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CITY OF VANCOUVER ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT |
Date: |
June 22, 2004 | |
Author: |
Booth Palmer/
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Phone No.: |
604-257-8431/
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RTS No.: |
4247 | |
CC File No.: |
4102/4209 | |
Meeting Date: |
July 8, 2004 |
TO: |
Standing Committee on City Services and Budgets |
FROM: |
General Manager of Board of Parks and Recreation, Director of Cultural Affairs, Community Services, and Director of Social Planning, Community Services |
SUBJECT: |
Olympic Youth Legacy for Physical Activity, Sport, Culture and the Arts |
RECOMMENDATION
A. THAT Council approve the Olympic Youth Legacy Framework as outlined in this report.
B. THAT Council approve $200,000 for the implementation of Phase One of the Legacy Action Plan presented in this report, source of funds to be the Special Projects component of the 2004 General Government budget.
C. THAT Council approve the designation of $200,000 in the Special Projects component of the 2005 General Government budget for Phase Two of the Legacy Action Plan, subject to a report back on Phase One.
D. THAT Council encourage other levels of government, the Vancouver School Board and other community organizations to adopt the Youth Legacy Framework and to consider similar initiatives for increased youth involvement.
CITY MANAGER'S COMMENTS
The City Manager recommends approval of the foregoing recommendations. The Olympic Youth Legacy Framework and Action Plan is the first step in addressing one aspect of the Mayor's 2003 report "Ensuring Vancouver's Olympic and Paralympic Legacy". It is an opportunity to shift gears in youth services and introduce innovative new initiatives to engage and involve the youth community and youth-serving organizations. The approach is comprehensive, integrating the idea of the whole community and the whole person, in mind, body and spirit, through recreation, culture, active living and youth leadership.
The Action Plan, with its pilot projects and evaluation, is the research and development phase of the Mayor's vision to create and implement a longer-term strategy that a dedicated endowment fund of $10 million (equal allocations for sport and the arts) could support. The capitalization of the endowment is proposed to be placed on the 2005 ballot in conjunction with the civic capital plan, for consideration by the voters. Successful projects and learnings from this phase are intended to demonstrate the benefits of such activities for youth, and support an effort to secure voter approval of the endowment.
This initiative is an example of Vancouver's investment in youth, particularly those who are less active, of our leadership in trying new approaches, and moves the city forward to 2010 and beyond.
COUNCIL POLICY
Vancouver Civic Youth Strategy Policy
Council adopted the Civic Youth Strategy (CYS) in March of 1995, and initiated new youth engagement methods with the establishment of the Youth Outreach Team in 2003. CYS includes a policy statement that commits the City to involving youth and youth-driven organizations as active partners in:
· the development, assessment and delivery of civic services which have direct impact on youth; and
· broad spectrum consultations and initiatives on civic issues.
The policy statement above ensures that all City departments work towards four key objectives:
· ensuring that youth have "a place" in the City
· ensuring a strong youth voice in decision-making
· promoting youth as a resource to the City
· strengthening the support base for youth in the City.
Vancouver Children's Policy
The Vancouver Children's Policy was adopted by Council on March 12, 1992. It is a statement of commitment to the children of Vancouver and includes: Children's Policy, Statement of Entitlements and an Action Plan.
SUMMARY
The Olympic Youth Legacy (OYL) has been developed in response to the recommendations of the Mayor's 2003 report to Council "Ensuring Vancouver's Olympic and Paralympic Legacy" (Appendix A), which brought the health and well-being of Vancouver's youth to the forefront of the civic agenda. Using the coming Olympics as a catalyst and opportunity for community action, the Youth Legacy initiative proposes a strategy for expanding active youth engagement in a wide range of athletic and cultural activities that can nurture their minds, bodies and spirits well beyond 2010.
