Mexico's Program That Teaches Children to Be 'Agents of Change' Heads to US PRWeb
go to original November 15, 2012

Through the universal language of games and play, Deport-es para Compartir introduces the Eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to boys and girls as ascending global citizens. (dparacompartir)

Thinkers and Sports for Sharing (known as Deport-es para Compartir in Mexico) have teamed up to bring a successful Mexican children’s civic education program to schools in the United States that have a large Hispanic population. Sports for Sharing is a program that uses physical activity and games to teach children the concepts of civic awareness and engagement.

Founded in 2007 and active in 19 Mexican states, Deport-es para Compartir/Sports for Sharing teaches children, age 6-12, to recognize social problems and understand that their own actions have impact on their community. The lessons are taught through active games and experiences that focus on values such as tolerance, respect, gender equality, responsibility and teamwork. Teacher training and parental involvement increase the program’s sustainability.

Since 2007 Deport-es para Compartir has taught 59,396 students, 1,797 teachers and 745 educational spaces including indigenous communities, urban schools, welfare centers and summer camps.

“Our goal is to awaken the change agent that every child has within himself. While having fun, they realize that they can have a role in positively impacting their own communities,” says Dina Buchbinder, Director of Deport-es para Compartir.

To launch in the US, Sports for Sharing has teamed with Thinkers, a non-profit that works to improve the lives of immigrants through educational opportunities. In collaboration with FEDEJAL (Federación Jalisciense del Medio Oeste), the two organizations have chosen a middle school in Melrose Park, IL to be the first recipient of the program. A near-in suburb of Chicago, Melrose Park’s population majority is Mexican-American. Sports for Sharing and Thinkers are on target for launching the pilot program at the beginning of the winter, 2013 semester. The goal is to expand to other school districts in the US with significant Hispanic populations.

Deport-es para Compartir/Sports for Sharing is run by the United Nations Association in Mexico and the United Nations Youth Association. Thinkers was founded by Nadja Giuffrida, CEO of Dextro, LLC, a US-based consulting and training company that specializes in the Latin American market.

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