March 20, 2013 (Ottawa, ON) – Welcome to CAAWS In the Loop eNews for March 2013, including information about CAAWS programs and events, like CAAWS celebrating International Women’s Day in Ottawa, Vancouver and Halifax, as well as the new CAAWS website launch.

1. CAAWS Programs at a Glance     

CAAWS celebrated International Women’s Day – On Friday March 8th CAAWS celebrated International Women’s Day in Ottawa, Vancouver and Halifax in collaboration with the Canadian Olympic Committee, ProMOTION Plus, viaSport and the Nova Scotia Department of Health and Wellness. Full-day Women and Leadership events were held in each site, featuring revamped CAAWS workshops, and luncheon speakers – in Vancouver, Allison McNeill (London 2012 Women’s National Team Basketball Coach); in Halifax, Michelle Aucoin (Executive Director of Volleyball Nova Scotia); in Ottawa, Olympians Isabelle Charest (Speed Skating), Jennifer Botterill (Hockey), Andreanne Morin (Rowing), Mary Spencer (Boxing) and Rosie MacLennan (Trampoline).

CAAWS National Program Director visits program sites – Sydney Millar, CAAWS National Program Director, visited Newcomer On the Move and Active After School sites in Winnipeg (MB(, Surrey (BC), Victoria (BC) and Nanaimo (BC) earlier this month, sharing success stories and promising practices from community, provincial/territorial, and national organizations working to increase positive programs and inclusive environments for inactive girls and young women.

2. CAAWS Launches New Website 

On March 8, 2013 CAAWS launched our new website at www.caaws.ca. The new website provides an enhanced platform for individuals and organizations committed to enhancing participation and leadership opportunities for girls and women to access research and information, request support, and stay up to date on CAAWS’ programs and initiatives.

Some exciting features include:

• CAAWS news and Women’s Sport and Physical Activity News updated regularly

• Access to all of CAAWS’ publications and research

• Information about hosting CAAWS workshops in your community

• Access to a variety of videos, including CAAWS’ “Leaders Talk” videos featuring women leaders from Canada’s sport and physical activity sector sharing their leadership advice and learnings

• Links to follow CAAWS on Facebook and Twitter, and to receive our monthly eNews

3. Women and Leadership Corner

CAAWS’ Women and Leadership Network was created to support the involvement of women leaders in sport and physical activity across the country. The Network is the go-to place where members can connect, build their skills, share ideas, discuss issues, find solutions and take action. Membership is FREE!

INFLUENCING CHANGE Whether influencing change in your organization, across the sport and physical activity system, or more broadly in society, effective leaders can identify elements of effective change movements and have developed various approaches on how to influence others.

Recommended Resources

• Leaders Talk Video – Jasmine Northcott, Executive Director at AthletesCAN, discusses brokering relationships and influencing change. Watch.

• Leaders Tips – Nora Sheffe, owner of Sheffe Consulting Inc, provides tips on being an effective advocate for change. Read.

• 8 Step Change Model – CAAWS’ revised Women and Leadership Workshop on Influencing Change draws on an 8 step change model developed by John Kotter. Review the steps to increase your skills and knowledge to lead change in your organization.

• If she can see it, she can be it – The Geena Davis Institute for Gender in Media is influencing change by challenging stereotypical female portrayals and gender stereotypes in children’s media and entertainment. Their See Jane PSA addresses the importance of providing girls with positive role models in the media. What strategies can your organization use to provide positive role models to girls and women in sport and physical activity?

Note: On March 8th, CAAWS launched our revised Women and Leadership Program Workshops (including the “Influencing Change” workshop). Click here for more information. Workshops will be available across the country in 2013-2014 – more information will be included in future eNewsletters.

4. CAAWS and COC Launch “Give Your Everything – Get Active” Classroom Resource

The Canadian Olympic School Program’s latest component, Give Your Everything: Get Active, includes a classroom module, teacher’s guide and targeted articles (all available online) to help parents, teachers, coaches and youth leaders engage girls and young women in the benefits of getting and staying active. Developed in collaboration with CAAWS, the materials draw on CAAWS’ Actively Engaging Women and Girls: Addressing the Psycho-Social Factors publication.

