Washington, D.C. June 5th, 2012 - Partners of the Americas is pleased to announce that its sport-for-development program, A Ganar, has been named to the shortlist in the social inclusion category for the 2012 Beyond Sport Awards.
Beyond Sport is a global organization that promotes, develops, and supports the use of sport as a tool for positive change across the world. A Ganar (meaning “to win” or “to earn” in Spanish) is an international program that uses sports-based activities to take young men and women out of vulnerable situations and closer to employment, education, and entrepreneurship; it has been successfully carried out in 14 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean since 2005.
The 30 programs to make it on the shortlist come from 322 applicants in 135 countries. By reaching this stage of the judging process, A Ganar has secured an invitation to attend the fourth annual Beyond Sport Summit, taking place from July 23rd to 25th in London. Throughout the Summit, the shortlisted projects will have the opportunity to interact with Beyond Sport's extensive network of corporate business, government, philanthropy, international aid organizations and sporting federations, all with the ability to significantly impact the reach and capabilities of the sport and development movement.
The Beyond Sport Award winners, to be selected by the panel of Beyond Sport Ambassadors, will then receive a substantial package of business support to help them grow and become sustainable in the future.
Nick Keller, the Founder of Beyond Sport, commented: “The Beyond Sport Awards unearth leaders using sport as a tool for positive change and provide them with the resources, platform, contacts and opportunities to turbo-charge their growth and impact. We are delighted to reveal this year’s shortlist, which comes after many hours of deliberation from more than 25 experts in their field. To be chosen from more than 300 entries for a place on this shortlist represents a fantastic achievement on the part of all these projects.”
Paul Teeple, Director of Sport-for-Development at Partners of the Americas, is honored to be a part of this year’s shortlist. “This is well-deserved recognition for the hundreds of dedicated A Ganar facilitators and coordinators who work daily to support youth and for the thousands of A Ganar youth who make a commitment to use sport to improve their lives and the lives of their families and communities,” Teeple said. “We believe in the power of sport to change lives and the recognition gained through Beyond Sport will help us serve even more youth.”
A Ganar uses a combination of sport-inspired life skills and vocational training, practical experience, and mentorship to positively engage youth. It is funded by, among others, the Multi-Lateral Investment Fund (MIF) of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Carlos Slim Foundation, the Clinton Giustra Sustainable Growth Initiative, and the PepsiCo Mexico Foundation.
In St. Kitts and Nevis, the A Ganar program is implemented by the St. Kitts and Nevis Ministry of Education, the St. Kitts Wesleyan District Holiness Men (WDHM) and the St. Kitts and Nevis Football Association (SKNFA). A total of 120 youth are currently training under the Ministry of Education’s A Ganar Secondary School Work Based Program. 85 youth from the SKNFA and WDHM are currently in the final stages of training.
For more information on Beyond Sport, the Beyond Sport Summit and the Beyond Sport Awards visit www.beyondsport.org.
ABOUT PARTNERS OF THE AMERICAS
Partners of the Americas is an international network that promotes social and economic development in the Americas through leadership, voluntary service, and development programs. Its mission is to connect individuals, volunteers, institutions, businesses, and communities to serve and to change lives through lasting partnerships. Partners envisions an interconnected hemisphere that maximizes the social and economic potential, and leverages the full diversity, of the Americas. For more information, visit www.partners.net.
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