Latest
7 March 2023
At Skateistan, more than half of our students are girls.
21 November 2022
Around half our students are girls and we strive every day to keep this at 50% or even higher.
9 November 2022
At Skateistan, our students inspire others and their wider communities. Our aim is to provide safe spaces for them to build a better future in which they can thrive.
8 November 2022
Ahmad is 12 years old and lives in Beirut, Lebanon. During the Skate Beyond Borders campaign we introduce you to six of our students that have
17 August 2022
Emily is 14 years old and lives in a small house with her family in Phnom Penh. She joined Skateistan in 2016 with with a group of children living with disabilities, who were all participants of an NGO called Aziza’s Place.
23 May 2022
By partnering with local schools we meet children in spaces that they are already in, providing programming that supplements school curricula.
28 April 2022
In November of last year, we launched A New Chapter, a fundraising campaign with the goal of raising $1.5 million by spring this year, with the aim to work in 20 locations, and reach 4,500 students every week by the end of 2022.
5 April 2022
Around half our students are girls and we strive every day to keep this at 50% or even higher.
18 March 2022
Skateistan is excited to announce that we're now running programs in refugee camps around the world!
7 March 2022
This March, we are celebrating International Women’s Day by inviting you to join the Citizens of Skateistan.
17 February 2022
The Skateistan family is saddened to hear of the death of Ruedi Herger on 6 Feb 2022. Ruedi was the CEO of TSG and has always been a great friend to Skateistan.
17 February 2022
Our increase in student numbers in Johannesburg is great news. But we were running out of space! A new classroom has brought new opportunities for our students.
15 February 2022
Oppa is 28 and lives in Phnom Penh in a children's shelter. He has autism and comes to Skateistan to help him to build skills and connect with others.
27 January 2022
Nkosi attends Skateistan in Johannesburg. Recently he's been thinking a lot about his future and how he can plan for it. The skills he's learned in our Youth Leadership program are helping him to do this.
17 January 2022
Natalia is 16 and she lives in Johannesburg. She's been coming to Skateistan for a while now and attends the Youth Leadership program. Through this, she is learning to set herself up for greatness.
14 January 2022
Bella is 10 and lives in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The long lockdowns in Cambodia have been really tough her for, but she has learned ways to cope with remote learning.
11 January 2022
As many of you will know, last year we suspended our programs in Afghanistan as the security situation changed. We are so happy to let you know that we have recently restarted our programs in Afghanistan!
16 December 2021
Skateistan has started a new chapter. We’re expanding our programs to reach thousands more children in new locations. The good news is, we’ve already begun! Read on to find out more about our new programs running in Atlantis, South Africa.
2 December 2021
Skateistan has started a new chapter. We’re expanding our programs to reach thousands more children in new locations around the world. And the good news is, we’ve already begun! Read on to find out more about our new programs running in Kenya.
2 December 2021
Skateistan has started a new chapter. We’re expanding our programs to reach thousands more children in new locations around the world. And the good news is, we’ve already begun! Read on to find out more about our new programs running in Bolivia.
17 November 2021
Skateistan is embarking on a new chapter. One which will see us expand around the world to reach thousands more children. Find out how the Skateistan story continues.
25 November 2021
Skateistan has started a new chapter. We’re expanding our programs to reach thousands more children in new locations around the world. And the good news is, we’ve already begun! Read on to find out more about our new programs running in Jordan.
3 November 2021
Vans Skateboarding is launching an awesome new footwear and apparel collection in partnership with Skateistan. Excited, much?
13 October 2021
In the Skate and Create program in Johannesburg, Skateistan educators introduced students to the life skills vision board lesson plan. A vision board is a collage of images and words representing a person's wishes or goals.
12 October 2021
In August 2021 we suspended our Afghan programs due to instability in the country. Where are we now?
5 August 2021
Skateistan is all about balance. Whether that’s on a skateboard, a sense of mental wellbeing and stability or combining learning with fun times.
3 August 2021
We've created skate trick tutorials to help you learn just like our students, directly from educators in Skateistan programs.
28 July 2021
July 28 is World Nature Conservation Day and Skateistan students have marked the day with their creativity.
14 July 2021
We have some very exciting news for Skateistan fans - our programs are now up and running in Jordan!
13 July 2021
Skateistan South Africa features in ep 2 of 'A Simple Path' on Insight TV. Check out the Skateistan section here - made possible by Vans.
6 July 2021
Sky Brown is a force of nature! Skater, surfer, ambassador for girls, Citizen of Skateistan. Here we celebrate 5 years since our youngest fan joined the Citizens of Skateistan.
22 June 2021
A new partnership between Vans and Skateistan!
18 June 2021
Our Back on Board campaign aims to raise $125,000 to support our students as they return to Skate School. Meet Arunny, a student in Cambodia who cannot wait to get back on board once the lockdown ends.
