Ahead of the celebrations of the 10th anniversary of the US Department of State-espnW Global Sports Mentoring Program (GSMP) and the 50th anniversary of Title IX, a landmark law that provides women with equal opportunities in education and sport across the United States, the Department of Education The US State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) welcomes 15 international sports leaders to the US for the GSMP fall program. With the University of Tennessee Center for Sport, Peace and Society as a collaborative partner, the GSMP has proven to be a successful government, private sector, and academic partnership.
This week, which also celebrates International Girls’ Day, international women’s sports leaders begin their professional mentorship, working side-by-side with senior executives in the US sports sector. Together, they share personal, business, entrepreneurial, and strategic management insights and in turn, are enriched by new cultural perspectives and expanded domestic and global networks.
The program promotes the key principles of Title IX such as inclusion, access and opportunity, and applies them globally. Through action plans developed with their mentors, program participants make a difference every day to advance the participation of women and girls in sport. For example, a GSMP participant from Brazil overcame alcohol addiction and bad influences in his youth to become an Olympic wrestler. She joined GSMP 2017 with a dream to create opportunities for girls to overcome poverty, domestic violence, pay inequality, and educational barriers. After returning from GSMP, she launched her own non-profit organization to empower young girls and equip them as leaders and advocates through wrestling.
This class joins the ranks of 234 alumni who excel in GSMP programs that empower women and people with disabilities through sport – Olympians, Paralympians, sports journalists, ministry officials, civil society leaders and others – from 91 countries. The fall program features participants from Brazil, Croatia, Egypt, Georgia, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Israel, Kosovo, Mexico, Morocco, New Zealand, Nigeria, Tanzania and Turkey. They will be mentored by leaders representing the Great Eastern Conference, DoubleVerify, DraftKings, ESPN, Gatorade, Green Bay Packers, National College Athletic Association, National Football League, National Hockey League, New Balance, Saatchi & Saatchi, University of Connecticut, United States Tennis Association, and Women’s Sports Foundation.
For more information, please contact the Bureau of Education and Culture at ECA-Press@state.gov and Isabelle Lopez of ESPN at Isabelle.M.Lopez@espn.com. To learn more about ECA’s Sports Diplomacy Division, follow them on Twitter @SportsDiplomacy and Facebook @sportsdiplomacydivision.
