We want to make the world a little bit better. No less than that.
In the kids we see the future of our world. And we’re thinking: this world needs strong kids, so that they have a good future. It is important that the basic needs of all kids are satisfied, for example that they have enough food and can grow up in a safe environment.
But there‘s more what the human being needs and what he longs for. It‘s anchored inside and drives him. It’s the need for affiliation and support, it’s the experience of appreciation and estimation and the deep yearning to realize one’s full potential. In order for kids to become strong, they must have the chance to develop this early on.
That’s why they need sense- and identity formation, especially in their orientation phase as "pubescent snotty brats”. For this they need self-determined free spaces in their socialization so that they can learn, grow and develop into strong personalities based on intrinsic motivation. "Being a blockhead” by too much extrinsic socialization is disturbing. All this together makes the educational power of skateboarding possible. And this is exactly where we want to start with this immense power.
Through the work of skate-aid, kids and teenagers will become self-determined personalities, enriching their societies as strong individuals. Precisely there, where living conditions are disadvantageous and hope and a perspective are lacking. The movement-oriented youth culture skateboarding knows neither borders nor war. It does not differentiate according to skin color, religion or social status…no…it connects. And we want to characterize kids through this connecting spirit.
When children become strong in this way, our commitment makes a lasting contribution to the development of civil society, socialization-, prevention- and peace work. Then the world really gets a little better through our actions.
That's our vision.
If you want to make the world better, you have to keep working on it. That's why skate-aid has a clear mission: We empower kids!
Our tool is the pedagogical power of skateboarding with its range of effectivity. We use them in line with our vision of our commitment to kids and teenagers. The result is a holistic approach in the legal framework of youth welfare in Germany and around the world, the promotion of sport and the promotion of international sentiment and tolerance in all areas of culture and international understanding.
In particular, the following measures enable skate-aid to carry out its mission in the projects every day and thus providing genuine socialization-, prevention- and peace work:
Construction and maintenance of skate parks as safe pedagogical socialization rooms with free access and support as well as structured leisure activities for kids and teenagers regardless of age, religion, skin color, social class and gender
Participatory involvement of kids and teenagers in all activities promoting cognitive and social skills
Carrying out free skateboard lessons (workshops) to promote self-determined personality development, resilience, integration and inclusion
Free provision of skateboards, accessories and safety gear
Implementation and promotion of national and international sporting events
Implementation and promotion of youth exchange programs for the purpose of reducing cultural barriers and prejudices
Carrying out special continuing education workshops for kids and teenagers on sensitive topics such as racism, drug abuse, environmental pollution, discrimination or AIDS
Conducting projects and actions that support young people, promote their individual and social development, provide them with life and guidance and open new perspectives to them
You can find out how our work looks like in practice and how skate-aid works on our website on news and projects. skate-aid initiator Titus Dittmann describes in this article, why the skateboard is such a fantastic tool for all this.
Our mission is successful when we help kids and teenagers on their way to adulthood, becoming self-confident, enlightened, creative, enthusiastic, committed, courageous, persevering, frustration-tolerant and active individuals in their society. Especially where adverse living conditions such as war and conflict, poverty, racism and much more can endanger their positive development.
We’re working on it. Our Mission: We empower kids!
Titus Dittmann, born 1948 in Kirchen an der Sieg, studied pedagogy, sports and geography in Münster. The topic of his exam paper, the world's first scientific work on skateboarding, was: "Attempt to introduce skateboarding in a student sports community of a high school. A contribution to recreational education in school." For over 40 years, everything revolves around the rolling board with him. In the process, his colleagues and him experienced the enormous power of the skateboard right from the start. Always following his motto "The heart must burn", he quit his official status as a teacher in 1984 to devote himself entirely to the skateboard youth culture. He began building his company TITUS, which today is successfully run by his wife and son. Skateboarding connects and is especially in the orientation phase of kids and teenagers extremely sense- and identity establishing. At an early age, he promoted not only national but also international skateboarding projects. When Titus supported an initiative in Kabul in 2008, he realized how ideally the skateboard can be used in crisis areas. After his first trip to Afghanistan, he knew that he wanted to stay tuned and move even more. He returned to his roots, taught at the University of Münster and founded the Titus Dittmann Foundation in 2009 with the initiative skate-aid, which implements kids and youth projects worldwide with the movement-oriented and self-determined skateboard youth culture. Even where life is characterized by terror, violence and, he wants to get the hope for children rolling. In spring 2010, Titus, together with his cooperation partner Grünhelme e.V., built the first skate-aid skate park at a school in Karokh / Afghanistan. Always on a skate-aid mission, he uses his popularity to draw attention to skate-aid and to advance the worldwide projects. Whether as a lecturer, racing driver at the Nürburgring 24-hour race, testimonial or private person - skate-aid is always there. He is driven by spreading the knowledge of the pedagogical power of skateboarding.
"We empower kids! For almost 10 years we’ve been using the power of skateboarding and all our potential in meanwhile 18 countries and more than 20 projects. But we need your help because only through your support we can give kids without a childhood a bit of vitality and confidence. I’m looking forward to your support! Let's help across the board! "
Sincerely, Titus Dittmann
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