Sport Unites

Sport Unites is a Finnish-Estonian project aiming at promoting inclusion both in and through sport. Increased numbers of immigration highlight the need to step up initiatives to make our societies more inclusive. Sport can be a powerful tool to form relationships, find meaning in everyday life and become a part of a community. Moreover, inclusion in sport itself requires more work. To face these dual challenges, sports museums in Finland and Estonia propose a project to pilot methods to promote inclusion. TAHTO Center for Finnish Sports Culture will document migrant youth sports cultures and to inspire and support action for inclusion. The Estonian Sports and Olympics Museum will organise educational programmes using sports as a tool to promote inclusion and equality in the classroom and in wider society. The partners will work closely together to ensure mutual learning as well as facilitate discussions between professionals working with youth in both countries. The project also produces travelling and online exhibitions on sports and inclusion to educate and inspire a wider audience. The target group are youth from migrant and other language and ethnic backgrounds. In Finland, the focus will be on immigrant youth whereas in Estonia, there is need to work also with youth e.g. from the Russian speaking minority. We will work with schools and sports associations to reach our target group. Sport Unites aims to inspire and empower the participants to challenge their prejudices, to work and exercise across group borders and to act for inclusion. We will encourage teachers and sports coaches to actively challenge barriers for inclusion and discriminatory practices. We will also highlight positive experiences and role models for immigrant youth and work to widen the narratives of what "Finnish" or "Estonian" sports cultures mean. that is published through this page expresses the views of the project beneficiaries only and it does not represent the views of the European Union or the European Commission. It shall not be deemed to constitute legal or official notice on behalf of the European Union or the European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the European Commission can be held responsible for this content nor the use thereof made by any third parties. Page 2 of 2