The Government of Karnataka; a not-for-profit trust Going to School; and BT Group collaborated to conduct Match Day 2024 in Bengaluru, on Friday, March 1. Over 500 girls from government schools came together to celebrate the power of sports and learn life skills which will help them combat climate change, stated The New Indian Express.
The two stakeholders signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to run the Outdoor School for Girls from Classes V to X in 25 government schools in Bengaluru.
Students will be taught football; be introduced to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) courses; plus build sustainable entrepreneurial and digital skills. This initiative, also launched in Mumbai, Goa and Raichur, hopes to equip 2.7 million girls to address unemployment and promote sustainability.
"For the first time in the government education system in India, girls are playing football and learning integrated skills to solve climate change, in their school. With a fierce focus on girls' retention in school and transition from school to the sustainable enterprise of their choice, after completing their education, the girls will have the chance of becoming entrepreneurs," said Lisa Heydlauff, CEO, Going to School.
The group also runs Experiential Business School Crash Courses for young women above the age of 18, who are taught sustainable enterprise skills on-site. Once they complete the crash course, they can begin researching any business that provides solutions for climate change and pitch for seed capital grants from Deutsche Bank.
"Bengaluru FC has championed the cause of sustainability and awareness about climate change. We are very happy to be able to harness the power of football to spread this message. Let's all play our part in being the change," said Bengaluru FC Head Coach, Gerard Zaragoza, who will aid the football coaching for the girls.
