Using Sport as a catalyst to promote gender equity in communities impacted by genocide. VISIT: www.kidsplayintl.org Most children in developing countries simply do not have the resources or opportunity to be a part of active play or organized sports that can teach them life lessons they can use on and off the field. Kids who play sports on any level don't just benefit physically. Research shows they also do better in school, develop personal discipline, improve self-esteem and learn how to get along with others.

KPI has developed three programs that use sport as a tool for development:

1) a community program, Let’s Play! that uses sport to teach life skills, the importance of physical fitness and healthy living;

2) the Girls Dream Big educational scholarship fund, which identifies and sponsors girls who could not otherwise afford to attend school; and

3) volunteer trips lead by Olympic and elite athletes that give travelers an opportunity to travel with a purpose and experience using sport as a means to make a positive difference in the lives of underserved kids in developing countries. Three-time winter Olympic Freestyle Skier, Tracy Evans was inspired by a volunteer trip she took to Africa. She experienced first hand the positive impact sport had on the impoverished youth with whom she worked. Seeing how little access these children have to sports, she returned to the United States determined to create a year-round community sports education program for kids in developing countries. Recognizing the power of sports from her own experience as an Olympic athlete, Evans wanted to start a program that would help educate, empower and teach life lessons in a fun and engaging setting. This desire led to the creation of Kids Play Int’l (KPI) in 2008, an initiative of People Helping People International a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Park City, Utah. Using Sport as a catalyst to promote gender equity in communities impacted by genocide.