CHICAGO, IL (February 15, 2023) - Executive Director of the Chicago Fire Foundation and Community Relations Vice President, Jessica Yavitz, traveled to Doha, Qatar this week to take part in an exclusive Women's Soccer Exchange Program.
Sponsored by the Sports Diplomacy Division of the U.S. Department of State and implemented by World Learning, the program invited Yavitz and six other leaders in soccer, sports medicine, and sports entrepreneurship to take part in the week-long program in Doha. The goal of the exchange aims to expose leaders from the soccer world to new ideas and initiatives around women's sports, with a focus on creating equal opportunities for women and girls working and participating in soccer.
(Jessica Yavitz pictured fourth from the left above)
Throughout the week, Yavitz and the other participants, including World Cup gold medalist and former U.S. National team forward, Jessica McDonald, took part in a soccer clinic with girls at the Third Assalam School, in addition to activities with Generation Amazing on National Sports Day and specialized workshops and round tables throughout the week. Yavitz also served on a panel - Finding Career Paths in Sports, from professional football to grassroots community projects, exploring how influential female leaders forged their own pathways in the sports industry.
The exchange program also focuses on utilizing the power of sports as a vehicle of social change and developing and empowering female leaders and entrepreneurs in and around the sports industry.
(Jessica Yavitz pictured bottom left above)
“This exchange has been an incredible opportunity to see how the power of sport can bring people together,” Yavitz shared. “I’ve been able to connect and share best practices with amazing individuals and professional athletes in the soccer and sports-based youth development space. It’s so inspiring to collaborate with other professionals who all share one common goal - to positively impact the lives of our communities.”
The first segment of the exchange program took place in 2022, bringing a group of players, coaches and administrators from Qatar to the U.S. to learn more about soccer opportunities and programs here in America. As a result of the first portion of the exchange program, the participants returned to Qatar and implemented their learnings back in their respective organizations. They also provided feedback and recommendations for the content of the second round of the exchange for the American participants visiting Qatar.
During the program, Yavitz met Dwana Khalifa (pictured below), who founded the Elite Girls Football Academy, a grassroots initiative creating a space for girls to play football in an inclusive and safe environment in Doha. Khalifa was also a part of the Women's Soccer Exchange program that brought Qatari participants to the U.S. in late 2022.
Khalifa and her academy team participated in a championship match on February 14, as part of the National Sports Day celebrations in conjunction with the Qatar Foundation. The match was played in Education City Stadium, one of the locations of several 2022 World Cup matches in Qatar.
“I’d like to extend a tremendous thank you to the US Embassy in Doha, World Learning and the Qatar Foundation for this incredible opportunity,” Yavtiz added. “We are so grateful to these organizations for recognizing the Chicago Fire and the Foundation for our community efforts on a global stage, and for allowing us to help carry on the legacy of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, today, tomorrow and into the future.”
