Alberta School Boards Association and Alberta Recreation and Parks Association

1. Alberta School Boards Associationand Alberta Recreation and Parks Association A Partnership to pursue student wellness

2. “Children are merely one third of our population, but all of our future.” - Panel for the Promotion of Children’s Health (1981)

3. ARPA A not-for-profit association dedicated to building healthy Alberta citizens, communities, and environments. • Deliver 16 programs, initiatives and services across Alberta

4. Who are our Members

5. Who Are Our Partners

6. Who Are Our Partners

7. Current ARPA Activities of Interest

8. Children and Youth Programs • An ARPA philosophy that all children and youth across Alberta should have access to quality recreation, sport, and physical activity programs • undertake relevant research and • provide leadership through collaboration

9. Everybody gets to play™ HIGH FIVE® Kids at Hope Sogo Active After School Everybody gets to play™ • Canada-wide initiative led by the Canadian Parks and Recreation Association • Purpose • Make recreation more accessible for children and youth from low-income families

10. Everybody gets to play™ HIGH FIVE® Kids at Hope Sogo Active After School The issues • Approximately 1 out of 6 Canadian youth live in low-income situations (Satistics Canada, 2006) • 49% of Canadian parents believe that the cost of structured programs for children and youth is too high, often preventing participation (Active Healthy Kids Canada, 2010)

11. Everybody gets to play™ HIGH FIVE® Kids at Hope Sogo Active After School The issues • Children living in poverty tend to: • Perform poorly in school • Live with chronic stress • Experience family conflict • Have high levels of aggression • Develop psychological disorders

12. Everybody gets to play™ HIGH FIVE® Kids at Hope Sogo Active After School Barriers that exist to recreation • Lack of transportation or time to travel to the activity • Lack of child care • Language, culture or feelings of isolation may inhibit participation • Lack of knowledge about the programs • Lack of recreational facilities in close proximity • Lack of safe places in which to play

13. Everybody gets to play™ HIGH FIVE® Kids at Hope Sogo Active After School Why recreation matters • Children and youth get a chance to have fun, learn new skills and make new friends • Children can learn motor and social skills and develop creativity through physical activity and play • Recreation exposes children to positive role models • Recreation can ease family pressures and help adults access training and other resources • Recreation programs brings communities together and encourages volunteerism • Accessible recreation improves the quality of life for all and is an investment in a healthy society

14. Everybody gets to play™ HIGH FIVE® Kids at Hope Sogo Active After School Tools available • Webinars and trainings • Playing It Forward…The Case for Accessible Recreation in Alberta • An Everybody gets to play™ supplement

15. Everybody gets to play™ Kids at Hope Sogo Active After School HIGH FIVE® Imagine a three legged stool • Criminal Record Check • Technical Knowledge ? What about the child?

16. Everybody gets to play™ HIGH FIVE® Kids at Hope Sogo Active After School A quality assurance program for parents and community Only nationally recognized standard Audience is 6-12 year olds HIGH FIVE®

17. Everybody gets to play™ HIGH FIVE® Kids at Hope Sogo Active After School What is it? • Framework committed to assisting children along the path of healthy development through: • Providing the tools for enhancing and maintaining a high level of quality in child development • Helping parents make informed choices

18. Everybody gets to play™ HIGH FIVE® Kids at Hope Sogo Active After School Principles

19. Everybody gets to play™ HIGH FIVE® Kids at Hope Sogo Active After School Who benefits? • Children • Staff and volunteers • Parents • Community

20. Everybody gets to play™ HIGH FIVE® Kids at Hope Sogo Active After School Educational Opportunities • Principles of Healthy Child Development • QUEST 1 • QUEST 2 • HIGH FIVE® Sport • ARPA is the authorized Alberta provider

21. Everybody gets to play™ HIGH FIVE® Kids at Hope Sogo Active After School Kids at Hope • Evidence-based strategic cultural model • Reverses the ‘youth at risk’ paradigm • Establishes a holistic methodology that engages an entire school, youth organization, and/or community

22. Everybody gets to play™ HIGH FIVE® Kids at Hope Sogo Active After School Relationships and Supports to ensure a child’s success

