Today, Sunday 24 January, Cityzens Giving Young Leaders in 20 cities around the world are leading a series of activities to uplift and educate children in their communities through the power of football.
Over the last 12 months, the COVID-19 pandemic has created the largest disruption of education systems in history, affecting nearly 1.6 billion learners in more than 190 countries according to the UN.
In the face of these challenges, young leaders have adapted their programmes to find new ways of engaging and supporting kids in their communities. Today we shine a light on the power of football to unite, educate and uplift city kids around the world.
Events kicked off with a series of small group discussions in 10 cities between Cisco experts and young leaders on the role of technology and football in education, covering topics from the digital divide to experiences of adapted programme delivery and how technology can help their projects run smarter.
Over the weekend, a number of youth-led activities are taking place, including connecting kids and young leaders from different cities via Cisco Webex; creative games, quizzes, competitions, and football challenges; and practical football-based education sessions.
We asked young leaders around the world what Education means to them. Watch the video for their responses:
This forms part of our mission to empower city kids through football and help communities around the world to get back on their feet as COVID-19 continues to impact society.
