Youth INTERACTS

In 2022, we implemented the “Youth Intra- & Intergroup Action against Community Tensions through Sport” (Youth INTERACTS) program in Chicago and Champaign, IL in partnership with the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation USA, Generation Amazing, the Gary Comer Youth Center (GCYC) on the Comer Education Campus, and the New American Welcome Center at the University YMCA.

The goal of the program was to build inclusive and peaceful societies that embrace ethnic, cultural, and physical differences; and reduce tensions between communities.

Its objective was to reduce existing inter-community tensions and foster trust, empathy, and acceptance of diversity among and between racially and ethnically diverse youth in Illinois through sport.

This program built upon our first pilot, Youth SOAR, adding a second program location (Champaign) and intergroup component (immigrant and refugee youth) for youth to engage across racial and ethnic differences.

Key Actions

• 30-hour virtual Sport and Life Skills For Peace Training (SPT/LS) for 6 volunteers

• 12 intra-group Sport and Life Skills For Peace sessions with 42 youth (18 hours total)

• Two half-day inter-group youth-led community engagement events for 120 additional youth

Results

• 40% increase in the level of willingness to interact socially with people of other races

• 43% increase in the levels of positive interactions among Target Group (TG) members

• 40% increase in the perception of the level of inter-racial community engagement

• 22% increase in the levels of individuals’ compassion for people of other races among the TG

• 21% increase in the level of trust in people of other races among the TG

• 14% increase in the levels of understanding of other races

Testimonials

• "For me, this program’s teambuilding activities helped me get more comfortable spending time with people!” – Cristabel, Youth Participant, Youth INTERACTS
  
  

• “GFP has affected me in a good way because it made me know how to interact with people that are from a different background than me. It made me look at it like, some people may not think the same way I think, and that’s okay. It made me realize that if they came from a different background, it’s okay that they came from a different background because at the end of the day we’re still both human.” – Zayan, Youth Participant, Youth INTERACTS
  
  

• “I would say, yes, I grew. I’m not much of a people person, this was an experience for me. I’ve opened up a little bit more with talking to people and being around people and basically being out of my bubble. So, it was good. It was nice.” – Zha’miyah, Youth Participant, Youth INTERACTS
  
  

• “A lot of youth, especially here, don’t really see what’s outside of Chicago. Being able to see and have a different perspective and see, okay, I can connect with this person, they may not look like me, they may not live in the same environment as me, but we still can make a connection.”– Lawren, Facilitator, Youth INTERACTS
  

  Listen to more testimonials from the program in the video here.