Peace Through Sport
Peace Through Sport, a virtual exchange program, empowering American and Yemeni youth to become future leaders through the lens of sport
Peace Through Sport is an exciting program that offers the opportunity for young people in the United States and Yemen to connect virtually while learning communication, problem-solving, and leadership - all through the lens of sport! Over an eight-week round, participants dive into sports-based activities, hear inspiring stories from sports leaders, and gain hands-on experience creating a project to make a real impact in their communities.
Are you ready to learn how to become an effective leader?
Are you interested in having a positive impact on your local community and the world?
Are you passionate about sports and global connection?
If you answered YES to these questions, then we invite you to apply for the Peace Through Sport program. Join us to make new friends, learn valuable skills, and lead positive change!
The Marshall Legacy Insitute (MLI) is implementing Peace Through Sport in partnership with the Hadhramout Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the education of young people from Yemen by providing them with the knowledge and skills needed to support the rebuilding and development of their future.
Peace Through Sport is implemented by the Marshall Legacy Institute and is supported by the J. Christopher Stevens Virtual Exchange Initiative (JCSVEI). JCSVEI is a U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs program administered by the Aspen Institute.
Are you the right candidate?
Participating Peace Through Sport students will:
-
Commit 1-2 hours per week during the eight-week program
-
Participate in 4, 1-hour, virtual calls
-
Focus on group games and discussion during weeks 1-3
-
Focus on learning about their communities and implementing a service project to benefit their community during weeks 4-8
Participating Peace Through Sport teachers will:
-
Commit 1-2 hours per week during the eight-week program
-
Receive the Peace Through Sport curriculum and activities as well as support from MLI staff
-
Participate in 4, 1-hour, virtual calls
-
Run activities and facilitate group discussions (meeting times flexible to work with teacher schedule) during weeks 1-3
-
Facilitate learning about community and implementation of service learning project (MLI staff support available) during weeks 4-8
-
Participating Teachers will receive compensation for their program
If you are a U.S.-based high school student or teacher interested in participating, we invite you to apply for a session during one of the following application rounds:
Round 1 January/February 2025 – Now accepting applications
Round 2 April/May 2025 – Registration opens in March 2025
Round 3 July/August 2025 – Registration opens in June 2025
Round 4 October/November 2025 – Registration opens in September 2025
Round 5 January/February 2026 – Registration opens in December 2025
Round 6 March/April 2026 – Registration opens in February 2026
Round 7 July/August 2026 – Registration opens in June 2026
Round 8 October/November 2026 – Registration opens in September 2025
%20(7_5%20x%201_2%20in).png)
Peace Through Sport Testimonials
PTS Yemen follows in the footsteps of MLI's successful PTS Lebanon program, which inspired young leaders and created connections between youth in the U.S. and Lebanon.
Iman, Lebanese student
The students will feel healthier and stronger through their participation, and they will gain knowledge, tools, and experience to bring about positive changes to their communities.
Lydia, American student
It’s a great way to inform and educate others – a great program that is doing great work.
Karen, Lebanese student
In Peace through Sport, we learned how to work in groups and share our ideas. We had fun and we met many new people, especially the American students, and we learned about their communities.
Peace through Sport is a two-year program which will bring together 600 Yemeni youth and 300 American counterparts to participate in eight stand-alone virtual exchange rounds with eight weeks per round. The curriculum will focus on positive leadership, civic engagement, healthy lifestyles, and life skills through sports. Students will study social issues within their communities, and implement service-learning projects to tackle local problems. Participating teachers will receive in-depth training to effectively guide their students through the curriculum. Throughout the program, U.S. and Yemeni students will meet virtually to develop friendships, learn about each other’s countries and cultures, and share their projects.
The virtual exchange program uses sports as a unifying motivation for student engagement as participants identify values to enable them to play an active role in bringing positive change to their communities. Through the lens of sport, the program will use interactive games to promote effective communication, problem-solving, and respect for others. American sports figures will serve as guest speakers on virtual calls to further highlight the U.S. values of civic participation, volunteerism, and community engagement. Program participants will gain an improved understanding of other cultures, empowerment to become civically engaged, and skills & knowledge to bring positive change to their communities.
Please reach out to us at anne@marshall-legacy.org if you have any questions!