23. Everybody gets to play™ HIGH FIVE® Kids at Hope Sogo Active After School What does a Kids at Hope school look like? • When everyone can and will tell you that they believe all children can succeed • No child/youth grows without knowing that they have at least one of the four major relationships and supports • Every child/youth can tell you about their future

24. Everybody gets to play™ HIGH FIVE® Kids at Hope Sogo Active After School Benefits • Children • Become more optimistic • Not only understand the concept of hope, they can model it • Learn and practice the power and self-fulfilling prophecy (belief system) of positive self-talk • Learn about personal strength-based inventory and practice • Academics and emotional achievements mature

25. Everybody gets to play™ HIGH FIVE® Kids at Hope Sogo Active After School Benefits • Adults • Learn and practice the power of the self-fulfilling prophecy to support a child’s achievements • Learn and practice how to measure a child’s potential, not just their behavior • Learn and practice how to instill hope in every child without exception • Learn and practice the types of meaningful and sustainable relationships needed by children • ARPA is the authorized Canadian provider

26. Everybody gets to play™ HIGH FIVE® Kids at Hope Sogo Active After School Sogo Active • Grant-funding program that supports any initiative that gets youth active • Targets youth from ages 13-19

27. Everybody gets to play™ HIGH FIVE® Kids at Hope Sogo Active After School Sogo Active • Think of Sogo Active as a tool to help you challenge youth to get more active. • It’s a network to connect you, give you ideas, and keep you motivated. • ARPA is the authorized Alberta provider

28. Everybody gets to play™ HIGH FIVE® Kids at Hope Sogo Active After School Available grants • Groups that promote physical activity to youth ages 13-19 are eligible for grants: • $250 • Short-term event (1 time, 1 event) • $500 • Events that are 4 weeks or longer

29. Everybody gets to play™ HIGH FIVE® Kids at Hope Sogo Active After School After School Recreation Initiative • ARPA is committed to improving Alberta’s after school agenda. • A number of after school initiatives—contributing to the proposed Alberta After School Strategy, have already been undertaken. • ASBA is a partner with ARPA

30. Everybody gets to play™ HIGH FIVE® Kids at Hope Sogo Active After School 2009 Final Report • Specific areas to strengthen ‘critical hours’ program delivery in Alberta: • Get the word out that the ‘critical hours’ must be a top priority • Advocate for an MLA Committee to draft a coordinated After School Agenda • Showcase the benefits of integrating recreation into afterschool programming through pilot projects • Coalesce an Alberta After School “Critical Hours” Consortium • Lobby to include recreation in provincial child development funding • Promote excellence in after school programming • Make community use of schools a guiding principle • Ensure the sustainability of an accessible quality after school system that incorporates recreation

31. Everybody gets to play™ HIGH FIVE® Kids at Hope Sogo Active After School Stone Soup: The Recipe for an After School Recreation Strategy for Alberta • Key messages of the report: • After School programs are effective for public policy • After School programs should use a blended model including recreation, health, and learning • All levels of government have shared goals and outcomes • There is benefit in leveraging multiple stakeholders • There is an unmistakable alignment with Alberta’s Safe Communities Strategy • An evidence-based evaluation must be incorporated to sustain quality and ensure accountability

32. Everybody gets to play™ HIGH FIVE® Kids at Hope Sogo Active After School Canadian Active After School Partnership • Objective • Enhance the delivery of after school programs establishing a program delivery framework for targeting all levels of government, decision makers and practitioners.

33. Everybody gets to play™ HIGH FIVE® Kids at Hope Sogo Active After School Canadian Active After School Partnership • Demonstration sites • Primary objectives • Support the development, implementation, and evaluation of blended after school programs • Create a practical resource tool/guide to inform the development of community partnerships and the ability of local groups to develop, deliver, and evaluate high quality after school programs • Develop recommendations for an effective longer-term human resource strategy to support and sustain high quality recreation-based after school programs

34. Everybody gets to play™ HIGH FIVE® Kids at Hope Sogo Active After School Canadian Active After School Partnership • Demonstration sites • Outcomes • Informed the design and delivery requirements of high quality programs in a variety of settings • Identified critical capacity, evaluation, and business planning issues within the larger goals of the Canadian Active After School Partnership

