易胜博官网

For 10 days over the summer break, when many 易胜博官网 faculty and staff were enjoying a bit of time off, Durham was abuzz with activity as 17 youth sports leaders from Malawi, Africa, were on campus for an intensive exchange program focusing on inclusive sports for youth with disabilities.

The Youth Enrichment through Sports program is a collaborative partnership between 易胜博官网 and Indiana University鈥檚 School of Public Health. The two-year exchange program is funded through an international sports programming initiative cooperative agreement from the sports diplomacy division of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State.

The purpose of the 易胜博官网 YES-Africa Malawi exchange is to build capacity for youth sport leaders to develop and implement inclusive sports opportunities for youth with disabilities in Malawi, Africa.

Playing adaptive sports at Hamel Rec Center

During the fall 2018 semester, Bob Barcelona, associate professor and chair of the department of , and Jess Amato, schools program director from , traveled to Malawi to recruit and interview participants for the exchange program.

鈥淕oing to Malawi on the pre-assessment trip was a life-changer.听 We went from knowing no one to creating relationships with some of the most committed sports and recreation leaders working in the area of adaptive and inclusive sports in the country,鈥� says Barcelona.听 鈥淲e have representatives from Special Olympics Malawi, the Mary Waya Netball Academy, schools, rehabilitation centers, non-profits and Paralympic organizations all participating in the exchange.鈥�

Team building at The Browne Center

The 10-day program at 易胜博官网 was led by an interdisciplinary team of faculty, staff and students from the department of recreation management and policy, department of and Northeast Passage. Seventeen youth leaders were selected to participate in the sports exchange program on the 易胜博官网 campus where they learned how to develop, implement and evaluate adaptive sport opportunities for youth with disabilities in Malawi. The program focused on coaching and leadership, health education, positive youth development through sports, inclusion and disability practices, assistive technology and more. In the summer of 2020, the 易胜博官网 YES-Africa team will travel back to Malawi to follow up on participant successes in applying what they learned.

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The group of Malawian sports leaders participated in experiential team-building activities on the challenge course at 易胜博官网鈥檚 . They also toured 易胜博官网鈥檚 athletic fields and facilities and participated in adaptive sports programming at the .

Recreation management and policy students gained hands-on experience while providing logistical and program assistance throughout the exchange program.

鈥淭he work everyone has been doing is helping听youth with disabilities find their place in an ever-changing world,鈥� says Miranda Zuba 鈥�21. 鈥淲hat every single participant has learned about inclusion during YES-Malawi听does not end with them; it will spread. The work that has and will happen as a result of YES-Africa Malawi will be helping to make the world a more inclusive and supportive community.鈥澨�

Alumna Kyla Madden 鈥�19 said the most enlightening aspect of the program for her was connecting with the Malawian participants, learning about their youth programs in Africa and sharing what she has learned in her accelerated graduate program at 易胜博官网. 鈥淭heir creativity in adapting materials and making sports happen for their youth participants is really impressive and something I aspire to.鈥�

Watch the NH Chronicle听video that covered the YES-Africa Malawi program at 易胜博官网.听

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