New CAAWS Project – Making Healthy Connections in Racialized Communities

October 18, 2012

Girls and Young Women’s Experiences with Sport, Physical Activity and Healthy Living –

The Making Healthy Connections in Racialized Communities project is designed to enhance capacity at the community, regional and provincial levels to increase healthy living opportunities for girls and young women from ethnic communities. The project was funded through the Healthy Communities Fund of the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, and builds on On the Move, CAAWS’ national initiative to increase opportunities for inactive girls and young women ages (9-18) to participate in sport and physical activity.

Earlier this year, CAAWS hosted focus groups with ethnic girls and young women, and practitioners involved with sport and physical activity programs and services for this target group. The focus groups provided the foundation for a new report that discusses the sport and physical activity needs, interests and experiences of girls and young women from ethnic communities, shares successes and challenges from an organizational perspective, and provides recommendations to enhance program and service delivery. Available November 2012; email [email protected] to request a copy.

In addition to the Report, the project also involves the training of 10 women as workshop facilitators, and the delivery of 20 workshops across the province. Workshops are half-day, interactive, issue-based sessions that provide an overview of the project, share focus group findings, discuss the complexities of race and multiculturalism in an increasingly diverse society as they apply to sport, physical activity and healthy living, and provide tips and recommendations to increase the participation of girls and young women from ethnic communities.

Applications to become a workshop facilitator and/or to host a workshop are now available on the CAAWS website – the deadline is November 30, 2012.

For more information about the project, visithttp://caaws.ca/onthemove/e/racialized_girls/index.htm.

To download the facilitator application form (download PDF)
To download the workshop host application form (download PDF)

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