35. Everybody gets to play™ HIGH FIVE® Kids at Hope Sogo Active After School Canadian Active After School Partnership • Documents produced as a result of this partnership include: • Workforce Development Strategy Backgrounder • Workforce Development Strategies • Developing After School Partnerships and Programs: A Resource Guide for Community Groups

36. Everybody gets to play™ HIGH FIVE® Kids at Hope Sogo Active After School A Provincial After School Recreation Program • It is in Alberta’s best interest to advance an after school agenda • ARPA is working with the Government of Alberta and other stakeholders in developing and implementing an Alberta After School Recreation Program • The intent is that this provincial strategy will build on previous efforts that have identified promising practices for after school programs and will work collectively with local after school programs to provide recreation opportunities during the after school hours

37. Communities ChooseWell • An energizing healthy eating and active living initiative • Purpose • Support, empower, and recognize communities across the province for efforts to promote healthier living to their residents • ARPA is the authorized Alberta provider

38. Schools Involved • Blessed Cardinal Newman Elementary/Jr. High School, Calgary • Breton High School • Buck Mountain Central School • Quest High School, Red Reed • St. Damien School, Calgary • St. Gerald Bilingual School, Calgary • St. Luke Catholic High School, Strathcona County • Harry Ainley, Edmonton • *Schools that are involved are generally representing their community

39. How to get Involved • Free Communities ChooseWell registration in January and February 2013

40. Resources • Toolkits • Grant funding • Recognition Opportunities • Pre-developed programs that can be implemented

41. Communities in Bloom Communities in Bloom is committed to fostering • civic pride, • environmental responsibility, and • beautification through community involvement.

42. Communities in Bloom Program Benefits: • Foster environmental awareness and stewardship • Enhance the visual appeal of your neighborhoods and public spaces such as school yards • Engage your community in acting together to grow flowers and friendships • Attract tourists

43. Communities in Bloom Program Benefits: • Boost civic pride and community involvement • See continuous improvement throughout your community • Preserve your community’s natural and cultural heritage • Exchange ideas and enjoy cultural expression • Increase your community’s property values

44. Communities in Bloom Communities involved in 2012: • Spirit River • Woking • Clairmont • Valleyview • Wabasca-Desmarais • Calling Lake • Whitecourt • Sandugo • Bon Accord • Redwater • Onoway • Wabamun • Drayton Valley • Thorsby • Hay Lakes • Mannville • Holden • Strome • Wainwright • Provost • Coronation • Veteran • Hanna • Delia • Three Hills • Drumheller • Strathmore • Carseland • Milo • Champion • Taber • Coaldale • Glenwood • Cardston

45. How can you be involved in 2013? Communities in Bloom • Registration begins now • It can involve staff and students in a community partnership initiative • ARPA is the authorized Alberta provider

46. DIVERSITY INITIATIVE • Focuses on diversity in order to create capacity in rural Alberta communities • The goal is to foster equality, reduce discrimination and racism, and remove barriers that exclude newcomers. • ARPA is the authorized Alberta provider

47. ACTIVE COMMUNITY STRATEGY INITIATIVE Program Goal: • To utilize community engagement to build commitment and a strategy that provides a path to get more people more active, more often. • The project focuses most on community and in turn creates a variety of opportunities for individuals, families and groups to live active lifestyles. • ARPA is the authorized Alberta provider

48. ACTIVE COMMUNITY STRATEGY INITIATIVE • The Initiative is taking place over 2 years (April 2012-April 2014) • Year 1: ACS initiative is working with 10 communities • Year 2: ACS initiative will work with 15 communities (5 in the form of a regional hub) • The principles of engagement and collaboration will be core to the strategy, utilizing the expertise of the many individuals, organizations and sectors of the community.

49. ACTIVE COMMUNITY STRATEGY INITIATIVE Communities taking part in year 1: • Airdrie • Calling Lake • Cardel Place (Calgary) • Grande Prairie • High River • Leduc • Longview • Okotoks • Pincher Creek • Sylvan Lake

50. ACTIVE COMMUNITY STRATEGY INITIATIVE By the end of year 1, 10 Alberta communities will have: • Collaborative, cross-sectoral partnerships (municipalities, recreation, health, community services, transportation, education, business, and other invested in creating healthy communities) that provide leadership to build a more active community.