Increasing Physical Activity Participation among 14 Aboriginal BC Communities
Victoria, B.C. (April 6, 2009). The Aboriginal Sports and Recreation Association of BC (ASRA) launched the Aboriginal Seed Grant program for the first time this winter and with the selection complete, over 1,200 Aboriginal people across BC will become engaged in sport, recreation and physical activity. A very diverse range of programs have been funded including canoeing, pow wow dancing, soccer, capoeira, traditional sports, and multi-sport programs. The Aboriginal Seed Grant program has contributed $26, 000 to these programs; increasing healthy living and promoting sport participation.The Aboriginal Seed Grant Program; funded by the Province of BC; provides one time only funding opportunities for Aboriginal communities and organizations to assist in the delivery of a sport participation/recreation/physical activity program that will improve health by encouraging healthy living and active lifestyles. Successful programs have received up to $1,984 to develop new or expand on existing programs.
The City of Penticton is bringing two city-owned war canoes out of storage and delivering them to the Penticton Indian Band to store and use to build capacity through the Pulling Together Aboriginal youth Paddling Program. In Mission, Heritage Park Secondary School is bringing students, staff and parents together from three schools to learn how to become Pow Wow dancers. The new dancers will be given an opportunity to compete is several local Pow Wows and will gain the skills to enter other cultural events including those associated with the 2010 Olympics.
The application intake was very competitive as ASRA received over 104 applications; representing very strong and diverse program proposals from all across the province. The selection committee was challenged with the difficult task of selecting 14 projects from numerous exciting and very worthy proposals. Projects receiving funding demonstrated an ability to increase sport participation while encouraging healthy living and creating a sustainable and cultural component to the program. The following is a list of all programs funded through the Aboriginal Seed Grant Program:
• Hooksum Outdoor School Society (Tofino) – Fitness for life and Lifesaving
• Surrounded by Cedar (Victoria) – Art in Motion; a Capoeira Program for Youth
• YWCA Vancouver (Vancouver) – “Get out and Play” a summer project of the YWCA Family Program
• Interior Métis Child and Family Services (Kamloops) – Interior Métis After School Sports Program
• Heritage Park Secondary School (Mission) – Future Pow Wow Dancers Project
• Lil’wat Nation/Mount Currie Band Rec Dept (Mount Currie) – 3rd Annual Tomorrow’s Voice Youth Forum
• T-Birds Soccer (Victoria) – T-Birds Youth Soccer Program
• Port Alberni Friendship Center (Port Alberni) – Pathways to Youth Empowerment, a New Beginning; youth recreation and cultural program
• T’Sou-ke Nation Youth Center (Sooke) – ISTA YA CONENET – Lets Go Run; An inter-generational First Nations Sports Day
• Kla-how-eya Aboriginal Center of SACs (Surrey) – Say Centre Recreation Sports Nights
• Collingwood Neighbourhood House (Vancouver) – Building Water Safety and Canoe Leader Training
• Penticton Community Center/City of Penticton (Penticton) – Pulling Together Youth Paddling Program
• Senisyusten School (Westbank) – Aboriginal Sports Day
• UBC CEDAR Program for Aboriginal Youth (Vancouver) – Healthy Bodies Healthy Minds; Cross-cultural education through demonstration, activity and recreation
Karen Charleson from the Hooksum Outdoor School Society says “The immediate goal of the Fitness for Life and Lifesaving project is to encourage participant success and excellence in the Lifesaving Society Bronze Medallion and Bronze Cross courses. The long term goal of the project is to educate participants and community members about healthy living practices through maintaining a regular fitness routine, outdoor activity and healthy eating habits”.
At this point ASRA does not know if the seed grant will be available next year, but hopes that the high interest in the program will encourage future funding for the program.
For more information about the Aboriginal Seed Grant Program please contact
Christina Callingham
Recreation and Physical Activity Coordinator
Christina.callingham@asra.ca
250-544-8172 x 107
About the Aboriginal Sport and Recreation Association of BC:
The Aboriginal Sports and Recreation Association of BC (ASRA) is the recognized multisport and recreation umbrella organization responsible for supporting the provision of sport, physical activity and recreation opportunities for Aboriginal peoples in British Columbia. ASRA’s membership includes athletes, coaches and sport leaders in more than 200 communities throughout BC. This not-for-profit society is a leader in the development of the Aboriginal sports movement in BC, in Canada and North America.
