Events & Calendars Reclaim Childhood: Spend a Summer Empowering Refugee Girls Through Sport

Reclaim Childhood (RC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Amman, Jordan, that seeks to empower refugee girls and local women through sport and play.

Sport is a language spoken by everyone, and RC's founders believe sport has the power to inspire confidence, hope and ambition. With that in mind, Reclaim Childhood operates regular after-school sports leagues, a month-long summer camp for girls ages 8–16 and coaching clinics for local adult women. Team-oriented games at all levels provide the psycho-social support necessary to improve self-esteem, strengthen peer relationships and foster leadership.

RC's beneficiary base is diverse and includes Syrian, Iraqi and Jordanian nationals, among others. By encouraging youth from different parts of the region to focus on their similarities, RC aims to encourage valuable, cross-cultural and inter-community dialogue.

Recent research from the World Bank, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the World Economic Forum shows female education is one of the key ingredients to a nation’s success. Educating women leads to a more productive workforce, higher wages, smaller families and reduces maternal and child mortality rates. In short, education makes for a healthier, safer life. For these reasons, Reclaim Childhood also works closely with beneficiaries and their families to help women navigate life off the playing field, helping families identify and apply for academic scholarships and continuing to support the student and family once enrolled.

In this information session, U.S. operations coordinator Maddie Ulanow will share more information about Reclaim Childhood's mission, how the program is structured and how students can successfully apply for its open opportunities, namely its Summer 2018 Internship Program.