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SD43 is the recipient of a $25,000 RBC Learn to Play grant which is being aimed at a community wide strategy to be more intentional about teaching movement in schools and in the community. The aim of the project is to develop a common understanding of the importance of seeing physical activity as a life long journey in being active.
The grant will benefit school district teachers, and our community partners in recreation by giving access to resources and knowledge developed by experts who have been instrumental in creating common language and fundamental movement instruction. Our hope is to lessen the anxiety some young people have about Physical Education by helping teachers and recreation professionals use approaches to the subject that are widely accessed by all students regardless of physical abilities. Aims of the project also seek to create a common vocabulary and method used by municipal rec workers and education professionals.
Partners in this project are Steve McGinely from UBC Faculty of Education and Dr. Joanna Shepard from University of the Fraser Valley. Both come to SD43 with incredible understanding of the physical and health education landscape. Activities planned are already in the works including professional development sessions, focus days, training sessions for recreation instructors who do work in after school programs, and in-service work with generalist elementary school teachers. Other groups associated with what we are doing are the city recreation programs in Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam and Port Moody, Moresports Organization, Participation Canada, and Sport For Life Society.