 reflections from the goodpush summit 2021 reflections from the goodpush summit 2021 rubymateja tue 9282021 1449 tue 9282021 1200 posted by the goodpush team last week we hosted our first online goodpush summit joining together for three days of workshops focused on mental health inclusive skateboarding and sustainability events skateboarding social skate social inclusion last week we hosted our first online goodpush summit joining together for three days of workshops focused on mental health inclusive skateboarding and sustainability hearing perspectives from all over the world we discussed the triumphs and shortfalls of the current social skateboarding landscape and how we can work together towards a more collectivized and supportive future link to all recordings at the bottom    day 1 mental health wellbeing  we kicked off this year s summit with a topic which has become a central theme close to many skateboarder s hearts  mental health whether you are a skatepark owner the founder of an organization a participant volunteer a grantmaker or even just an avid skateboarder you have most likely thought about the connection between skateboarding and mental health you may have experienced the benefits of skateboarding for your own wellbeing and selfcare and wonder if you can pass this on to others the first session of the summit gave an overview on the data behind social change through skateboarding worldwide  in this first day of workshops ashwyne dames an educator at skateistan south africa shared some practical methods from the mindpower curriculum which skateistan have implemented into their skate programmes mindpower was developed by waves for change and health warriors in 2020 and we at the goodpush are now working to make it available for free to the wider social skateboarding community on our new elearning platform coming soon stay tuned  ashwyne s workshops encouraged us to consider how participants in social skateboarding programmes may be negatively affected by external factors and how these uncontrollable outside factors may affect their internal worlds ashwyne demonstrated how behaviour feelings and thoughts affect each other and how positive changes in one aspect can help one to cope with life s challenges we practised some mindfulness exercises together and discussed the effects these had on our bodies and our minds as well as how we can practically implement them into skateboarding curriculum  day 2 inclusive skateboarding  the fact that so many individuals and organizations around the world are using skateboarding programmes for increasing inclusivity shows that with the right input it can be an incredible tool for creating positive social change however we must be careful not to put skateboarding on a pedestal and remove ourselves as active agents in the direction it flows for many marginalized groups the experience of feeling welcomed safe and provided for in a skatepark is one that they have never known which is why we re here having these conversations to learn from others and to ensure that anyone regardless of their age gender ethnicity race ability will see themselves reflected in skateboarding spaces culture and thus know that they are welcome there we began the day with presentations from david lebuser wcmx pro and cofounder of sit n skate  and linda ritterhoff skate coach with drop in ev and berlin on board  about how to make skateboarding programs more inclusive for people with disabilities and wheelchair skaters as well as the physical barriers that might stop someone from entering a skatepark we spoke about the importance of role models in helping others to overcome selfdoubts as david highlighted as disabled people or wheelchair users you are constantly told about the places that you cannot go the skatepark should be a place that is accessible for everyone who wants to go there to allow people to build their confidence and to overcome the idea that they cannot go into places because of their disability following the launch of the pushing against racism commitment on may 25th our second panel on day 2 addressed racism within skateboarding our speakers explained that by signing the commitment you are not only recognizing that racism exists within the skateboarding world but also acknowledging its structural roots which lie deeper than what you might witness on the streets or at the skatepark it is not enough to identify as antiracist we need to pull together and look around ourselves to see what really needs changing this includes representation of skaters of color at all levels of the community industry financial support and other opportunities an important first step is to admit where we ve done things wrong on a personal level and a broader societal level and to have honest conversations of how to progress from there skateboarding gave us the space to want to be together against what our parents wanted to unite in our marginalization dr neftalie williams our final panel of the day  queer and trans inclusion  featured guest speakers ranging from program mangers coaches lgbtqi role models and researchers alexandria berriochoa  skate like a girl  shared her experiences of refinding her skateboarding community after coming out as trans addressing the contradiction of creating ex clusive spaces for in clusivity she reiterates the necessity of these spaces for queer and trans people to allow nontraditional skaters to fail until they get it right a luxury mostly reserved for traditional skaters within the skatepark nobody should ever be able to tell a kid that they re not allowed to chase their dream or be who they want and it takes just a little bit of nuance on our end to make sure the parameters of skateboarding are ready for it alexandria berriochoa day 3 sustainable organizations  the third and final day of this year s summit was all about sustainability  how we can ensure stability staff and participant wellness growth and impact first we heard about fundraising from two members of the skateistan team alyssa bialowas communications officer and james green development officer who shared their expertise and tips for using communications tools to engage a donor database and ensure longevity within a social skateboarding organization which nicely led onto our presentations on measuring impact  where we heard about the different methods of gathering meaningful information and why it is so important for the governance of an organization but even more so for the continuous learning and progression it allows in the final panel about the  future of social skateboarding  marie mayassi  melanin skate gals pals  reiterated the importance of exclusive groups be that hosting meetups and creating safe spaces for bipoc folks lgbtqi girls and women she added that these groups should be encouraged and motivated to work together and collaborate through workshops and events working towards a more intersectional approach where exclusive groups remain independent for their own rights whilst cooperating and uplifting each other it s very important to have subgroups so that nobody s marginalisation is undermined and dismissed marie mayassi final thoughts it seems apt to reflect on dr indigo willing s comment in the pushing against racism panel that the trajectory should not be working out how to secure people of color a seat at the table but rather to burn the table and start over now we all know that there is no future without the past and not to deny the great progress and seeds that have already been sowed to move forwards however in order to do so we need a shared recognition and willingness to admit mistakes and make changes only from that point will we have the foundations to move towards true inclusivity in the skateboarding world and beyond you can now view all of the nine sessions from the summit happy viewing and thank you to all those who attended contributed to discussions or took part in any way    