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International Mountain Day has its roots in the document “Managing Fragile Ecosystems: Sustainable Mountain Development” (called Chapter 13), adopted in 1992 as part of the action plan Agenda 21 of the Conference on Environment and Development. The increasing attention to the importance of mountains led the UN declare to 2002 the UN International Year of Mountains. The first international day was celebrated for the first time the following year, 2003.

Project Play 2024, a cross-sector initiative guided by the Aspen Institute and collective impact principles, was originally formed in 2017 under the name Project Play 2020. The groundbreaking initiative mobilizes industry organizations to increase youth sport participation rates and related metrics among youth through age 12. Participating organizations develop shared goals and take mutually reinforcing actions aligned with the initiative’s Theory of Change. The metrics KPI) of interest to the group:

• Youth sport participation rates
• Coaches trained in key competencies
• Average number of sports played
• Percentage of inactive children

In 2017, the group focused primarily on two strategic areas where many members have influence, Train All Coaches and Encourage Sport Sampling, two of the eight “plays” in the Project Play framework for getting and keeping kids active through sports. Engaging parents was also identified as a shared opportunity. In all three areas, tools were created and actions were taken to drive progress.

In 2020, this initiative enters its second phase, which will span from 2020-2024. Entitled Project Play 2024, this phase will continue its focus on increasing participation rates for kids through age 12, particularly low-income youth and girls, through a variety of mechanisms. In addition, the group will consolidate its energies around how to make quality, affordable, community-based sport the dominant option for youth through age 12.

The Aspen Institute serves as the backbone organization for the effort, with staff dedicated to coordinating activities and helping members identify their mutually reinforcing actions. Aspen facilitates continuous communication among members, hosts biannual in-person meetings, captures data, supports the development of tools and resources, elevates successes at the Project Play Summit, and recruits and vets members and affiliates.