Newcomer skateboarding

Right to Skate partners with Saskatoon Open Door Society and the Saskatoon Intercultural Association to offer newcomer skateboarding programs several times a year. We know that moving to Canada means leaving family behind, spending hard-earned dollars, facing housing and employment challenges, learning a language, and sometimes even dealing with the trauma of fleeing war or persecution. One thing that organizations like ours can do is provide recreation and social activities for youth and their families. Through skateboarding, children can find a positive physical outlet and make new friends.

Research by the Matheson Institute and Hull Services shows that skateboarding is an effective tool in treating the symptoms of PTSD in children, and may even have long-term efficacy. We are proud to support the soft landing of youth from Ukraine, Palestine, Afghanistan, and beyond.

A Right To Skate sticker with the text "Afghan Girls" on a flag featuring the colours of the Afghan flag, surrounded by a laurel wreath and the words "Skateboard Team".

Afghan girls skate team

The Afghan Girls Skate Team was born out of an influx of young female refugees in Saskatoon following the Taliban’s attack on the Afghan government in 2021. Women and girls were forced into hiding, denied education, and many fled the country if they were able. 

Prior to 2021, Afghanistan was the home base of the world-renowned organization Skateistan. Skateistan hosted skateboard programs for youth, at least half of whom were girls, at their indoor skatepark in Kabul. The project became famous after the release of the documentary Learning to Skateboard in a WarzonE.

Today, the Afghan Girls Skate Team is one of Right To Skate's core programs. The 18-Person team trains year-round, hoping some of the skaters will one day compete. The team perfectly represents the mission and vision of our organization.

learn more here.

Four newcomer women in a Right To Skate class standing outdoors, holding skateboards, wearing face masks, helmets, and winter jackets, with trees in the background.
A group of children and a young woman in a Right To Skate class on skateboards indoors, wearing helmets, with the young woman teaching the children how to skateboard, in a gym with various sports markings on the floor.
Four newcomer members of Right To Skate wearing masks standing in front of mirrors holding a colorful artwork on a skateboard.
Two children in a Right To Skate class, a girl and a boy, standing indoors against a white brick wall, each holding a skateboard painted with space-themed artwork. Both are wearing face masks and casual clothes.
A group of children in a Right To Skate class wearing helmets and face masks balance on skateboards lined up in an indoor gym.
Children and teenagers in a Right To Skate class skateboarding together at an outdoor skate park surrounded by a chain-link fence and tall trees, some wearing helmets and protective gear.

interested in this program or want to learn more?

Contact Us
The Right To Skate Logo. A cartoon gopher character wearing a yellow cap and yellow pants, riding a skateboard.