| Laureus Supported Projects | ||||
|
|
Golf Educatif - Paris, France Golf Educatif was established in 2000 by Welsh professional golfer Bill Owens to use golf as a tool to fight social exclusion and reduce anti-social behaviour among young people who live in one of the most deprived estates in France. The project, based in a suburb of Paris called Ile-de-France, aims to demonstrate how golf's conventions can be applied to every day life. It teaches participants the value of playing by the rules and respect for the environment in which they live and the people with whom they interact. Prior to the project's establishment, there were no golf courses in Ile-de-France because of the space required, but Golf Educatif has innovatively adapted the game of golf for suburban living by providing participants with golf balls that are one third of the normal weight to ensure that they travel a shorter distance. The game can therefore be played on smaller golf courses, and, as a result, there are now four miniature golf sites established in the area. The project has been successful in instilling a sense of citizenship and moral values into the participants and has, in particular, had a positive impact in engaging young people involved in drug misuse. The project is run in partnership with an educational sports federation, Union Française des Oeuvres Laïques d'Éducation Physique (UFOLEP), the Union Sportive de l'Enseignement du Premier degree, and the region's police centre for youth recreation. 
|
|
