1. CAAWS PROGRAMS AT A GLANCE
2. CELEBRATING CAAWS’ 30TH ANNIVERSARY - PROFILING MILESTONES IN SPORT AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
3. NEWCOMER ON THE MOVE – CALL FOR COMMUNITY PROGRAM HOSTS
4. HOST AN ON THE MOVE WORKSHOP
5. HOST A WOMEN AND LEADERSHIP WORKSHOP
6. UPCOMING CAAWS WORKSHOPS AND EVENTS
7. RESEARCH ON GIRLS AND YOUNG WOMEN FROM PARTICIPACTION
8. BC COACHING MENTOR/APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM
9. ACTIVE CANADA 20/20 - SURVEY INVITATION
10. SPORTS DAY IN CANADA – GET IN THE GAME!
11. CANADIAN SPORT FOR LIFE (CS4L) - NEW WEBSITES
12. CELEBRATIONS

1. CAAWS PROGRAMS AT A GLANCE

Over the past year, CAAWS has been working with Sport BC and the 2011 North America Outgames Human Rights Conference to maximize their legacy in the local sport community. This work came to fruition this July in Vancouver when CAAWS co-hosted a day of workshops devoted to making sport more welcoming to sexual and gender diversity.

On July 26th, 24 participants attended CAAWS’ half-day Addressing Homophobia in Sport: Leading the Way Workshop, facilitated by Jennifer Birch-Jones. That afternoon, the same participants attended another workshop organized by CAAWS which brought together Dr. Pat Griffin and Helen Carroll, the authors of On the Team: Equal Opportunity for Transgender Athletes and CAAWS’ Executive Director, Karin Lofstrom, to talk about the recent work being done in the U.S. and Canada in this area.

As part of the conference, Jennifer, Karin and CAAWS Board member Dr. Guylaine Demers also participated in a panel about Canadian experiences in addressing homophobia in sport. Copies of CAAWS’ workshop and the presentation material will be posted on CAAWS’ website shortly.

A highlight of the Conference was the Opening Ceremonies, where representatives from the provincial sport community signed a historic declaration committing to make sport in B.C. more welcoming to sexual and gender diversity. This declaration will serve as a legacy for subsequent Outgames.

2. CELEBRATING CAAWS’ 30TH ANNIVERSARY - PROFILING MILESTONES IN SPORT AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

2011 marks CAAWS’ 30th anniversary. To celebrate, we are showcasing key milestones, and the women behind them, that have contributed to CAAWS’ vision of an equitable sport and physical activity system. This month, we are profiling athlete and advocate Chantal Petitclerc.

Chantal Petitclerc, one of Canada’s most decorated athletes, was born on December 15, 1969 in Saint-Marc-des-Carrières, Québec. Chantal lost the use of her legs in an accident when she was 13 years old but her high school physical education teacher, Gaston Jacques, encouraged her to stay active and involved in sport through swimming. A few years later, at Université Laval, Pierre Pomerleau, a trainer at the university, introduced Chantal to wheelchair sports, and she hasn’t looked back since. To read more visit: http://www.caaws.ca/e/milestones/30_years/petitclerc.cfm

3. NEWCOMER ON THE MOVE – CALL FOR COMMUNITY PROGRAM HOSTS

CAAWS is seeking five organizations to host healthy living programs for newcomer girls and young women in their community.

With new funding from Citizenship and Immigration Canada until 2014, CAAWS is rolling-out our Newcomer On the Move project across the country. The CIC funded project will sustain existing programs, and support the development of additional programs across the country.

At this time CAAWS is seeking opportunities to collaborate with a minimum of five new communities across Canada. Non-profit organizations or community coalitions with an interest in promoting healthy living for newcomer girls and young women should apply. For more information and to download an application form, click here.

4. HOST AN ON THE MOVE WORKSHOP

CAAWS is seeking organizations interested in hosting an On the Move workshop in their community. General workshops focusing on addressing the needs of inactive girls and young women are available, as are a number of themed workshops, including Active After School programs, Aboriginal Girls On the Move, and Newcomer Girls On the Move. Organizations interested in hosting a workshop in their community are encouraged to apply.

On the Move is CAAWS' national initiative to increase opportunities for inactive girls and young women (ages 9-18) to participate in sport and physical activity. On the Move workshops are half-day, 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. A number of new resources will be made available to participants.

For more information and to download an application form, visit http://caaws.ca/onthemove/. The deadline for applications is Friday September 30, 2011.

