FOOTBALL4iMPACT
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Teenagers in tracksuit tops sit in a row on chairs in a bright room, listening

Programmes

FOOTBALL4iMPACT programmes bring international school students and young people from local communities together to learn from one another. Each programme combines football, structured workshops and community outreach, and is shaped around the goals of the participating school.

Workshops

  • Leadership

    Delivered by the Rio Ferdinand Foundation. Participants develop the confidence and skills to lead teams and projects in their own communities.

  • Mental health

    Led by local charities and practitioners in each destination. Past contributors include the mental health writer Yolanda Lear.

  • Financial literacy

    Delivered by professionals from the finance sector. Past sessions have been led by Forum Finance, a Geneva wealth management firm that supported the programme, and by businessman Fouad Hashem.

Students sit around tables with large sheets of paper during a workshop in a bright room with tall windows.
Every programme includes workshops on three themes.

Football training

Coached football sessions are delivered by the Rio Ferdinand Foundation. Football gives participants a shared language, builds teamwork and trust, and is the setting in which many of the programme's relationships begin.

A player in an orange bib dribbles a football past a defender in a light-blue UEFA Respect bib on a pitch with a hedge behind
Football gives participants a shared language.
Looking up from the ground at a circle of smiling young players in green bibs and sweatshirts, one reaching a hand into the middle

Who takes part

International students. We work with international schools across Europe, typically with students aged 17 to 18 (IB Year 12), who travel as a cohort.

Local participants. In every phase we work with a local partner, which brings together the participants whose places are funded through the 1+1 model.

Visiting and local participants work side by side throughout the programme: on shared projects, in workshops and on the pitch. They learn from each other's backgrounds and experiences, and the connections they make carry on after the trip.

Three young players lie on their backs on an artificial pitch, each resting their head on an orange football, in the sun

How a programme runs

  1. Before the trip

    • We present the programme to the school and agree objectives, budget and format.
    • We hold a briefing for parents.
    • Students attend preparation sessions on the destination and its context.
    • Students meet the other participants online and begin collaborating on projects before travel.

  2. During the trip

    • Workshops, football, community outreach and cultural experiences, in a programme agreed in advance with the school.
    • A local partner organisation in each destination supports logistics, local knowledge and the safety of the group.

  3. After the trip

    • Each student receives a certificate and an impact report.
    • The trip can contribute to the IB CAS programme (see below).
Five young people stand in front of a screen reading “Creating Opportunities”, holding up a large sheet of handwritten notes for a seated audience.
Young players in red and purple training bibs run after the ball on an artificial pitch while a referee watches.

Tailored to your school

No two schools have the same goals or budget. We adjust the balance between outreach and leisure, which changes both the character and the cost of the trip, and we shape the programme around the results a school wants to achieve.

A competitive phase

Programmes can include a competitive phase, with matches between the participating groups.

Local partners

In every destination we work with an established local company or organisation. Our partners know the country and the area, help plan the best activities and attractions, and advise on which communities and projects would benefit most from outreach.

What participants take away

Two boys lying on the pitch during a session, one writing on a worksheet

Visiting students

  • A certificate from the Rio Ferdinand Foundation
  • An impact report describing the contribution made to the community
  • A project and experience suited to CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service) in the IB Diploma Programme, subject to approval by the school's CAS coordinator
  • Connections with young people from a different part of the world

Local participants

  • Workshops free of charge
  • A certificate they can use in applications for work
  • Coaching certification to support their own communities
  • The chance to meet, learn from and work with a visiting cohort
  • Donated laptops and clothing, collected by the visiting students
  • The opportunity to win a bursary to study at ETA College or another local college
A player in a purple bib leans over to help a teammate stretch his leg on the pitch, with others lying on the grass behind them and mountains in the distance

Why schools choose FOOTBALL4iMPACT

  • Collaborative, interactive learning alongside a community students would not usually meet
  • Real, documented impact for the host community
  • Flexible programmes, from outreach-focused to including premium experiences
  • Partnerships with football organisations and a programme that appeals especially to students who love the game
  • Connections students keep after they return
A man stands beside a wall of screens showing football matches in a video operations room while students sit at desks and watch
A video room tour at UEFA headquarters.

Plan a programme for your school.

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