A task group of staff from Social Planning, Parks and Recreation and Cultural Affairs has developed the Olympic Youth Legacy Framework (Appendix B) that articulates a vision and guiding principles for the initiative, together with a three-phased Action Plan to achieve the vision, as described in the Discussion section this report. As detailed in Appendix C, the Action Plan includes City-initiated demonstration projects; community-initiated activity through grants; community consultation, research and feed back; training for youth and youth service providers, as well as communication with youth, community leaders, and the public.
Building upon the Mayor's Report, the OYL initiative is particularly targeted to those children and youth who are not engaged in activities that provide opportunities for optimum growth and development. Moreover, it will be a priority for the initiative to involve youth and community partners in the design, delivery and assessment of the Action Plan.
PURPOSE
This report seeks Council approval of the Olympic Youth Legacy Framework, which outlines the vision, objectives, guiding principles, and an Action Plan to promote the health and well-being of Vancouver's children and youth through engagement in physical activity, sport, culture and the arts. It requests funds to implement a series of pilot activities for the next 18 months, starting in the summer of 2004, and continuing into 2005.
The report also notes that the City is a leader in facilitating and encouraging youth involvement, and recommends that Council encourage other partners to adopt the Youth Legacy Framework and assist in its funding and implementation.
BACKGROUND
Why the Legacy Initiative?
Reports from a variety of sources indicate that 58% of British Columbia youth are insufficiently active for optimal physical, mental and spiritual health and well-being. The decreasing level of youth activity is a major health concern addressed by the Romanow Report, by BC's Active Communities Initiative, and more recently by the 2003 Adolescent Health Survey of BC's youth published by Vancouver's McCreary Centre Society. The latter survey highlights the challenge of increases in overweight and obese youth from 13% in 1992 to 17% in 2003. It also notes that girls are less active than boys, and that physical activity alone does not engage all young people, illustrating the need for a broad strategy that includes arts as well as sports.
Research led by the Social Planning Department in 2003 provides insights into the needs of immigrant youth. The educational, social and recreational patterns of older youth from China attending secondary school in Vancouver were studied, and revealed decreased levels of involvement in sport, physical recreation and other community activities. Limited knowledge of the culture of Canadian sport, recreation and other types of community involvement put these and other recent immigrants at higher risk of non-participation.
It has long been recognized that regular physical activity plays a key role in improving mental, social and physical health, and in preventing disease, disability and premature death. Research also demonstrates the positive effects of youth engagement in the arts and community work on increased self-esteem, reduced social isolation, improved social networks, and other indicators of health and well-being. The 2003 Adolescent Health Survey concluded that when youth participate in community activities, have healthy relationships with adults at home, in school and in the community, and can report being "good" at a skill or activity, they are healthier and less likely to engage in risky behaviours.
Vancouver's 100,000 young people 19 years of age and under have access to an extensive infrastructure of indoor and outdoor athletic and cultural facilities. Usage studies indicate that a growing number of young people make good use of these opportunities. Nevertheless, current programs and facilities are insufficient to meet the diverse needs and interests of today's youth, and barriers to participation in arts and sports are numerous.
The Canadian Fitness and Lifestyles Research Institute reports that barriers to physical activity by children and youth include competitive stress, parental pressures to excel, lack of fun, lack of playing time, the limited opportunities for improvement, and dissatisfaction with the coach or instructor. The Youth Consultant report prepared for the Park Board's recent Arts Policy Review indicates that there are too few neighbourhood-specific opportunities for youth to participate in the arts, and a lack of information about how to get involved in existing activities.
Many of Vancouver's young people lack the parental support, transportation, and language skills, as well as the disposable income to pay a fee and buy equipment to access activities. As children get older, attrition from organized sport and other activities grows and unless concerted efforts are made, youth quickly become less active.
Youth-serving systems need to act and innovate, based on the latest research, to expand access to such activities. To advance this work, the Olympic Youth Legacy will generally support work involving youth 10 to 19 years, reflecting the age span where children and youth become less active in formal settings. As a point of reference, 10-year-old children in 2004 will be 16 when the Olympics come to Vancouver in 2010. Specific programs may target older youth up to age 24, based on need, relevance and the ability to self-organize.
