Global education in sports – Liikunnan Kehitysyhteistyö LiiKe ry

Project 6

Global education in sports

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Kestävästi Liikkeelle! – Moving Sustainably

How can we promote sustainable development through sport and within the sports sector?

The “Kestävästi Liikkeelle!” (Moving Sustainably) global education project trains Finnish sports professionals and students in sustainable development and global challenges, with a specific focus on how these are linked to physical activity and sport. The project promotes the sports sector’s commitment to the Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Finland’s development policy objectives.

Core Activities

At the heart of the project is an online course titled “Sustainable Development in Sport”, available through LiiKe’s website (see the Study section). The course is aimed at sports professionals and students and is available in two formats: basic and extended.

The course teaches how sport can be used to advance the SDGs and how to integrate sustainability into sports sector practices. The role of sport and physical activity in promoting sustainable development has been recognized at the United Nations level. According to UNESCO’s Kazan Action Plan (2017), sport has a proven positive impact on ten of the 17 SDGs — themes that are explored in the course through the lens of Finland’s development policy and human rights-based approaches.

Transformational Learning for Real Change

The project is based on the Transformational Learning Theory, which aims to redefine how we see ourselves and our place in the world. Complex sustainability issues — such as climate change, inequality, and overconsumption — require systemic transformation. That’s why it is essential for professionals in the sports sector to understand the field’s challenges and explore how their work can be made more sustainable.

Reach and Impact

The course has been offered as part of the curriculum at the University of Jyväskylä (Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences), Lapland University of Applied Sciences, and Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences. In addition, the course has been used to train staff at Finnish sports organizations, including sports institutes and Unisport, the university sports service.

Funding and Support

The project is supported by the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs through its communication and global education funding (2023–2024) and by private donations.

Why Support This Work?

LiiKe is committed to educating responsible, sustainability-minded professionals in the field of sport, ensuring that the transformative power of physical activity is harnessed for the benefit of a more sustainable world — both locally and globally.

By supporting this project, you’re promoting a more sustainable and responsible sports culture — one with lasting, positive impact.

Support our important work!

10–15% of the project costs are covered by private donations.
The more donations we receive, the greater impact we can achieve in our global education work!

What do we do with the donations?

By supporting this project, you’re promoting a more sustainable and responsible sports culture — one with lasting, positive impact.

Training center to Tanzania

LiiKe, in collaboration with the Tanzanian organization Sports Development Aid, is renovating the abandoned Finnclub Centre in Mtwara, Tanzania. In the future, the center will serve as a training hub for young people with intellectual disabilities and school dropouts. We call this initiative Project Matwaara.

Physical education for girls

LiiKe is implementing a sport-based health education project in 50+50 secondary schools along the southeastern coast of Tanzania, taking girls’ education and gender equality work to new heights. In a nine-school pilot conducted by LiiKe and its partner Sports Development Aid, the girls’ pass rate in national secondary school exams increased from 9% to 51% over five years — a remarkable achievement!

Physical education for boys

In the lower secondary school sports project supported by LiiKe, the focus is on boys’ rights — and especially their responsibilities. The key message: Treat others as you treat yourself, especially girls your own age. The project includes: a) Modernizing traditional initiation education materials for boys to reflect current values, b) Using football and physical activity to teach health and life skills, c) Training teachers to recognize and address gender inequality in schools

Educational project in Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe has faced a severe economic crisis since the early 2000s, and teacher training colleges have been among the hardest hit. The training of teachers suffers from a lack of materials and motivation. Yet, education remains the most crucial step toward development. LiiKe supports the development of physical education instruction in 17 teacher training colleges across Zimbabwe, helping to strengthen teacher capacity and the role of sport in education.

Secondary school sports in Tanzania

The Secondary School Physical Education Training Project focuses on key priority areas in Tanzanian schools. These include establishing the framework for PE instruction and improving training both in secondary schools and teacher training colleges. The project also aims to modernize the training of PE teachers, enhance health education and adaptive physical education, and increase the visibility of the positive outcomes of physical activity and health education.

Global education in sports

Kestävästi Liikkeelle! – Moving Sustainably How can we promote sustainable development through sport and within the sports sector? The Kestävästi Liikkeelle! project trains Finnish sports professionals and students in sustainable development and global challenges, with a particular focus on how these issues connect to physical activity and sport. The project aims to strengthen the sports sector’s commitment to the Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Finland’s development policy objectives.