ID Talks: Social Sport

This ID Talks series will look into the concept of social sport - what it means, why it is important and how it promotes inclusion, social cohesion and skills development. 

Introduction

Social sport is applied in various settings, including youth work, education and community development. It is a powerful learning tool that addresses social challenges and creates positive change. Social sport boosts inclusion and builds real-life skills. It strengthens cooperation, respect, health and active citizenship. And it often reaches target groups that other methods don’t.

In autumn 2026, the SALTO Inclusion & Diversity Resources Centre partners up with the Erasmus+ National Agencies’ YouSports project to contribute to the discussion on sport as an inclusive non-formal educational tool for personal and community impact.

How can youth work use social sport to reach out to underrepresented groups, ensuring their inclusion?

In the YouSports project, social sport is understood in the following ways: 

• as an educational tool for added value,
• with a focus on the experience, as well as winning,
• engaging and fun,
• reflecting on the learning,
• transfer competences to other real-life situations,
• as a process for individual development and community impact.

We will look into practices of education through sport that contribute to inclusive communities and nourish the wellbeing of young people with fewer opportunities.

The 5 online “ID Talks” promote inclusion & diversity (ID) and quality youth work. Youth workers, professionals and volunteers from all over the world share insights, research findings, food for thought, good practices or inspirational stories. They guide participants through the pressing matters and challenges affecting inclusion & diversity and inspire them to make their programmes and organisations more inclusive, embrace human differences, look ahead and picture how the future of youth work and inclusion &diversity might be.

Each online workshop begins with an input from guest speakers. Afterwards, participants have the opportunity to engage in the discussion, ask questions and share about their own realities and experiences.

When? 

Every other Wednesday at 13h-14h30 CET, from 9 September until 4 November 2026. Feel free to have your lunch while attending.

• 9 September (13h CET) > ID Talks Social Sport - What is social sport? What are its most important elements and what can it achieve? How can social sport boost inclusion? How does it link to youth work, to developing identities and communities and to active participation? What are the youth and sport strands of the Erasmus+ programme and what is the YouSports National Agency cooperation in brief? In this opening talk, we will be setting the scene for the "social sport" season of ID Talks, creating a common understanding of important notions and frameworks. Guest speaker: Oscar Coppieters, Belgium.
   
• 23 September (13h CET) > ID Talks Sport in the City - How to reach out to young people and bring them on board? What methods could be used to engage youth in skills and project development? How does sport help young people unlock their potential? Why is it important to have meaningful collaboration with the business sector? And what opportunities can national policies on social sport provide? Join us to discover the stories of Sport dans la Ville about social sport in disadvantaged urban areas. Guest speakers: Pauline Le Dizes & Jean-Baptiste Cailhau, France.
   
• 7 October (13h CET) > ID Talks Sport through Circus - What is social circus and how can it become a safe space for people with fewer opportunities, especially in conflict areas and devastated communities? What is the public perception of social circus and how can you go beyond circus clichés or negative stereotypes? What impact does it have on young people and the wider community? In this talk, the Palestinian Circus School will share about their social programme that uses social circus to engage marginalised groups, such as women and people with disabilities. Guest speaker: Mohammad Rabah, Palestine.
   
• 21 October (13h CET) > ID Talks Sport for Integration - Why is sport a good tool for integration across cultures, countries and continents? How can sport serve as a universal language for communication? What is the added value of using Erasmus+ and working on this topic internationally? What are the main challenges and key outcomes? In this talk, we will learn about the projects of V4Sport Foundation and how they use sport to engage the most vulnerable groups, such as young Ukrainian refugees, in the local community in Poland. Guest speaker: Jakub Kalinowski, Poland.
   
• 4 November (13h CET) > ID Talks Sport for LGBTIQ+ Inclusion - How can social sport help in creating safer spaces? How can sport be used to combat discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity (SOGI)? What are the benefits for LGBTIQA+ people, as well as the wider community? What are the possible challenges? This talk will highlight tools and activities by LEAP Sports Scotland where social sport is used for greater inclusion of queer people. Guest speaker: Hugh Torrance, Scotland.

How do the ID Talks Work?

ID Talks” is a series of 5 online workshops on 5 major topics to promote inclusion & diversity (ID) and quality youth work. It features youth workers, professionals and volunteers, from all over the world to share insights, research findings, food for thought, good practices or inspirational stories. They will guide you through the pressing matters and challenges affecting Inclusion and Diversity and inspire you to make your programmes and organisations more inclusive, embrace human differences, look ahead and picture how the future of youth work and Inclusion and Diversity might be. Each workshop begins with an input from guest speakers. Afterwards, you have the opportunity to engage in the discussion, ask questions and share about your own realities and experiences.

For whom?

For youth workers, youth leaders, professionals and volunteers involved in inclusion and diversity in the EU youth programmes, as well as all those interested in youth work and inclusion & diversity topics.

Why should you join?

• Get food for thought and learn from inspirational ID stories.
• Learn about ID topics from the youth work sector and beyond.
• Get information, inspiration and methods to help the youth sector address ID.
• Put some more quality in your (international) youth work.
• Identify and learn how to tackle existing and future challenges within ID.

How to register?

Fill in and submit the registration here! 
Registration is free of charge. 

IMPORTANT NOTE: although there is a deadline, it's always possible to register at any time for the sessions that will still take place.

All registered participants will receive a link to the Zoom meeting a week before each session takes place.

For more info, check here!