Skateistan

Skateistan
Founded	2008
Type	Non-governmental organization
Focus	Youth empowerment, girls’ education, social inclusion
Location	Berlin, Germany (international office);
Origins	Kabul, Afghanistan
Area served	Global (50+ locations across five continents); Skate Schools in Afghanistan, Cambodia, South Africa
Method	Skateboarding, creative learning, mentorship, capacity building
Key people	Oliver Percovich (Founder & Co-Executive Director), Hala Khalaf (Co‑Executive Director)
Budget	—
Staff	—
Website	http://www.skateistan.org

Skateistan^[1] is a pioneering non-profit organisation using skateboarding and creative learning to support at-risk children and youth worldwide. It is widely considered the first “social skate” organisation and ranks among the most recognised Sports for Development NGOs. Today, Skateistan operates through over 30 program partnerships and 3 Skate Schools, across 50+ locations worldwide. Its international advisory board includes notable figures such as Mimi Knoop and Tony Hawk, and its administrative office is located in Berlin, Germany.^[2]^[3]^[4]

Weekly, over 6,000 children and youth attend Skateistan programs, with 54% participants being girls. The organisation operates three Skate Schools in Afghanistan (Kabul, Mazar-e-Sharif, Bamyan), Cambodia (Phnom Penh), and South Africa (Johannesburg), as well as its Goodpush Alliance, which supports 1,000+ social skate initiatives globally.^[5]^[6]

History

Skateistan was founded in 2008 in Kabul when Australian skateboarder Oliver Percovich began teaching local children with just three skateboards. He recognised skateboarding as a vehicle for community-building, resilience, and creative expression.^[7] The organisation was registered as an Afghan NGO in July 2009.

On 29 October 2009, Skateistan opened its first Skate School in Kabul—a 1,750 m² facility including classrooms, an indoor skatepark, and more. A second facility opened in Mazar-e-Sharif in May 2013, and a third in Bamyan in 2021.

Expansion abroad began in 2011 with Phnom Penh, Cambodia. In 2012, Skateistan moved its international office to Berlin. In 2014, Skateistan South Africa was founded, with the Johannesburg Skate School officially opening on 14 August 2016.

In February 2018, the Phnom Penh Skate School opened, and April 2018 marked Skateistan’s 10th anniversary. In 2018, the Goodpush Alliance was launched to incubate and support the international “social skate” sector—offering grants, community-training, and shared resources to 1,000+ projects in 115+ countries.^[8]^[9]

Following the fall of the Afghan government in August 2021, Skateistan temporarily closed its Afghanistan schools. The COVID‑19 pandemic added further strain, requiring adaptation to Taliban restrictions—especially those affecting girls.^[10] By 2022, in-person programs in Cambodia and South Africa resumed, and Skateistan pivoted towards a partner-based model, supporting grassroots organisations around the globe.^[11]

In 2024, Skateistan appointed Hala Khalaf as Co‑Executive Director, and by 2025, the organisation had established partnerships in over 30 locations globally. Goodpush continues to support training, advocacy groups, grants, and thematic collaboration around issues such as gender equality, racial justice, and migrant support.

Overview

Skateistan focuses on at-risk children and youth (ages 5–17), emphasising inclusion of girls, children with disabilities, and those from low-income backgrounds. The organisation delivers structured programs through locally-led partners—ranging from outreach sessions to Youth Leadership training.^[12]

The flagship “Skate and Create” program combines weekly skateboarding with arts-based education—covering topics like human rights, environmental awareness, and critical thinking. It is widely implemented across partner sites and Skate Schools.^[13]

Skateistan's two-pronged model comprises:

**Program Partnerships** —where local organisations deliver Skateistan-designed programs with support in funding, equipment, and learning resources.
**Goodpush Alliance** —a global network offering training, open‑source tools, workshops, grants, and knowledge exchange to the wider social skate sector.^[14]^[15]

The organisation aims to expand to 100 locations by 2032.

International activities

Non-profit status

Skateistan has charitable status in Germany, the UK, and the USA (501(c)(3)). There are NGOs registered in Afghanistan, Cambodia, and South Africa.

Media coverage

Skateistan has been featured by The New York Times, Foreign Policy, The Economist, Al Jazeera, The Telegraph, and The Guardian. In 2020, *Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You’re a Girl)* won both the Academy Award for Documentary Short Subject and the BAFTA for Best British Short Film.

Locations

**Kabul, Afghanistan** (2008–present)
**Mazar-e-Sharif, Afghanistan** (2013–present)
**Bamyan, Afghanistan** (2021–present)
**Phnom Penh, Cambodia** (2011–present)
**Johannesburg, South Africa** (2014–present)

Recognition

Documentaries

*Skateistan: To Live and Skate Kabul* (2010), dir. Orlando von Einsiedel^[16]
*Skateistan: Four Wheels and a Board in Kabul* (2011), dir. Kai Sehr
*The Skateboard and The City* (2016), dir. Coral Brown
*Land of Skate* (2017), Ghost Digital Cinema
*Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You’re a Girl)* (2020), dir. Carol Dysinger & Elena Andreicheva — Oscar & BAFTA winner

Publications

*The Tale of Skateboarding in Afghanistan* (2012), ISBN 978‑3‑00‑037631‑3

Awards

2023 – TAFISA Jürgen Palm Award (for Oliver Percovich) 2022 – BMZ “EINE WELT Medaille” 2021 – .ORG Impact Awards (Quality Education for All), Sporsora Global Impact Award 2020 – IOC Women & Sport Award; Oscar & BAFTA (see above) 2019 – Inspiration Award (Esquire Middle East); .ORG Impact Award (Best Integrated Marketing Campaign) 2018 – HundrED Top 100 Innovators in Education ...and multiple earlier awards (see official list).

References

^ https://skateistan.org
^ https://skateistan.org/blog/introducing-our-new-partners-for-2025/ :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}
^ https://www.skateistan.org/about-us :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}
^ https://www.goodpush.org/about-us :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}
^ https://skateistan.org/locations/skateistan :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}
^ https://www.goodpush.org/about-us :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}
^ https://www.wired.com/2012/11/skateistan-2 :contentReference[oaicite:6]{index=6}
^ https://www.goodpush.org/about-us :contentReference[oaicite:11]{index=11}
^ https://sportanddev.org/latest/news/goodpush-alliance-sharing-knowledge-between-social-skate-projects-boost-refugee :contentReference[oaicite:12]{index=12}
^ https://www.withitgirls.com/post/skateistan-good-push-alliance :contentReference[oaicite:13]{index=13}
^ https://webflow.skateistan.org/blog/annual-report-2022 :contentReference[oaicite:14]{index=14}
^ https://bigflip.skateistan.org/what-we-do :contentReference[oaicite:15]{index=15}
^ https://bigflip.skateistan.org/what-we-do :contentReference[oaicite:16]{index=16}
^ https://www.goodpush.org/about-us :contentReference[oaicite:17]{index=17}
^ https://sportanddev.org/latest/news/goodpush-alliance-sharing-knowledge-between-social-skate-projects-boost-refugee :contentReference[oaicite:18]{index=18}
^ https://www.wired.com/2010/11/skateistan :contentReference[oaicite:21]{index=21}

External links

Official website

[1] ttps://skateistan.org

[2] ttps://skateistan.org/blog/introducing-our-new-partners-for-2025/ :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}

[3] ttps://www.skateistan.org/about-us :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}

[4] ttps://www.goodpush.org/about-us :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}

[5] ttps://skateistan.org/locations/skateistan :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}

[6] ttps://www.goodpush.org/about-us :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}

[7] ttps://www.wired.com/2012/11/skateistan-2 :contentReference[oaicite:6]{index=6}

[8] ttps://www.goodpush.org/about-us :contentReference[oaicite:11]{index=11}

[9] ttps://sportanddev.org/latest/news/goodpush-alliance-sharing-knowledge-between-social-skate-projects-boost-refugee :contentReference[oaicite:12]{index=12}

[10] ttps://www.withitgirls.com/post/skateistan-good-push-alliance :contentReference[oaicite:13]{index=13}

[11] ttps://webflow.skateistan.org/blog/annual-report-2022 :contentReference[oaicite:14]{index=14}

[12] ttps://bigflip.skateistan.org/what-we-do :contentReference[oaicite:15]{index=15}

[13] ttps://bigflip.skateistan.org/what-we-do :contentReference[oaicite:16]{index=16}

[14] ttps://www.goodpush.org/about-us :contentReference[oaicite:17]{index=17}

[15] ttps://sportanddev.org/latest/news/goodpush-alliance-sharing-knowledge-between-social-skate-projects-boost-refugee :contentReference[oaicite:18]{index=18}

[16] ttps://www.wired.com/2010/11/skateistan :contentReference[oaicite:21]{index=21}

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