6 Nonprofit Skateboard Charities That Make a Difference
Skateboarding is known to improve mental health, be a fun source of exercise and help improve hand-eye coordination. Not only that but it enriches the lives of young people and gives them a sense of community, inclusion and helps make friends from all walks of life. Here are six nonprofit organizations doing more than their bit to ensure young people and children get access to parks, skateboards and equipment, check them out!
Skate Pal @skate_pal
Skate Pal is a Palestinian skateboarding charity which supports young people and children on their skateboarding journey. Born in 2013 after founder, Charlie Davis volunteered as an English teacher back in 2006. He was amazed to be met with such enthusiasm when he skated the streets after class. The young people were so enticed that he began to think of ways he could bring skateboarding to Palestine. Then Skate Pal was born.
They aim to promote the social, health and wellbeing benefits of skateboarding and bring a sense of community and enhance the lives of local youth.
Skate Aid @skateaid
Skate Aid is a non-profit organization started by Titus Dittmann who is considered the “father of the German skate scene”. In 1984, he quit his day job as a school teacher and devoted his life to skateboarding. His well known business, TITUS, is now successfully run by his wife and son.
He began to get involved in skate projects all over the world and particularly in crisis areas. After visiting Afghanistan, he founded the Titus Dittmann Foundation in 2009 and in 2010, he built the first Skate-Aid skatepark in Karokh, Afghanistan.
Uganda Skateboard Community @ugandaskateboardcommunity
David Kizz founded the Uganda Skateboard Community in 2016 with the hopes of sharing the health and social benefits of skateboarding with Ugandan youth. After building their first skatepark they were amazed at how it benefitted the community on so many other levels and they went on to build two more skateparks with the support of locals, brand sponsorships and donations.
Skateistan @skateistan
Skateistan is an international non-profit organization that educates and empowers children age 5 - 17 through skateboarding. Over 2,500 young people attend their programs across Afghanistan, Cambodia and South Africa. What’s great about this one is that 50% of attendees are female, that’s a ratio we can back!!!
Skateistan sadly had to suspend their programs in Afghanistan last year (2021) for the first time since 2009. They say their future in Afghanistan is uncertain. But with that, they’ve decided to turn a new leaf and expand to a further 20 locations in the next year and bring on 4,500 students every week!
Make Life Skate Life @makelifeskatelife
Skater Arne Hillerns and his friends traveled through India in 2012 with their boards. There they met a group of Indian skateboarders who wanted to build a skatepark for their community but had no experience in that area. Their ideas developed and they had professional skatepark builders come to India to build it. “We secured sponsorship from Levi’s Skateboarding and built India’s first public skatepark. Throughout the process, the local skaters got a hands-on skatepark building education.”
After that, they decided to register as a non-profit organization. Since then, the Indian skateboarders have built more than 20 spots and skateparks across India, including their hometown, Bangalore.
Concrete Jungle Foundation @concretejunglefoundation
Through their Edu-Skate Positive Youth Development Program, Concrete Jungle Foundation utilize skateboarding to promote life skills for young people aged 6 - 16.
Each week, they focus on one of 11 different life skills and incorporate them into their skate lessons. Some of these skills include Positive Mental Attitude, Awareness, Confidence, Respect, Teamwork and Perseverance.
Alongside this, they also plan field trips, workshops, and competitions. They currently have two main, ongoing projects in Jamaica and Peru as well as one in Angola.
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