 5. SportAccord Releases Women in Leadership Positions Factsheet

The Social Responsibility Unit of SportAccord, the umbrella organization for Olympic and non-Olympic International Sport Federations, released a Factsheet that provides an overview of the representation of women holding decision-making positions amongst their members.

Download the factsheet here, for the full press release from SportAccord click here.

6. New Resource – NCAA Inclusion of LGBTW

Champions of Respect: Inclusion of LGBT Student Athletes and Staff is comprehensive resource guide for university and college athletes, coaches and administrators on policies pertaining to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning community. Developed by the US National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the resource provides information, policy and best practice recommendations and resources to assure that all members of the athletic department, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression can participate in a safe, respectful and inclusive environment. It applies to and can be easily be adapted to any sport organization in Canada.

For more information about these issues visit CAAWS’ Addressing Homophobia in Sport initiative website.

 7. IIHF Women’s World Championships

The world’s most electrifying women’s hockey returns to Hockey Country April 2-9, 2013, at the 2013 IIHF Women’s World Championship.

Ticket packages are available starting at $39. For all ticket package details and to order, visit www.hockeycanada.ca/2013Ottawa.

Don’t miss the moment!

8. Upcoming Events

CAAWS will be hosting a number of workshops in the coming weeks:

• Aboriginal Women and Leadership Workshops – Red Bank NB, Elphinstone MB and Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory ON. Click here for dates, locations and registration details.

• Making Healthy Connections with Racialized Communities Workshops: Girls’ and Young Women’s Experiences with Sport and Physical Activity (Ontario) – Thunder Bay, Toronto, Scarborough, Kitchener, Ottawa and a French webinar. Click here for dates, locations and registration details. Note: CAAWS is still looking for a few communities interested in hosting this exciting workshop, designed to help sport and recreation providers manage increasing community diversity. Contact Natalie Brett for more information.

• Active After School Programming – CAAWS will be involved in a number of active after school program workshops supporting project activities of the Canadian Active After School Partnership (CAASP) – Thunder Bay and Timmins ON (more are in the works!). Click here for dates, locations and registration details.

• Girls’ Empowerment Groups Webinar Monday March 25th 12:00-13:00 – The Girls Action Foundation, in partnership with the BC Centre of Excellence for Women’s Health, is launching three new publications intended to support program leaders and organizations working with girls and young women. The backgrounders offer current information, resources, practical tools, web-based materials and sample group activities relating to “Girls, Alcohol and Depression”; “Girls Smoking and Stress”; and “Girls, Physical Activity and Culture” (developed in collaboration with CAAWS). To register by March 23, 2013 click here

• CAAWS Lunch & Learn – On May 8th, 2013, from 12:00 to 14:00 CAAWS will be hosting a Lunch and Learn Event in Ottawa ON at the RA Centre. The Guest speakers will be Marg McGregor, Sport Department, Canadian Olympic Committee, and her daughter Kristy, student and member of the Dalhousie University Soccer team. Cost: $15 – lunch is included. To register, contact Natalie Brett.

For more information on CAAWS’ upcoming events visit our calendar.

For professional development opportunities and events hosted by other sport and physical activity organizations, both in Canada and internationally visit our Women and Leadership Network calendar – membership is FREE.

9. Celebrations

Congratulations to:

• CAAWS Board member Dr. Dru Marshall (Calgary, AB) and Blythe Hartley (Edmonton, AB) for their recent induction to the Alberta Sport Hall of Fame

• Judy Sutcliffe (Toronto, ON) for being named Rowing Canada’s Female Umpire of the Year

• Elizabeth Quigg (Stouffville, ON) for being elected as Chair of the Canadian Para-Equestrian Committee (CPEC) for the 2013-2014 term

• Chantal Petitclerc (Saint-Marc-des-Carrieres, QC) for being named by the IPC as one of the Top 10 women in Paralympic sport

• Canadian women’s relay team for earning a silver medal at the 2012-13 short track speed skating season at the World Championships in Debrecen, Hungary

• Ivanie Blondin (Ottawa, ON) who took silver in the mass start and Christine Nesbitt (Calgary, AB) who skated to bronze in the 1,500 metres at the Essent ISU World Cup Speed Skating Final in Heerenveen, Netherlands

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