June 13, 2007 – Here is the latest from CAAWS – Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity:

Call for Youth Leadership Facilitators

In response to public demand for leadership workshops targeted to a younger audience, CAAWS has recently developed a youth leadership workshop designed for girls and young women (ages 15-20) who are involved in sport, recreation and physical activity as athletes, coaches, volunteers and hope to continue to contribute to sport in their future career or through volunteer activities. CAAWS has made the initial investment in the leadership program by developing the content and piloting the sessions and is now seeking qualified individuals to be trained as “Youth Leadership Facilitators” (YLFs). Each YLF selected will receive comprehensive training in the delivery of the youth leadership workshop and will subsequently be required to deliver the workshop to the target audience in her own community.

To download information click here or contact Krista Benoit at kbenoit@caaws.ca

New Team Spirit Programs for Aboriginal Girls and Young Women

Now in the final year of project funding, CAAWS and the Aboriginal Sport Circle have selected four new programs to participate in Team Spirit. Each will receive $3,000 in program funding and benefit from a consultation and planning meeting in their community. The Hamlet of Chesterfield Inlet (Northwest Territories) will develop a recreational gymnastics program. “Paddle Power,” a partnership between the Pender Harbour Community School Society and the Sechelt Indian Band, will provide a dragon boat and kayak program on the Sunshine Coast (British Columbia).

The “Girls Sports Circle”, delivered by Eskasoni Culture Recreation Youth (Nova Scotia), will introduce participants to soccer, rugby and volleyball. Eel Ground First Nation (New Brunswick) will develop a girls’ volleyball club. These new programs will join others led by Joe Duquette High School and the University of Saskatchewan, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Winnipeg, the Ahkwesahsne Mohawk Board of Education, the Nawash Board of Education, and the Aboriginal Friendship Centre of Calgary.

Team Spirit: Aboriginal Girls in Sport is a national project to increase community sport opportunities for Aboriginal girls and young women. Team Spirit is a partnership between the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity (CAAWS) and the Aboriginal Sport Circle. The project is funded by Sport Canada, a branch of the Department of Canadian Heritage.

For more information about Team Spirit: Aboriginal Girls in Sport click here.

June 21 – National Aboriginal Day

In cooperation with national Aboriginal organizations, the Government of Canada designated June 21 National Aboriginal Day. This date was chosen because it corresponds to the summer solstice, the longest day of the year, and because for generations, many Aboriginal groups have celebrated their culture and heritage at this time of year. National Aboriginal Day is a wonderful opportunity to become better acquainted with the cultural diversity of Inuit, Métis and First Nations peoples, discover the unique accomplishments of Aboriginal peoples in fields as varied as agriculture, the environment and the arts, and celebrate their significant contribution to Canadian society.

National Aboriginal Day events are held in every region across the country. For a detailed list of activities, or to get involved in organizing festivities in your area, visit the events page here or contact an Aboriginal community or organization near you, or the local Indian and Northern Affairs Canada office.

Sports Officials Canada and Fox 40 recognize Judith Tutty

Sports Officials Canada and Fox 40 International Inc. sponsor an annual National Officiating Awards Program recognizing a male and a female technical official/judge who have made a significant contribution to officiating at the national and international level. The 2007 Fox 40 female honouree is Judith Tutty of Mississauga, ON. Judy has been officiating with Canoe/Kayak and Dragon Boat Racing for 33 years. Since 1973 Judy has officiated at local, provincial and national events in all three sports. Her national record includes every Canadian Sprint Canoe/Kayak national championship since 1979. In 2007 she was the Chief Official at the Canadian Championships held in Regina. Judy was appointed to officiate at 3 Canada Summer Games and the 2005 Pan American Canoe Championships. She holds international officiating accreditation for Canoe/Kayak and for Dragon Boat Racing. She is an outstanding example of the dedication of technical officials to sport in Canada.

For full details click here.

Funding Opportunities

The Alberta Healthy School Community Wellness Fund will fund projects that promote healthy school communities and aim to improve the health and wellness of school-aged children and youth. There will be two categories of funding:

Grants ranging from $10,000 to $50,000 for larger projects that have the potential to be continued for up to three years, Grants for up to $10,000 for smaller school community projects and specific components of larger projects. Applications for smaller grants will be available starting in fall 2007. The application deadline for the large grant proposals is June 30, 2007.

Application guidelines and forms are available here.

Upcoming Events

4th Annual Every Woman in the World Conference For Women Who Move!
Whistler, BC: June 15-17, 2007

The Every Woman in the World Conference is a weekend conference getaway inviting all women to share in the fun experience of learning new activities and skills by participating in back-to-back introductory mind and predominantly active movement. ProMOTION Plus will be hosting a Creating Work/Life Balance workshop as part of the Every Woman Conference.

For details click here.

ProMOTION Plus Annual General Meeting

Wednesday, June 20, 2007
6:30 – 8:00 pm
Room 106 – 1367 West Broadway
Vancouver, BC

There will be a special guest speaker, membership raffle and updates on activities. A chance to network and enjoy an interesting and informative evening!

Resources – CBC website highlights Canadian Women Sport Pioneers

The CBC has taken video and radio footage from its archives to create a tribute to Canadian Women Sport Pioneers on its website. It is called Fair Game: Pioneering Canadian women in sports and highlights such athletes as Bobbie Rosenfeld, Nancy Greene and Hayley Wickenheiser, women who not only excelled in their chosen fields but were instrumental in shattering stereotypes of the female athlete.

