively to empower young people and to bring communities together. At the recent Pushing Boarders event in London, we announced the launch of The Goodpush Alliance, a pilot project to share what we’ve learned with other skateboarding-for-good organizations around the world.</em></p>

<p><em>Words by Rhianon.</em></p>

<p>It’s been 10 years since Skateistan started our first programs for kids in the streets of Afghanistan, and in that time the number of projects using skateboarding for social change around the world has grown massively. While our core work is focused on the 2,000+ young people we work with each week, we believe it’s the perfect time to reach out and share our knowledge ­– both our successes and challenges — with others who seek to use skateboarding as a tool for good. Together, we can have a much bigger impact and change more kids’ lives through our shared love of skateboarding.</p>

<p>So it was perfect timing to be invited to the Pushing Boarders event held earlier this month in London, UK, which brought together skateboarders, community leaders and renowned scholars to explore the social impact of skateboarding worldwide. This was the first international event with a focus on skateboarding for good, and we at Skateistan were honored to have our Founder and Executive Director Oliver Percovich speak on the “Globally Stoked” panel, together with speakers from SkatePal, Make Life Skate Life, Skate-Aid and Free Movement Skateboarding.</p>
