New Team Spirit
Programs for Aboriginal Girls and Young Women Announced
Ottawa, ON . . . 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.
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 (Nunavut) 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.
Virginia Doucett, Executive Director of the Aboriginal
Sport Circle, spoke about the reach of the project.
“With the addition of the new programs, the Aboriginal
Sport Circle and CAAWS have an opportunity to learn
from a diverse group of communities about the unique
needs, interests and experiences of Aboriginal girls
and young women, and the realities of providing community
sport programs to this target group.” CAAWS Chair,
Janice Forsyth, commented on the continued need for
work in this area. “The significant response to
this year’s Call for Proposals indicates a need
at the community level for expertise and human and financial
resources to address physical inactivity amongst Aboriginal
girls and young women.”
During 2007/2008, CAAWS and the Aboriginal Sport Circle
will work with Team Spirit communities to build partnerships
and secure funding to sustain the programs after the
funding period. CAAWS is also seeking funding to build
on Team Spirit and continue this important work in other
communities across Canada. Organizations interested
in contributing to Team Spirit or collaborating on new
initiatives for girls and young women are encouraged
to contact CAAWS.
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here to download a PDF of this press release
Sydney Millar
National Program Manager Canadian Association for the Advancement of
Women and Sport and Physical Activity
N202-801 King Edward Avenue
Ottawa ON K1N 6N5
Tel: 613 - 562 - 5667
Fax: 613 - 562 - 5668
'CAAWS
appreciates the financial support of Heritage
Canada, Sport Canada