7 June 2021
Our Back on Board campaign aims to raise $125,000 to support our students as they return to Skate School. Meet Basmina, a student who learned lots about herself during lockdown.
1 June 2021
Lesedi says he felt terrible when the Skate School closed because of lockdown. Now he's Back on Board and feeling awesome!
22 March 2021
To meet the needs of students as they grow older, we offer a mental health curriculum called Mind Power, first introduced to our team and students in South Africa.
5 March 2021
At Skateistan we talk a lot about girls’ empowerment and future leaders. So what does that look like on the ground? Recently, we partnered with Global Girl Project to run a blended learning program. Let's find out how our girls are getting on.
5 March 2021
Around half our students are girls and we strive every day to keep this at 50% or even higher.
29 January 2021
Shabnam started coming to Skateistan when she was 14 and quickly learned leadership skills to help others. Shabnam is now studying for an Engineering degree, determined to make her country a better place in the future.
25 January 2021
As part of our Skate and Create program, we aim to teach children skills which are useful in the rest of their lives. Some of these are practical skills, and others are so-called softer skills, such as anger management.
19 January 2021
The wheels are in motion: Skateistan and Be That Girl Foundation are teaming up to inspire and empower ever more girls to dare to determine their own future! Find out more about this new partnership and what it will mean for girls at Skateistan.
1 January 2021
We are excited to share this story of a former student in Kabul. The Alumni Network is a new project, which connects our former students with each other, shares opportunities and celebrates their success.
3 November 2020
2020 has been a challenging year for everyone, and that's especially true for Kabul, Afghanistan. However, there have been some moments to celebrate lately.
2 November 2020
Our long-term funding partner, The Skateroom, recently held a sell-out screening of 'Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone' in Brussels.
27 October 2020
We are very excited to publish the first in a group of stories from Skateistan's Alumni Network. The Alumni Network is a new project, which connects our former students with each other, shares opportunities and celebrates their success.
2 October 2020
Heritage is something to be proud of. At our Skate School in Johannesburg, children celebrate their own heritage and learn about the cultures and traditions of other groups.
29 September 2020
What does peace mean to you? That’s a question our students have been exploring to mark this year’s International Day of Peace.
21 September 2020
In our series ‘What Skateistan learned about’, we share stories, successes and challenges from the perspective of a non-profit organization operating in Afghanistan, South Africa and Cambodia.
10 September 2020
Staff at Skateistan in Mazar-e-Sharif have been finding ways to reach out-of-school children during the pandemic.
9 September 2020
Covid-19 has affected people differently all over the world. In this post, we talk to Enos, a Skateistan Educator in South Africa, to get the word on how things have played out in Johannesburg.
12 August 2020
We're very excited to announce that we'll soon be working with Global Girl Project; a special partnership that will empower older girls at our Skate Schools in Afghanistan and South Africa.
15 July 2020
Our Founder and Executive Director, Oliver Percovich, explains why our current campaign, 'It's Her Turn' is so important.
3 July 2020
Meet Zarafshan, who is 13 and lives in Kabul. Zarafshan was scared because she thought her teachers would be unkind. But her Educator, Malalai, showed her the kindness is the best way to learn.
1 June 2020
Recently, we embarked on a project to measure the social return on funds invested in Skateistan. Thanks to the efforts of three amazing volunteers, we can now calculate the social value of our programs! How do we do that? Read on!
2 July 2020
Skateistan is a place where women support women. In this unique photo collection, incredible female photographers share iconic images of girls and women skateboarding. It's Her Turn.
13 July 2020
Meet Natalie, who is 16 and is in her last year of high school in South Africa. Natalie has bright hopes for her future and it is her role model, Wendy, who has helped her to chase these dreams.
21 June 2020
Meet Sophea, who was once a student at Skateistan and is now a member of staff at Skateistan Cambodia.
21 June 2020
Our new campaign focuses on girls' empowerment at Skateistan and the importance of women and girls supporting each other. Donate today!
21 June 2020
Meet Sara, who is 16 and lives in Mazar-e-Sharif, Afghanistan. She dreams of becoming a professional soccer player. But it was the inspiration of her coach that gave Sara to courage to dream.
10 June 2020
Classes are still temporarily suspended at our Skate Schools due to the ongoing situation with the coronavirus, read how each location has responded to programming needs.
15 May 2020
Guest post from Skateistan Founder and Executive Director, Oliver Percovich, on the importance of creativity.
7 May 2020
The coronavirus has brought many challenges, including how we continue to reach our students and how we gather data about those interactions. In this post, we take a look at the numbers behind our Covid-19 response
30 April 2020
HUGE NEWS for Skateistan fans: we have started work on our fifth Skate School in Bamyan, Afghanistan!
28 April 2020
Our Founder and Executive Director writes a guest post about the importance of finding the things which motivate each one of us. Oliver has been inspired by the teams at our Skate Schools who are determined to reach students during the pandemic.
