Sport to Engage Marginalized Youth

2026-07-22

Participation in sports offers numerous benefits for young people, particularly those from marginalized communities. Engaging in physical activities not only enhances physical health but also contributes significantly to mental, emotional, and social well-being. Sports also serve as a platform for social inclusion, empowering marginalized individuals and fostering community engagement. If the range of benefits of sport for young people are well-recognized, far less is known on how to effectively engage kids and teenagers from vulnerable contexts in sport activities while simultaneously ensure that trainers are aware of their educational role. The Sport to Engage Marginalized Youth (SEMY) project aims at analyzing and collecting good practices to provide a framework for people and institutions working with young people from disadvantaged contexts and/or at risk of social deviance (e.g., schools, non-profit organizations, public administrations, etc.). The focus will be on leveraging on sport in unformal contexts (e.g., suburban areas) to engage kids and bring them to a continuous practice in dedicated sport premises. The main project objective will be achieved by pursuing the following specific objectives: 1. To support the ‘sport for all’ principle based on equal opportunities in participating countries improving both social inclusion in sport of socially disadvantaged groups and the role of sport to promote inclusion into society of disadvantaged group. 2. To offer insights on how to train staff, manage volunteers, collaborate with other organisations, and create broader inclusion within the community 3. To strengthen and make more effective public local policies thanks to creation of guidelines, strategies and methodologies for making better use of the potential of sport as a contribution to community building, social cohesion and inclusive growth.

Italy, Portugal, Hungary

2026-01-01