Educación para Compartir (Education for Sharing)

Sports for Sharing Program

logo

Website

educacionparacompartir.org

Countr(ies)

Mexico, USA, Guatemala, Argentina, Dominican Republic, Colombia

Grade Level of Students Participating

Grades 1 to 6 in the US
Grades 1 to 9 in Mexico

Number of Students Participating per Year

Approximately 20,000 students participate in the Sports for Sharing program delivered in Mexico.

Year Organization Began

2007

Relationship to the public education system

Education for Sharing operates its programs in public, private, and charter schools, including in urban areas and in indigenous boarding schools. Education for Sharing also works with after school programs and summer camps.

Organization’s Vision and Mission

Vision: To be a global leader in the formation of citizens who play, reflect, propose solutions, and participate in communities where they are valued and are perceived as agents of change.

Mission: “To form better citizens from childhood through innovative educational programs based on the power of play.”

Brief Description of Program Activities

Sports for Sharing (S4S) is a civic educational program that uses the power of play and sports to develop young people to engage in active citizenship. The program raises awareness about global challenges through the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and encourages students to propose solutions within their communities to address local and global challenges related to the SDGs.

The objectives of the Sports for Sharing program are the following:

  • Raise awareness of global issues and challenges through UN Sustainable Development Goals
  • Encourage the practice of civic values
  • Promote the practice of healthy lifestyles
  • Promote respect for cultural diversity and inclusion
  • Activate citizenship and participation

S4S programs run for the length of a school year in the US and for a semester in Mexico and other Latin American countries. The program is designed for students between 6 and 15 years of age.

The Sports for Sharing program is “built using the socio-constructivist approach, which allows students to internalize the world’s global challenges addressed by UN Sustainable Development Goals in a simple way through play and sports. Afterwards, they reflect on how these problems impact their community to come up with innovative ideas to mitigate them through the management of projects.

Collectively, children decide which community issue concerns them most, name a project manager, design a project calendar, manage a budget; and ultimately, execute their project. "2

Program Content: Intrapersonal Competencies

Tolerance, respect, responsibility, global awareness/citizenship, self-confidence

Program Content: Interpersonal Competencies

Teamwork, collaboration, empathy.

Program Content: Cognitive Competencies

Problem solving and project management skills, understanding of global issues and UN Sustainable Development Goals

Program Content: Attitudes and Values

Fair play, gender equality, tolerance, cultural diversity and inclusion

Program Content: Pedagogy/ Active Engagement of Students

Students participate in physically engaging games and then reflect through meaningful dialogue centered on civic values and Sustainable Development Goals. This experiential learning encourages students to take what they have learned and integrate it into their daily lives.3 During the school year, teachers, parents, and children become aware of global challenges and the important role they play within their communities in proposing effective solutions to these challenges.

Education for Sharing (E4S) also provides professional development to teachers about innovative pedagogical methods and provides guidance throughout their programs to generate an impact beyond the classroom by encouraging students to propose and develop their own projects that address local and/or challenges. Teachers adopt the E4S methodology, experience it with their students and see the transformation in students’ behavior.

Additional Notes

Although Sports for Sharing is the oldest and largest program, Education for Sharing also has three other programs: Initiative for Sharing, Science for Sharing, and Art for Sharing. In Mexico, the Initiative for Sharing program usually follows the Sports for Sharing program.

  1. Initiative for Sharing: Gives students the opportunity to implement an initiative that addresses an area of improvement with their school or local community. Participating students are equipped with project management skills and supported as they design and implement their own initiatives for social impact. 

  2. Science for Sharing: Gives students between ages 6 and 12 years old hands-on experience with science, technology, engineering, and math to make the subject matter accessible, relevant, and interesting. Students learn how the STEM fields are applicable to their daily lives and are encouraged to propose solutions concerning environmental and health issues to improve their own communities’ future. This is a relatively new program. 

  3. Art for Sharing: Gives students between ages 11 and 15 experiences that help students develop social skills and strengthen critical, empathetic, and creative participation in society through artistic exploration. Through the theatre-based methodology and reflection, students learn about societal problems such as the achievement gap, school and domestic violence, sex education, lack of self-awareness, and acceptance.

This organization began in Mexico and expanded to other countries in Latin America and the US. Education for Sharing operations is limited to Washington, DC in the US, as it is relatively new compared other chapters. However, Education for Sharing operations span the entire country in Mexico.

Reference List

1Unless noted otherwise, all information provided in the table are based on information provided on Education for Sharing’s website and phone interview conducted with Yizree Urquijo, COO of Education for Sharing, on June 7, 2016.
2Direct quote from WISE awards website describing Sports for Sharing’s activities
3Sports for Sharing” page in E4C website

Prepared by

Seungah Lee