Skateistan is back in the swing of things
JOBURG – The skate school's operations are back up and running.
An innovative skateboarding-focused school in the trendy Maboneng area has made great strides from last year to this year.
Skateistan is the brainchild of skateboard enthusiast, Oliver Percovich, and is a place that empowers vulnerable youth and female youth to experience a life fulfilled by the sport-based curriculum offered at the establishment, which now has more than five branches around the globe.
The school aims to empower children by taking them through a specialised curriculum – not based on that of the government – which uses skateboarding and sport to instil confidence and open their minds to new prospects.
With South Africa’s Skateistan branch having opened late last year, all on board have put in their utmost to get the school up and running and is has been deemed by the organisation’s ambassador and pro-skateboarder, Tony Hawk, to be a great success.
Since the inclusion of inner-city children into the programme, the team has seen great improvement in their skills and focus. “There has been a notable improvement in the student’s confidence on the skate park as both the boys and the girls are pushing themselves to try bigger tricks. We have also reached more students in the homework help sessions and more and more students [of all grades] realise the importance of getting their homework done.
“I think with the added donation from the Canadian High Commission which assisted programmes in purchasing computers, we also see that students appreciate the fact that they are able to research school projects and reports,” said the organisation’s general manager, Mbali Mthethwa.
Programmes that have already begun this year are the Skate and Create as well as the homework help sessions which take place at the school’s Maboneng location daily.
Mthethwa added, “Our Youth Leadership and Dropping-In [which is a two-week workshop on career and education advice] programmes are currently being refined and will begin in the first week of February.”
The company aims to keep up the exciting work as the year progresses.
“We expect student numbers to increase as we are reaching out to schools and non-governmental organisations to form partnerships where students come in for sessions in the mornings; whether it be the two-hour Skate and Create session or the one1-hour skateboarding class.”
Read: Skateboarding campaign for girls to be launched
Add us on Whatsapp for the latest news by adding 079 4395 345 to your contact list and just send your name to us so we can save your number. Click here to find out more about our Whatsapp policy.