Click here for details.

www.caaws.ca

April 21, 2006 – Here is the latest from CAAWS – Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity:

Athletes CAN – CAAWS Nominee wins Canadian Sport Award for Athlete Leadership

At the Canadian Sport Awards in late March, Lori Johnstone was named the 2006 recipient of the Bruce Kidd Award for Athlete Leadership. Lori was jointly nominated for the award by Athletes CAN and CAAWS. Since concluding her high-performance career as a national team racquetball player, Lori has continued to provide significant contributions to sport in Canada. From her early days as the Athlete Services Manager for the National Sport Centre of Atlantic Canada to her current position as Project Executive with the Culture and Sport Secretariat of the Government of New Brunswick, Lori shows her passion for making sport better. She constantly promotes equity for girls and women within the sport community as a member of Local Motion, the New Brunswick provincial women and sport group. She is also on the Sport New Brunswick Board and in the recent Bilateral Sport Development agreement between New Brunswick Government and Sport Canada, Johnstone worked to ensure that a! por! tion of the Go NB grants will be directed to the Go Girl programs for the next few years. CAAWS congratulates Lori on this well-deserved recognition.

More information available at: http://www.caaws.ca/e/awards/article.cfm?ID=914

CAAWS chair elected to Coalition for Active Living Board
CAAWS chair Theresa Harvey Pruden of Winnipeg, MB was recently elected to the Board of the Coalition for Active Living (CAL). More than 90 different organizations are represented by this national group, which provides a strong voice for physical activity in Canada.

For more information on CAL, visit http://www.activeliving.ca/English/index.cfm

Ready, Set, Coach! Ontario Coaches Week – April 22nd to 29th
Ready, Set, Coach! is the driving theme behind an exciting new initiative to recruit, develop and celebrate Ontario’s coaches. The Coaches Association of Ontario, with support of the Government of Ontario, is launching a special, week-long celebration from April 22nd to 29th in dozens of communities across the province. Ontario Coaches Week activities will offer FREE workshops targeting new coaches, women, aboriginals and teacher coaches. Close to 1,000 coaches – from the novice to the veteran – will benefit from access to experienced mentors, free resource materials, and networking opportunities. The five Women in Coaching Sessions will be held in Ottawa, Kingston, Toronto, London and Hamilton. In each of the locations a top female coach will facilitate an informal session on experiences, opportunities and resources available to women coaches.

For more information about the sessions and Ontario Coaches Week please visit http://www.coachesontario.ca


National Physical Activity Summer Institute in Saskatoon
The University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon will host the National Physical Activity Summer Institute, August 14-17, 2006. The theme is Building Community Capacity to move individuals and communities to be “in motion.” It will feature presentations by local, national and international experts. Panel discussions and facilitated discussion groups will enhance learning and encourage practical application of the theory and research and practical community implementation.

Presented by:

in motion Saskatoon (University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon Health Region, City of Saskatoon)
Manulife Financial
Registration Fee $250.00

For more information and to register visit: http://www.canadainmotion.ca

Winning Olympic Coaches Headline Women in Coaching National Coach Workshop
The Women in Coaching program of the Coaching Association of Canada (CAC) held its annual National Coach Workshop, March 31 – April 2, in Lake Simcoe, ON. Three of Canada’s most successful 2006 Olympic Winter Games coaches – women’s hockey coach Melody Davidson of Oyen, AB., long track speed skating coach Xiuli Wang of Calgary, AB., and national skeleton coach Teresa Schlachter of Canmore, AB. – shared their personal experiences and provided insights into the just-completed Olympic cycle. The many head coaches or assistant coach coaches from national senior and junior teams, as well as apprentice coaches who attended the event, further developed their peer network, received feedback on their 2006/2007 season coaching plans and had the opportunity to appreciate and understand the unique environment of coaching athletes in an Olympic Games.

For more information on the National Coach Workshop: http://www.coach.ca/eng/story_details.cfm?ID=143

On the Move Workshops – Thank you!
On the Move workshops are interactive, issue-based sessions that provide an overview of the initiative, share best practices from across Canada, and provide “how-to” tips to increase the participation of girls and young women. In 2005/2006 CAAWS delivered 28 On the Move workshops across Canada, influencing approximately 800 practitioners and policy makers from the physical activity and sport, education, health and social service sectors. Thank you to everyone who participated, and especially to the local co-hosts who helped with logistics and promotion! If you are interested in hosting a workshop in your community in 2006/2007, please contact Sydney Millar at snmillar@caaws.ca

For more information about On the Move, visit: http://www.caaws.ca/onthemove/e/index.htm

Profile: VIEWS member Sheilagh Croxon
CAAWS created VIEWS to involve female athletes, coaches, volunteers and administrators in spreading the word about the positive benefits of girls and women being involved in sport and physical activity and to increase the number of people speaking on this topic. Several National coaches are members of VIEWS, including Sheilagh Croxon.

A former Synchronized Swimming Olympic Coach, Sheilagh Croxon is currently a Consultant for the Women in Coaching Program with the Coaching Association of Canada (CAC). She recently organized the CAC – Women in Coaching – National Coach workshop and the Canada Games Women’s Apprenticeship Coaching workshop that both took place earlier in April. She has been recognized with numerous coaching excellence awards and is mother to three young children. Sheilagh Croxon speaks with power, clarity and emotion when she describes the sacrifices and commitment that took Canada’s synchronized swimming team from underdog to Olympic podium.


For more information on CAAWS’ VIEWS program, visit: http://www.caaws.ca/views/e/index.htm