Aboriginal Healthy Living Activities & Cultural Learning Initiative

First Nations and Aboriginal Peoples focus area will build on the achievements as set out in I·SPARC’s 10 year Physical Activity Strategy, and the enormous success of the Aboriginal Healthy Living Activities initiatives (AHLA). With a focus on the train the trainer model I·SPARC has increased the number of leaders trained by 50%, and has seen a significant rise in the number of active participants within those programs.  These physical activity programs are also accompanied by a personalized health screening (HealthBeat), provided for leaders and members of their communities.  Many of these new trainers attribute their healthier lifestyle, and new found confidence to becoming a physical activity champion within their community.  The AHLA programs have impacted thousands across the province including several remote Indigenous communities that wouldn’t otherwise have access to regular physical activity programming.

A new initiative I·SPARC has made advancements in is cultural learning and increased partnerships with five pilot sport organizations:  Basketball, Wheelchair Basketball, Canoe/Kayak, Rugby and Snowboard.  These provincial sport organizations have increased their Indigenous athlete participation and organizational cultural learning.  Other training includes the delivery of the Long-term Participant Development Pathway with the five pilot sport organizations as well as other provincial sport organizations. Further expansion of the cultural learning will happen over the coming months with the development and piloting of a curriculum for PSO’s and other physical activity, sports and recreational organizations.

For more information on these initiatives, please contact Robynne Edgar at redgar@isparc.ca  Director of Healthy Living

Contact for media or communications/logos etc. Jessie Toynbee at jtoynbee@isparc.ca

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