21 April 2020
Tamim attended Skateistan in Mazar. Recently, he found a way to help people in his community - a lesson he learned from his Skateistan educators.
14 April 2020
Guest post from Skateistan's Founder and Executive Director on the current coronavirus pandemic and how Skateistan is managing in the crisis.
7 April 2020
We are delighted to welcome Zamarin Wahdat to the Citizens of Skateistan! Zamarin was born in Kabul, Afghanistan and raised in Germany and was part of the team that made Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (if you’re a girl).
17 March 2020
At Skateistan we aim to put the safety of our staff and students first in everything we do. With the coronavirus situation changing rapidly around us, we thought it was the right time to share our approach to safety.
6 March 2020
This International Women's Day, we're happy to introduce you to Laiqa, one of our students in Kabul. Like the girls in 'Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone,' Laiqa is discovering how getting an education can change her life for the better.
28 February 2020
Skateistan works to empower women and girls through skateboarding and education. Near the end of 2019, Skateistan Skate Schools participated in the '16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence' to continue advocating on behalf of women and girls.
21 February 2020
There are many ways that you can help support Skateistan. Read this post to learn how you can help support children through skateboarding in Afghanistan, Cambodia, and South Africa.
19 February 2020
We take a look back on our 'Act Local' curriculum, which helps students to understand their own role and potential within their communities.
5 February 2020
Renowned artist and Citizen of Skateistan Robin Rhode recently visited our Skate School in Johannesburg to help inspire the next generation of artists and skateboarders.
14 January 2020
A short documentary which follows the progress of a group of girls at Skateistan in Kabul won a BAFTA and an Academy Award!
9 January 2020
Recently, we piloted a partnership project with Special Olympics South Africa to bring the fun and freedom of skateboarding into the lives of children living with disabilities.
2 January 2020
In October, Skateistan Kabul celebrated 10 years since Skateistan's first Skate School opened its doors.
6 December 2019
Meet Ethan, a 14 year old student at Skateistan in Johannesburg. Ethan was struggling at school and couldn't focus. His educators helped him to see what's important, and how to take steps to express himself through his skateboarding and dancing talents.
29 November 2019
Safia is 11 years old and lives in an internally displaced persons camp in Mazar-e-Sharif with her family. They are not from Mazar, but they had to move from their home province due to conflict and fighting. Safia then joined the Back-to-School program.
20 November 2019
Hashmat is 13 and he lives in Kabul. He'd never been to school and he was afraid of speaking in front of the class. Skateistan Educators found a way to help Hashmat build his confidence. Now he can dare to dream of the future.
14 November 2019
Mony is 11 years old and lives near the Skate School in Phnom Penh. Mony was struggling with her behaviour, but Skateistan Educators found a way to connect with her and help her to change.
11 November 2019
Introducing the newest member of the Citizens of Skateistan, Sarah Meurle.
5 November 2019
Introducing Zorah Olivia
4 November 2019
This summer, two of our staff from our South Africa team traveled to Europe to attend Pushing Boarders in Malmö and the Goodpush event in Copenhagen. Here, we catch up with Wendy (Educator) and Ayanda (Senior Finance Officer) to find out more.
24 October 2019
A short documentary which follows the progress of a group of girls at Skateistan in Kabul.
24 October 2019
As part of our focus on developing inclusive and accessible programs, we are excited to highlight the work we do with deaf and hard of hearing students.
8 October 2019
Introducing you to a student at one of our Skate Schools.
4 September 2019
Read the latest in our mini series about challenges we've faced and what we've learned from them. This time, we take a look at the power of community engagement.
30 August 2019
Recently, two of our students in Afghanistan had an incredible opportunity - to travel to Nanjing, China, with the Afghan National Olympic Committee and represent Afghanistan in an international skateboarding training camp.
7 August 2019
To increase the impact that Skateistan has on the local community, we created a new learning environment for children at Skateistan in Cambodia.
31 July 2019
Between April and July this year, our Skate and Create students were following the Natural Balance curriculum. Find out what they've been learning about!
29 July 2019
Skateistan celebrated Go Skateboarding Day all over the world. Students participated in a rad day of skating and fun with their communities.
29 July 2019
Meet Thabile: A 9 year old girl who attends Skateistan in Johannesburg.
28 June 2019
We are delighted to announce the latest in our line of creative partnerships with the super talented contemporary artist Cynthia Kittler.
14 May 2019
Meet Omid, a 13 year old boy in Afghanistan who was working on the streets and missing out on school.
14 May 2019
Meet Nthabiseng, a Skate and Create student in Johannesburg, South Africa.
14 May 2019
Meet Ahmad. He lives in Afghanistan and attends the Back-to-School program at Skateistan.
14 May 2019
Meet Pisey, a Skate and Create student in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.