A skate school promoting social development for Afghan youth
www.skateistan.org
This just thrills me. When I first became a Facebook fan of Skateistan, I anticipated the building of the skate park in Kabul, and now the day is nearly here. On October 29, 2009, Skateistan will be opening the largest indoor sports facility & skate park in Kabul. It’s incredible how this team of instructors is engaging young folk in the art of skateboarding, in a place where the social opportunities for them, especially young girls, is limited because of the U.S. war in Afghanistan. 
The goal is to bring indoor & outdoor skateboarding facilities to Afghanistan. There’s going to be separate classes for young girls. The team is comprised of folks with years of skateboarding experience, media & communications know-how, and a passion for highlighting the positive & hopeful citizens of Afghanistan: the youth. As someone who has been in youth development for years, it’s outstanding to me how these folks just nailed the simple truth on its head. You’ve got to keep ‘em engaged with the formula:
Relevance + Fun = you can have whateva you liiiiike, yeah. What I mean, is–not to digress with a T.I. reference– but it makes the job of a youth educator much easier once they’ve got their hook.
Crazy but true: 68% of the Afghani population is 25 yrs old or younger.
Check out www.skateistan.org for more info on how to volunteer, donate, or just learn more about their work.
From www.skateistan.org:
SKATE HALL OPENING
After two years of working towards this goal, the Skateistan team is extremely pleased to announce the official opening of Kabul’s largest indoor sports facility and skate park at 2pm on the 29th of October. This milestone has been achieved through the collaborative efforts of an Afghan and international team.
The opening will commence with short greetings from international donors and Afghan dignitaries. Speeches will be followed by a skateboarding demonstration by Afghan girls and boys together with internationally renowned professional skateboarders on the newly built ramps and obstacles.
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