How football became a lifeline for students in Colombia
A program in Colombia is combining football and education to motivate young people who are out of school or at risk of dropping out. The program works to help students develop new skills and build confidence and resilience through sport, while also achieving a higher level of academic education.
A few years ago, 14-year-old Keyner was at risk of dropping out of primary school. Withdrawn in class and disinterested in his subjects, by fifth grade he was struggling to read and write, and teachers were concerned he wouldn’t make it to high school.
But that year, a program arrived at his school in Barranquilla, Colombia. Todos al Cole (meaning ‘All in School’) run through a partnership between Education Above All Foundation and Barefoot Foundation, aims to provide opportunities to elementary students from marginalized communities who are at risk of dropping out or face difficulties with accessing school.
Program leaders integrate play-based activities and sports to encourage students to stay engaged in their studies and to develop social skills outside the classroom. Football—a sport loved by many of the students like Keyner—became a key part of the program to incentivize and motivate the children to continue to learn.
Sport can also help children to develop socio-emotional skills and improve psychological resilience, according to Education Above All. And such improvements can contribute to global Sustainable Development Goals, a collection of 17 interlinked goals set up by the United Nations with the aim of achieving a better and more sustainable future for all.
“When education and sports are integrated, they can have increased beneficial impact, helping more rapid achievement of several sustainable development goals, including improved health and well-being, social inclusion and cohesion, and more peaceful and prosperous communities and nations,” says Mary Joy Pigozzi, program director at Education Above All.
Opening children to learning—and new sporting opportunities
Working with his local football club to sponsor a scholarship, program worker Wilmer Salas devised a program that encourages students to study while also playing football.
“Before I had failed many classes,” says Keyner. “Professor Wilmer’s help is what encouraged me to keep studying. That’s why I got into high school.”
Integrating sports into an educational program encourages students in two ways, Salas says. “The first is a kind of hook. Many of these children have been told they are not good at anything, and they believe this is true.” Teaching students like Keyner to recognize that they are talented at football helps them to gain confidence. It also helps them to be more receptive to understanding that everyone has areas that they are good at and those they need to work at, like academic subjects for some of the students.
“The second thing is an invitation to practice sports at a level they sometimes can’t dream of as they don’t have access to the league because it is very expensive,” adds Salas. By staying in education and studying hard, the students are rewarded with access to training and official competitions, motivating them to keep working.
Sport for social skills
Twelve-year-old Kevin arrived in Barranquilla in 2019 after fleeing instability in Venezuela and living in border towns in Colombia. Now living with his aunt, program workers saw a big change in his behavior after just a month of starting the program.
“When Kevin arrived at Todos al Cole, we saw an insecure child, a little bit violent with classmates, a child who always answered rudely,” says Salas. “Now he is a child who likes to share an affectionate hug. I think the change of attitude alone will help him to advance academically.”
Integrating sports with education offers a meaningful way to provide children with a complete education – going beyond academic into the interpersonal.
Sport is a fundamental tool, not only to motivate the child through something they like, but also as a teaching and a learning tool.
Wilmer Salas, a field worker with youth in Barranquilla
“The child learns psychosocial and socio-emotional skills, and other skills that will be useful throughout life. For example, the child learns to get frustrated by not always winning a game: sometimes losing, sometimes tying. They learn to work as a team because a player cannot do all the functions on the pitch. They learn to trust their teammates and to pass the ball to them. And they also learn to trust themselves.”
Sport for resilience
The Todos al Cole program also runs in Cartagena, a city on Colombia’s Caribbean coast. A tourist hotspot known for its historic old town, Cartagena also has high rates of poverty and inequality. Program facilitator Vivian Polo, who works with sisters Hilda (10) and Jendrys (11) who attend an elementary school in the city, says that sports can also help children build confidence and resilience against potential negative influences, especially in neighborhoods with high levels of crime.
“We are in a high-risk community area because there are many gangs, so when the children are not instructed in the psycho-social influences, in having self-knowledge, in knowing what their goals and objectives really are, they let themselves be influenced too quickly by external people.
“Sports makes them capable of making their own decisions, and if they don’t want to do something, they have the courage to say ‘no’ without fear of being mocked or judged,” says Polo.
Looking to the stars
As the world celebrates the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, young players from programs like Todos al Cole may identify with where some of the international stars come from.
“[Some of] the soccer players motivate children because they come with very similar life stories,” says Polo. “They see that a soccer player had a house in poor condition, a family or a mother who had to go out every day to get something to eat, and through sports and education they saw an escape to get ahead and not have to live that same reality.”
