Jordan Wings Beyond Basketball Camp Inspires Paris Youth Inside District 23

As sport and culture have converged on the world’s greatest stage this summer in Paris, Jordan Brand has sought to address a simple question: What’s in it for the kids?

The brand’s answer took shape within District 23, an unprecedented contribution to Paris’ diverse 18th arrondissement that centered local youth in an unforgettable six weeks of programming.

The final stage of Jordan Brand’s Summer of Basketball Culture within District 23 was the Jordan Wings Beyond Basketball camp, held in Paris for the first time on August 1-4. An expansion of the program’s roots in Chicago and Los Angeles, the camp welcomed 50 young athletes from the 18th arrondissement and beyond to learn basketball and life skills in an inspiring, purpose-built environment.

Jordan Brand worked with local Purpose partners All Parisian Games, Paris Basket 18, Promethée Education and an extended family of experts in the field of upskilling youth to offer a camp that transcended basketball, igniting a passion for education while also ensuring kids were active participants — not just spectators — in sport this summer.

“This is a full-circle moment for the Beyond Basketball program here in Paris,” says Sarah Mensah, Jordan Brand President. “We saw the impact the program had in Chicago in 2017 and had a vision to bring this to kids all over the world. It’s a testament to the impact the Jumpman has in our community. This is only the beginning.”

The camp kicked off with a visit from Mensah and Nike, Inc. CEO John Donahoe, setting the tone for several days of inspiring big dreams, developing skills and building confidence to face challenges of all kinds. In addition to daily basketball clinics and games, the young athletes attended sessions about media and representation, diversity and inclusion in sport, eloquence, and mental health.

The camp came on the heels of an electrifying several weeks of activity inside District 23, including a basketball tournament crowning the world’s best one-on-one hoopers, an immersive “summer school” for young creatives and ample programming that used movement as a gateway to learning creative skills.

The Jordan Wings Beyond Basketball camp and entire District 23 experience speak to Jordan Brand’s new Our Turn voice and shared language — a rallying cry created alongside and for the next generation to claim the greatness within themselves, on and off the court.