Join us for an informal gathering of local LA skaters and artists to celebrate SkateQilya’s work empowering youth through skateboarding and art in Palestine.

Nestor Judkins, a US professional skateboarder, and a partner with SkateQilya, will join Adam Abel, Co-Founder and Development Director of SkateQilya, and Zaid Arikat, SkateQilya’s Outreach Coordinator, in presenting SkateQilya’s programming in the West Bank.

Through photos and videos, Nestor, Adam and Zaid will share stories of their experiences working with this inspiring community of girls and boys in Palestine, and how skateboarding has provided them a safe space for self expression, community building and play.

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SkateQilya ​​is​ ​a​ ​youth​ ​empowerment​ ​program​ ​using​ ​skateboarding​ ​and​ ​art​ ​​to​ ​teach​ ​community building​ ​and​ ​leadership​ ​skills​ ​to​ ​Palestinian​ ​girls​ ​and​ ​boys​ ​in​ ​the​ ​West​ ​Bank.​ Launched​ ​in​ ​the​ ​summer​ ​of 2016​ ​as​ ​a​ free ​summer​ ​camp,​ ​SkateQilya​ has grown into a year-round educational program and the first ​co-ed​ ​athletic​ ​program​ ​in​ ​the​ ​northern​ ​part​ ​of​ ​the​ ​West​ ​Bank.

While skateboarding is the container for our program, SkateQilya’s workshops also include photography and video, conversational English, and community building and leadership training. We emphasize peer-to-peer learning so that the relationship between student and teacher becomes integrated, creating a model for self-sustainable community building.

SkateQilya was founded by Mohammed Othman, a Palestinian human rights activist and our Executive Director; Kenny Reed, a retired American professional skateboarder and our Skate Director; and Adam Abel, an American artist and filmmaker, and our Development Director.

Nestor Judkins has been a professional skateboarder for 15 years and is currently sponsored by Adidas skateboarding, Enjoi skateboards, RVCA clothing, among others. Well travelled, he has skated and made connections with skate communities across all 6 inhabited continents. For the past few years, he has also been volunteering and partnering with various nonprofits to help promote community and youth development through skateboarding.