EFDN members score with Goals for Education

10 participating clubs in the EFDN project One Goal for Education today delivered a presentation in the Ibrox Stadium in Glasgow. The members informed their colleague members about the progress they are making in the project One Goal for Education and specified the way in which they set up the project in their communities.

Manchester United Foundation opened this second Project Meeting and spoke about the way they have interpreted the project One Goal for Education. In Manchester they initiated a Mentoring Programme in which they work with captains and peers. The intention of the programme is that the students (learn to) help each other on all kind of school subjects, but also in behavioural development.

Feyenoord set up the SV Gio, named after their first team manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst. In this project Feyenoord is working with 500 children, who are guided by coaches. In that way there are parallels between the programmes of Manchester United Foundation and Feyenoord. Other clubs, such as NEC Nijmegen and KAA Gent work with an adapted version of their successful project Playing for Success. KAA Gent also informed the other clubs with a interesting detail: their participants get cooking lessons by a chef that has a Michelin Star.

Greenock Morton FC and Montrose FC (Links Park Community Trust) work with school children in their stadium, using football as a tool to educate them. At Greenock Morton the classrooms are the home- and the away dressing room. At Montrose FC children are scouted, interviewed, offeren a contract and signed. The fact that clubs are looking upon the children as ‘professionals’ gives the children a direct boost in their self-esteem. Rangers FC Charity Foundation has a programme in which children learn to look upon ‘the world’ as a journalist. Over 360 children in the project read articles, discuss about the topics and write their own articles.

Tottenham Hotspur Foundation combines the classroom with the pitch. After an hour of education in the classroom – about health and European culture amongst other subjects – they play an hour Walking Football, every week, six weeks in a row. The Spurs work with 10 schools each year. At the end of the project the participants get to play a Walking Football Tournament with all other schools that are in the Spurs project.

Fulham challenges the youngsters in its community to come with solutions in business matters. The club works with case studies and educates children around business and enterprise. For example: the club donates game tickets and the participants have to sell these tickets at the best price and obtain as many data from their clients as possible. The money they earn is not for Fulham FC but is a donation to their school.

Hapoel Tel Aviv/Mifalot hasn’t started with the project yet, but will do so later this month, due to a different year planning. The project of Mifalot will take place in Petach Tikva, and is especially meant for children of immigrants. The project leaders implemented a lot of educational elements directly into the sports. They also developed an app for these educational types of activities.

It got really clear this afternoon: the One Goal for Education project is in full swing! The projects ends in June of 2017, after which all the results will be shared with clubs within and outside network.