[Toda la descripcion en espanol, aqui: https://bit.ly/2X62641]. The underlying goal of this project is to work with rural schools to implement an educational approach based on football to tackle challenges faced by individuals and communities of distinct disadvantage. Children are the future for their community and what better way to educate life lessons and improve their well-being than with and through a school based on the world's most popular game: football (soccer).
Peru's educational system statistically suffers when compared to that of other Latin American nations. Rural areas face the steepest inequities in this system. There are different causes that perpetuate the problems. Among them : the bonds between the teachers and the community, the focus on cognitive skills and the methodology. All of them, prevent the children from rural areas, to have good education and good opportunities.
The "Kick-Off" approach fills in a gap for rural communities in Peru by building on existing passion and interest community-wide for their national sport: soccer. This innovative initiative takes into account the importance of cognitive and non-cognitive skills for all children, and include them in the philosophy. The implementation and evaluation of the project will take a lot of time, however, the outcomes will make education as a real tool for children to take control of their destiny.
The proven value of non-cognitive and cognitive skills development for populations with limited access to adequate education indicates a unique niche in Peru's education system that can increase student long-term achievement, economic and social mobility. As a last goal, the implementation of this project will allow those populations to accumulate Human and Social Capital, both needed to combat exclusion, poverty and isolation (three characteristics impoverished rural population shared).
