Hill Tribe Youth Skateboarding Project

The Hill Tribe Youth Skateboarding Project is a mission towards indigenous youth empowerment in Thailand's hill tribe communities of Chiang Mai. Organized by Seattle’s local skaters, this project will increase access to skateboarding and create a safe space that fosters physical and mental health for indigenous youth of all ages.

This GoFundMe is organized by Amz and Ankaret. They met in winter of 2021 at the Cal Anderson skate courts in Capitol Hill, Seattle. Not much had to be said for a friendship to blossom- that is the shared heart of skateboarding. After a decade in Seattle, Amz moved back to Thailand in Spring of 2022 and has since been working with indigenous groups seeking solutions for forest coexistence, land rights, and welfare access to maintain their cultural heritage.

Most recently, Amz has been living and working with the Karen tribe of Ban Nong Tao. She collaborated with indigenous facilitators to host an indigenous youth camp that serves as a learning space for standing firm amid transformation, and a platform where the youth understand the value of their roots while learning how to adapt to the modern world. Through this first-hand engagement, she recognized the mental health struggles indigenous youth cope with regularly. For Amz, skateboarding has provided a creative way to maintain her mental and physical health, and she is dedicated to passing along the skate tools needed for the hill tribe youth to find their joy and well-being. Currently, several children are sharing Amz’s skateboard as she teaches them the fundamentals and how to express themselves freely and safely.

We are asking for your support in reaching our fundraising goal for shoes, trucks, wheels, bearings, and grip tape! Skate decks have already been generously donated by a professional skater from Thailand, Mr.Lert Saelee.

Play and joy are universal languages that connect people across all boundaries. The growth of skateboarding has always been through the advocacy of everyday skaters because we understand how transformative and creative the sport is, no matter the level of skater you are.

Please message us with questions or to join our team! Thank you for your support! Go skateboarding (: