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For too many people around the world, recreational activities remain out of reach. But sports, dance, music, and art offer much-needed joy and entertainment. On top of that, these activities can be educational, impart life skills, build confidence and self-esteem, and even help people heal from trauma. And that鈥檚 just what these three changemakers are out to prove: that everyone deserves access to recreation in its many forms.

Jennifer Liang, The Action Northeast Trust Co-Founder

After severe ethnic violence disrupted life in the Chirang district of Assam, India, in 2014, Jennifer Liang, co-founder of rural development nonprofit the Action Northeast Trust (referred to as ), sought a means to guide children and youth toward peace building between once-feuding communities. She discovered the U.S. sport of Ultimate, which was novel in the region, easy to learn, required only a disc, and encouraged inclusivity through mixed-gender play. Furthermore, the sport has no referees, which means that players self-officiate and talk through any fouls or conflicts. 鈥淚 felt the sport had a huge potential as a peace sport and to be transformative,鈥� Liang says. 鈥淚 really liked its values.鈥�

In 2015, the ANT trialed a simple version of the game in a conflict-prone area called Deosiri. The community responded so positively that the Manoranjan (meaning 鈥渆ntertainment鈥�) League continues to this day, aimed at children between the ages of 11 and 14. A more advanced form of the game for older youth is practiced in the Rainbow League. In an effort to build social cohesion, the ANT requires every team in the Rainbow League to include players from at least three different villages, three different ethnicities, and three different mother tongues.

In 2023, nearly 3,500 children from about 100 villages participated in the ANT鈥檚 Ultimate program. 鈥淔amilies have now accepted the fact that their children go out to play with children from other communities,鈥� Liang says. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 a nice thing to happen.鈥�

Participating in the program has been transformational for many. In 2019, eight girls were invited to try out for India鈥檚 national team, traveling to the 2020 World Junior Ultimate Championships in Sweden; two girls were selected for the national team. The tournament was eventually canceled due to COVID-19, but the opportunity was still hugely motivational for these girls and others around them.

According to Liang, the success of these eight girls has encouraged parents to become more open to sending their daughters out to play. She relates one story of a father from a conservative background taking his daughter to buy sports shoes for a tournament.

鈥淭he fact that [girls] are now able to play in public, which they never had a chance to do before … alongside boys, gives them a lot of confidence.鈥�

Aminath Zoona, Salted Ventures Swimmers Founder/CEO, Ocean Women Program Co-Leader聽

As an island nation, the Maldives is more than 99% water. Most travel between the islands happens by sea, making swimming a much-needed life skill. But many girls and women are never taught how. 鈥淧arents here feel more comfortable sending their daughter to a female instructor to learn swimming,鈥� says Aminath Zoona, who is a mother of three, including a 7-year-old daughter. But the dearth of female instructors means many girls and women miss out on the recreational benefits of the ocean, as well as job opportunities in the tourism and marine conservation sectors. 

Zoona鈥檚 father, a diving expert, taught her to swim at a young age. This gave her a rare skill among her peer group. Zoona grew up to become the first female Maldivian trainer for swim and snorkel instructors in the country.

In 2019, she started her own swim school, , in the nation鈥檚 capital, Mal茅. The school quickly became a success, with a long waitlist of children and adults wanting to learn how to swim. 鈥淏y ensuring that my students have a positive experience while learning swimming, I instill a love for the ocean in them,鈥� Zoona says.

Then in 2022, the United Kingdom鈥揵ased marine conservation charity announced its program that sought to train local women to become swimming and snorkeling instructors. Zoona immediately stepped up. She now co-leads Ocean Women with Flossy Barraud from the British nonprofit.

During the nine-day Ocean Women pilot held in November 2023, Zoona trained five women from Rasdhoo Island (and two men from other islands) to become certified swim and snorkel instructors. The following month, the Ocean Women graduates organized their first swim teaching session: 19 children and five adults participated.

After the successful pilot, Zoona and Barraud are now planning for the next phase of the program. They intend to create new teaching opportunities for the recently graduated instructors and hope to expand the program to other islands in the Maldives. 

鈥淚t鈥檚 all about empowering women,鈥� Zoona says. By expanding the pool of female swim and snorkel instructors, she hopes to create many more ocean champions for the Maldives. 鈥淚t will have a domino effect,鈥� she says.  

Meredith Harper Houston, The Swan Within Founder and Executive Director聽

Professional ballet dancer Meredith Harper Houston knows firsthand about the healing power of dance for abuse survivors. She had always wanted to share these transformative benefits鈥攁 dream she realized in 2016 by founding . The nonprofit brings dance to incarcerated girls in Los Angeles County. 

鈥淢y own experiences as a professional athlete, dancer, and trauma survivor drove me to create a program that helps these girls reclaim agency over their bodies,鈥� Harper Houston says. 鈥淚t provides them with the tools to reclaim their lives through the principles and practice of ballet.鈥�

Early on, Harper Houston did all the teaching herself. Eight years later, the program now has 12 dance instructors.

Nearly 700 girls between the ages of 14 and 18, many of whom are from communities of color, have participated in the program to date. They have all experienced some form of trauma, such as physical, emotional, or sexual abuse, or have been victims of sex trafficking. 鈥淲itnessing the resilience and strength of these young individuals reaffirms the importance of our mission,鈥� Harper Houston says.

The program typically runs for 12 weeks, with multiple sessions each week. At the end of the program, the girls present a performance to their families and the facility staff. 鈥淚t is a celebration of the indomitable human spirit,鈥� Harper Houston says.

She says she sees measurable improvements in self-awareness, emotional expression, and interpersonal relationships among the girls in the program. In the short term, the program has been found to reduce fights, suicide attempts, self-harm, and harm to others. In the long term, it has helped these youths reintegrate into society. Harper Houston is now expanding the program to help participants prepare for the job market, with mentoring sessions that cover goal setting, etiquette, and financial literacy.

In 2019, Harper Houston received a Pioneer Woman of the Year award from the office of then Mayor Eric Garcetti and the Los Angeles City Council in recognition of her contribution to incarcerated youth. 鈥淭he program has become a powerful journey of healing and empowerment for both the girls and myself,鈥� Harper Houston says.聽