Empowering At-Risk Youth through Sport Excellence Programs – an Innovative Pedagogical Approach

Introduction

Sport has a unique duality, being both a goal and a means for achieving social change. Sport –Bridge to Education (N.G.O) has developed a novel holistic sport excellence program using sports and the values upon which it is based, as a platform for self-empowerment of at-risk youth. The strength of our model is enhanced by the fact that it operates solely in villages for at-risk youth, in closed educational frameworks, across Israel. Thus, it has the power to influence not only the participants themselves but also other interfacing circles within the village.

Our Goals

1. Creating a sense of competence and self-identification
2. Minimizing involvement in violence and increasing school attendance

Innovative pedagogical approach

We implement in our participants life skills, by integrating the values of sport: self-discipline, responsibility, setting goals and striving to achieve them, dealing with failure and success–through intensive training sessions.

Preliminary Achievements

Upon completion of third year of the program, our first graduates finished grade 12 with partial or full completion of the final exams. They serve in combat units in the army, or graduated pre-military preparatory (Mechina).They won running and cycling competitions and 25% quit smoking as part of improving life habits. The positive change in their self-competence and self- efficacy is a major achievement of our program which affects both academic and social behaviours of our participants. Based on our preliminary achievements, Sport-Bridge to Education will further expand its activity to provide sport excellence as an innovative platform for empowering at-risk children and youth on a national scale.