5. HOST A WOMEN AND LEADERSHIP WORKSHOP

CAAWS is seeking organizations interested in hosting a Women and Leadership workshop in their community between December 2011 and March 2012.
The CAAWS Women and Leadership Program was developed to provide professional development and networking opportunities for women working or volunteering in Canada's sport system.

Developed by women for women, the workshops blend theory and practice to engage participants in learning new skills, sharing ideas and experiences, and applying new knowledge to real-life scenarios. Great as stand-alone events or combined with conferences, training events, or AGMs, the following workshops are available for delivery: Effective Communication, Conflict Resolution, Influencing Change, Networking, and Work-Life Balance.

Workshops have already been booked with Wheelchair Basketball Canada, Water Polo Canada, and the Coaching Association of Ontario.

For more information and to download an application form, visit www.caaws.ca/e/leadership/. The deadline for applications is Friday September 30, 2011.

6. UPCOMING CAAWS WORKSHOPS AND EVENTS

For more CAAWS events and details, visit http://www.caaws.ca/e/calendar/.

7. RESEARCH ON GIRLS AND YOUNG WOMEN FROM PARTICIPACTION

The newest Research File released by the Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute and ParticipACTION reports significant gender inequality when it comes to girls and physical activity.

Findings from the Canadian Health Measures Survey reveal that among Canadian children and youth, only 4% of girls (vs. 9% of boys) achieve the recommended levels of daily moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity. Girls report experiencing more barriers to participating in physical activities and in general, report higher scores for overall teasing (i.e., being laughed at because of their appearance and or lack of coordination), being criticized because of their size or weight, and are more likely to feel that others were watching them while participating in sport.

Given the many known health benefits of physical activity, the low rate of activity among children and youth, particularly among girls, is alarming. To read the full report, visit: http://www.participaction.com/ecms.ashx/CFLRI/RFandLT/August_ResearchFile_Eng.pdf. (PDF)

8. BC COACHING MENTOR/APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM

The Coaches Association of BC, and ProMOTION Plus are excited to announce a Coaching Mentor /Apprenticeship Program for Female Apprentices in conjunction with the 2012 BC Winter and BC Summer Games.

This program seeks to address the inequity in the number of female coaches in the sport system by matching experienced coaches with female apprentices who are interested in pursuing a career in coaching and/or in developing their training to a higher level.

Application deadline is October 31st, 2011. For more information, and to download an application for, visit www.promotionplus.org.

9. ACTIVE CANADA 20/20 - SURVEY INVITATION

Do you want to have a say in shaping the future of a national physical activity strategy? Active Canada 20/20 is seeking feedback on the proposed vision, foundation, and action to move physical activity forward in the 21st century.

Active Canada 20/20: A Physical Activity Strategy and Change Agenda for Canada is the response to an urgent national need to increase physical activity and reduce sedentary living. Based on a large scale consultation, a strategy has been drafter for further input from Canadians across the country. When responding, be sure to consider the physical activity needs of girls and women! The survey will be open until August 26, 2011 at: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ActiveCanada_2020

10. SPORTS DAY IN CANADA – GET IN THE GAME!

The 2nd annual Sports Day in Canada, a national celebration of sport, from grassroots to high-performance levels, in communities across the country is quickly approaching! ParticipACTION, True Sport, and CBC Sports are calling on organizations to help lead the way in promoting involvement and encouraging Canadians to come together and celebrate the power of sport.

In the week leading up to and including September 17, Sports Day in Canada will be unifying the nation with sport. Here’s how you and your members can get involved:

1. Register an event for Sports Day in Canada – don’t forget to include activities to engage girls and women!
2. Promote Sports Day in Canada and your event
3. Show your love of sport on Jersey Day (September 16)
4. Track sporting activities with the Sports Day in Canada Universal iOS app: http://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/cbc-game-on!/id450770310?mt=8

To get in the game, register an event, and find out what’s going on in your community, go to www.cbcsports.ca/sportsday.

11. CANADIAN SPORT FOR LIFE (CS4L) - NEW WEBSITES

CS4L recently unveiled two new websites to improve the quality of sport and physical activity across Canada. The initiative’s main website was refreshed and features a number of new online tools and resources - check it out at http://www.canadiansportforlife.ca/.

A new Active for Life website was also launched, focusing on the importance of physical literacy and the need to create fun ways for children to learn fundamental movement skills. The website is designed to provide information and tools for parents – check it out at http://activeforlife.ca/.

12. CELEBRATIONS

Seven-time world champion and three-time Olympian, Vicky Sunohara, will join the University of Toronto’s Varsity Blues women’s hockey program as head coach.

Tara Hammer, a two-time University of Calgary alumna and former Dino has been named the first full-time assistant coach in Dinos women’s hockey history.

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