IKOS – Goals Beyond The Field

İstanbul Kültür ve Spor Derneği

In 2010, a working group consisting of relevant sports experts, artists, and local volunteers actively involved in youth work commissioned research to document the needs of disadvantaged people in İstanbul. IKOS was established with the objective of contributing in the following areas:

Supporting the development of the community, including disadvantaged groups across different age groups.
Raising awareness about the role of Sports and Art as tools for social empowerment.
Organizing sports-related outreach activities to reach the most vulnerable target groups.
Establishing networks with existing inclusion and sports organizations.

IKOS focuses on empowering and involving disadvantaged young people and children, helping them acquire soft skills, self-confidence, and hope for their future through art and sports. To achieve IKOS’s aims, activities are carried out in four main fields. They are; Sport Studies, Art & Culture Studies, Youth Work and International Networking.

Within the field of Sport Studies, IKOS utilizes sport as an effective tool for social empowerment. The primary goal is to address social inequalities and combat social exclusion within our societies through the methodological utilization of sports. IKOS focuses on implementing Education Through Sport methodologies in collaboration with NGOs and sport organizations. A significant aspect of our sport studies involves conducting educational sports activities with a hidden agenda, particularly targeted at refugees, immigrants, individuals with disabilities, women in NEET, socio-economically disadvantaged young people, and seniors.

Over the past 5 years, IKOS has established collaborative partnerships with various esteemed entities, including the Turkish Basketball Federation, Turkish Tennis Federation, Bayrampaşa Municipality, Bilgi University Sport Management Department, TED (Tennis Fence Alpinism) Sports Club, Turkish Sports Foundation, Syrian Forum, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, and Sport Istanbul.

Since 2019, our organization has been actively engaged in conducting educational activities and awareness-raising seminars. These initiatives aim to emphasize the vital role of sport in promoting the UN Sustainable Development Goals and contributing to the 2030 Agenda by combining them with 8 Key Competences.

Your Organization’s Motivation to be a part of the Project

The European Youth Goals provide a strategic framework for addressing key challenges that young people face across Europe, from mental health and well-being to social inclusion, education, and sustainability. However, many youth workers and sports professionals lack the methodological capacity to integrate these goals into their daily practices.

By leading the “Goals Beyond the Field” project, we aim to bridge this gap by connecting non-formal education with sports methodologies, equipping youth workers and sports professionals with the necessary tools to promote European values, empower young people, and create inclusive local sports initiatives.