Khutwa Safe Spaces: Training of Trainers Strengthens School-Based Implementation
As part of the Khutwa – Safe Spaces Program, Palestine Sports for Life (PS4L) successfully conducted a Training of Trainers (ToT) aimed at strengthening the capacity of teachers and school counselors to deliver safe, inclusive, and engaging school-based activities through sport.
The ToT focused on equipping educators with the knowledge, skills, and practical tools needed to implement Khutwa Safe Spaces sessions effectively, while promoting child protection, gender equality, life skills, and psychosocial well-being within governmental schools.
Who Participated?
The training brought together 30 teachers and trainers from governmental schools, including school counselors and physical education teachers, selected based on their active roles within schools and their ability to transfer learning to students and peers.
Two parallel ToTs were conducted in Hebron and Salfit, each delivered over two full training days on 27 and 29 January. Each location hosted 15 participants, completing a total of 14 training hours per group. Participants who successfully completed the training received certificates of participation and completion, recognizing their commitment and readiness to apply what they learned in their schools.
Expert Facilitation
The ToT was facilitated by PS4L trainers Yumn Masri and Suad Alqam, whose extensive experience in sport for development, safe spaces, and school-based programming ensured a dynamic, engaging, and well-structured learning experience. Their facilitation combined practical expertise with a participatory approach that encouraged open dialogue, reflection, and hands-on application.
A Learning Experience Through Play
The ToT adopted a highly participatory, experiential learning approach, with approximately 80% of the training delivered through interactive games and practical activities, and 20% through short presentations and guided handbook use.
Through icebreakers, group games, discussions, role-plays, and reflection activities, participants explored how sport can be used as a powerful tool to:
- Build life skills
- Promote gender equality and inclusion
- Support students’ mental health and well-being
- Create safe and supportive learning environments
- Strengthen child protection practices in schools
Learning by doing was at the heart of the training, with participants designing and testing their own sport-based activities to address gender, child protection, and safe space concepts in age-appropriate and inclusive ways.
Key Topics Covered
Throughout the two-day ToT, sessions focused on:
- Introduction to the Khutwa Program and Safe Spaces approach
- Life skills development through sport
- Gender concepts and challenging stereotypes
- Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) through play
- Child protection principles and safeguarding responsibilities
- Safe spaces, ethical practice, and inclusive facilitation
- Practical game design and school-based implementation
Strong Engagement and Positive Outcomes
Photos, videos, and session observations reflected a high level of engagement and active participation. Participants consistently contributed to discussions, games, and reflections, and shared experiences from their own school contexts.
While many participants reported having limited prior exposure to topics such as gender, MHPSS, child protection, and safe spaces, the ToT led to noticeable growth in confidence and understanding. By the end of the training, participants expressed strong motivation to begin applying the activities and approaches with their students and within their school communities.
Looking Ahead
The ToT represents a key step in translating Khutwa’s vision into practice. By empowering teachers and counselors as safe space facilitators and mentors, the training supports the program’s broader goals of fostering safer, more inclusive, and more supportive school environments—while laying the foundation for upcoming school-level activities and student-led initiatives under the Khutwa Program.