Los Angeles, Calif. – July 19, 2017 – The Foundation for Global Sports Development (GSD) is pleased to announce it has awarded nearly $450,000 in grants to domestic and international organizations supporting underserved youth through education, sports-based, and health initiatives.
GSD’s grant-making program is a key element of the foundation’s ongoing mission to deliver and support initiatives that promote fair play, education, and the physical and developmental benefits of sports for youth around the world. Dr. Steven Ungerleider, Executive Board member for GSD, says, “With over 20 years of supporting outstanding youth-focused organizations, we have witnessed remarkable transformations in the lives of the youth affected – and as a result – in their communities.” GSD Executive Board Member, David Ulich, said “We are impressed with the important work these organizations are doing.”
This is the fourth year Kids Play International (KPI) will receive a grant from GSD. Founded by three-time Olympian, Tracy Evans, KPI uses sport as a catalyst to promote gender equality in communities impacted by genocide. Evans explains how the grant will impact the youth in their program, “This continued support has enabled us to sustain our year round Let’s Play Fair gender equity program and provide ongoing coach capacity trainings. Further, our annual program evaluation data shows proven shifts in attitudes and behaviors between boys and girls, men and women in the rural Rwandan community in which we work. By using sport and the Olympic values as the catalyst, boys are now seeing the capabilities of a girl differently, while girls are finding their voices to challenge cultural norms both inside and outside our program.”
For more information and a full list of grant recipients, please visit GSD’s website at www.globalsportsdevelopment.org.
