Seven Hills is a skateboarder-run, grassroots, non-profit organization based in Jordan
The name Seven Hills originates from the seven mountains on which the city of Amman was built. We develop safe and inclusive skateparks and public spaces, and run free-of-charge skateboarding sessions, informal education, and arts programming for all youth from Jordan’s diverse demographics. Seven Hills targets the youth of Jordan with a special focus on displaced communities and families from Jordan's lower socioeconomic classes.
*The term ‘displaced’ includes forcibly displaced people, refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants.
Locally Run, Internationally Recognized
This mission began in 2014 when international non-profit Make Life Skate Life partnered with Philadelphia Skateboards, the Middle East’s first skateboarding brand, and the Greater Amman Municipality to construct Jordan’s first-ever skatepark. After crowdfunding $20,000, the team constructed the Seven Hills Skatepark in collaboration with the local skateboarding community. In less than three weeks, a 4,000 sqm underutilized public park became the host of the newly built 650 sqm concrete skatepark. This project fostered long-lasting collaborations between Seven Hills, the international skateboarding community, and local municipalities in Jordan; that support the construction and development of free-to-use safe public skateparks throughout Jordan.
Responding to a Local Need
Over the past 100 years, Jordan’s population has been growing exponentially, largely due to the country welcoming migration and displaced people who flee from surrounding wars and unrest. The country now hosts the second largest per-capita forcibly displaced population in the world, with Amman having a population of over 4 million people.
Although more than 60% of Jordan’s population is younger than 30 years old, there is an immense lack of public spaces and free recreational outlets for this young population of the country. Alternatively, recreational spaces tend to be private, residential, or serve the richer segments of Jordanian society and are largely inaccessible to the young and displaced population of Jordan. Accordingly, Seven Hills works with local municipalities to provide free safe spaces for youth affected by displacement, young people with disabilities, and families from Jordan's lower socioeconomic classes.
Skateboarding as a Tool for Youth Empowerment
After the Seven Hills Skatepark had been constructed the park was used by a few groups of skateboarders and youth. In 2016 Seven Hills launched a free-of-charge skate program aimed at local and displaced youth. The program consists of skateboard sessions and a Youth Leadership Program. It is designed to empower Amman’s most marginalized youth, utilizing skateboarding to overcome gender, racial, religious, cultural, and socioeconomic differences. In doing so, Seven Hills Skatepark serves as a safe space for children to play, learn, and master new tricks whilst making new friends in a welcoming and supportive community.
Founding Seven Hills non-profit
In 2019 Seven Hills went from being volunteer-led to a fully-fledged, locally-run non-profit. The organization is composed of young, talented individuals drawing expertise from skateboarding, arts, events, and program management. We now run neighbourhood skate sessions, ladies’ first sessions, classes for youth with special needs, Youth Leadership training, and outreach programming. Throughout the year 2022, the monthly average of participation in our programs is 550, including 17 diverse nationalities and with a 50% girls participation.
Developing new spaces: Second skatepark and Makerspace
In 2021 Seven Hills built another 650 sqm skatepark in the heart of one of East Amman’s most disadvantaged neighborhoods, the Qwesimeh neighborhood. The project was a collaboration between Seven Hills, UNICEF Jordan, the Ministry of Youth, and the Greater Amman Municipality. Local community members were invited to participate throughout the project not only to learn skatepark construction skills but also to take local ownership of the public space and help Seven Hills develop targeted programming from the start.
In the same year, Seven Hills established Alraseef 153 in collaboration with Malmö-based creative hub STPLN. Alraseef 153 is a makerspace located across the street from Seven Hills Skatepark next to the organization’s office. Arabic for sidewalk, Alraseef encourages creativity, experimentation, and artistic practice as a way to supplement Seven Hills’ skateboarding sessions. The space serves as a gallery, cinema, and public lecture room, as well as a workshop for art and craft production.