Skateboarding Builds Confidence, Community, and a Path Forward – Just Ask Josh Pu
Written by Braden Verge BS, MS in Education; Physical Education Teacher and RAD Dad
In a heartwarming feature by journalist Lisa Moreno (2025), we meet Josh Pu, a Palo Alto skater and teacher using skateboarding to build confidence, community, and new opportunities for local youth. Since October 2024, Pu has offered free weekly skateboarding lessons, welcoming children of all abilities to move, laugh, fall, get back up, and most importantly, believe in themselves.
His teaching style is beautifully simple. No flashy equipment, just open pavement, imagination, and empathy. Kids learn through games, numbers, chase, and play. When a child hesitates on the sideline, Pu sits with them, not to push, but to understand. And when trucks fall off a board, he doesn’t flinch. Instead, he celebrates the effort: “Hey, that means you’ve been working!” (Moreno, 2025).
This grassroots energy mirrors what we do through our Get On Board program. Like Josh, we believe skateboarding is more than a sport, it’s a gateway to confidence, connection, and lifelong wellness. Whether it's a first push or a future trick, each moment on the board is a step toward self-trust and joy.
Josh’s vision for a skate park as a “third space” where youth can gather off screens and on wheels is something every community should champion. Parks like these are not luxuries, they’re essential infrastructure for mental, physical, and social health (Moreno, 2025).
We invite you to get involved and support the movement to empower youth through skateboarding. Whether you're a parent, educator, skater, or community leader, there's a place for you in this growing collective. Through the Get On Board program, we provide access, mentorship, and movement-based education across schools and communities. Together, we can turn empty blacktops into places of possibility, inspire confidence through creativity, and make sure every kid has the chance to roll forward with courage.
Reference
Moreno, L. (2025, July 22). Students learn confidence through skateboarding at free camp: Palo Alto resident Josh Pu hopes the lessons can spark interest in skate parks. Palo Alto Online. https://www.paloaltoonline.com/news/2025/07/22/students-learn-confidence-through-skateboarding-at-free-camp