Launched in July 2020, off the back of our first ever virtual Young Leaders Summit, the digital network has fostered connectivity and collaboration between projects throughout the last year, equipping more than 1,000 Young Leaders with the skills, confidence and support systems they need to continue improving the lives of city kids through football.
During the 2020/21 season, Cisco technology powered virtual round-tables, expert speaker sessions and knowledge exchanges, enabling Young Leaders to share their learnings and the latest innovations in community football as they adapted their projects to respond to the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Young Leaders are already reaping the benefits of being part of a more connected global network, with 95% of those surveyed reporting increased knowledge and ideas on how to adapt their community football programmes in response to new challenges.
The network is also helping to give young leaders more confidence in using technology and engaging with others digitally.
Varsha, a Young Leader in Mumbai, said: “The most amazing part of being connected with a global community is that we get to share with and learn from people from a number of countries around the world.
“Different Young Leaders are helping communities in different countries deal with different challenges, all using the power of football. It gives me an opportunity to be a global citizen.”
Cisco is once again supporting the Global Young Leaders Summit which took place last week via Webex by Cisco.
The Summit connected more than 500 Young Leaders from 25 cities to share learning and innovation in community football through a variety of activities including live interactive discussions on topics such as mentorship, female empowerment, adaptation, leadership and mental health.
This extended commitment builds on Cisco’s continued support of Cityzens Giving in Mumbai where Young Leaders are using football as a tool to enhance children’s education, provide educational assistance to those who are struggling in school and offer support and mentoring to reduce drop-out rates.
Tom Pitchon, Director of City Football Foundation, said “We are delighted to see Cisco extending their partnership with Cityzens Giving.
“Together we can continue to use Cisco technology to bridge divides across the world and connect a new generation of community football leaders to one another to share learning and innovation”.
“Our involvement with Cityzens Giving is one of the most rewarding parts of our partnership with City Football Group,” said Ashley Marusak, Global Sports Marketing Manager at Cisco.
“There is nothing more important than using our technology to create opportunities to allow future leaders to grow, learn and inspire change in their communities and around the world.
“We are excited to expand our support of this initiative as we work together with City Football Group to power an inclusive future for all.”
