Skateistan focuses on providing new educational opportunities for girls, at-risk youth, and children from the ages of 5 to 17 from low-income and migrant backgrounds in South Africa, Afghanistan and Cambodia.

The programme provides a safe space for children to learn and play. Through innovative methodology, Skateistan uses skateboarding to attract and engage with at-risk youth. Skateboarding is a very low-barrier, individual sport that has the benefit of appealing to children and youth of different ages, genders and life stages.  

Programming pairs skateboarding lessons with educational classes. The Skate and Create programme aims to address the lack of quality education by creating curricula that support primary school education. Arts-based educational lessons support the national primary school curriculum. Lessons in the Skate and Create curriculum cover gender equality and life skills, ensuring that girls and boys in the program understand the importance of an equal society and are able to better plan for their futures. The Back-to-School programme provides homework help and career and educational planning classes where students are able to improve school grades and increase their chances of future employment.

Skateistan South Africa’s integration of peer-to-peer learning and leadership skills through the Youth Leadership programme encourages a large sense of project ownership by participants and the creation of positive young role models.