First Steps
Addressing the issue of youth health, the 2003 report from the Mayor's Forums offered a series of recommended actions, targets and resources for consideration. The report also proposed the creation of an endowment fund of $10 million through a plebiscite in Fall 2005, to create a means of sustaining a long-term strategy involving arts and sports initiatives that are proven to increase youth activity levels.
The Board of Parks and Recreation did some initial work in 2003, including meetings with a broad network of community and sport officials. The Office of Cultural Affairs began to consult their partners in community and arts organizations about the nature of youth involvement in related activities.
Park Commissioners adopted motions on March 24th and October 20th of 2003, to focus on the activity needs of children and youth and to involve youth in all facets of the process. In December 2003, Council approved the allocation of $20,000, and Park Board launched the first pilot project with a "Skate with the Mayor" and a series of free family holiday skating sessions.
A task group consisting of staff from Cultural Affairs, Social Planning and Parks and Recreation convened last autumn to develop a coordinated strategy. Their work has resulted in the Olympic Youth Legacy Framework, (Appendix B) which articulates a vision and plans for increasing youth engagement in arts and sports with a view to improved health and well being.
The Framework was tested during meetings and recent briefings during June with key City and Provincial youth-serving staff, and with community leaders and youth actively involved with agencies in the arts, culture, sport and physical activity disciplines. Almost 100 people attended these briefings, and offered strong support for the approach outlined in the Framework.
Participants in the briefings recommended that sustainability be added to the guiding principles (it has been); and that while gaps needed to be addressed, existing activity could also be enhanced. They reinforced the importance of addressing diversity, of meaningful involvement for youth, and of systemic change. A report on the briefings will be made available on the web site that is planned for the Olympic Youth Legacy.
DISCUSSION
What is the Legacy?
Like most international athletic and cultural events, the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games promises to provide memorable events, opportunities and legacy facilities for use and enjoyment of generations of Vancouver residents following the conclusion of the Games.
Vancouver's Olympic Youth Legacy aims to inspire young people to be more active now, and intends to raise residents' awareness of the value of having youth actively engaged in arts, sports, culture and recreation. The Legacy work will create new opportunities for youth to access these types of activities, shift public attitudes, and fund specific projects that improve the ability of the community to engage a diverse range of youth in activities that promote their healthy development. This work will support and sustain a vital social legacy for today's generation of children and youth. A Youth Legacy Framework and an Action Plan, in three phases, are proposed as the means to achieve that mission.
The Legacy Action Plan recognizes the many successful services, strategies and contributors to youth activities across the city, as well as the City's many community programs and facilities, which engage a large number of young people. Despite this, there are significant gaps, and the City can do more by taking a leadership role and actively seeking partners for the initiative.
Youth Legacy Framework
The Olympic Youth Legacy (Appendix B) includes a vision for active youth, a statement of purpose and five key messages that encourage everyone to:
· Imagine - create a vision for holistic youth development
· Inspire - spark the interests and passions of youth
· Include - engage all community members, including youth
· Investigate - explore and share effective models and practices at work
· Implement - design, deliver and evaluate projects that expand access to youth
A series of Olympic Youth Legacy principles will serve to guide the project, inform the criteria used to select pilot programs, and help to measure outcomes, including:
· A Holistic Approach to Health
· Inclusion and Access
· Innovation and Creativity
· Collaboration and Partnership
· Youth and Community-driven Process
· Active Participation
· Systemic Organizational Change
· Sustainability of New Programs Over Time
· Evidence-based Practices
The Action Plan
The key elements in the plan, involving three phases over the next 18 months, are:
· Testing and reviewing already funded programs
· Developing new pilot projects that target less-active youth
· Research, consultation and evaluation
· Training for practice change and youth involvement in decision-making
· Coordinated communications
Phase One: July 2004 thru March 2005
Phase Two: April 2005 thru November 2005
Phase Three: December 2005 and beyond
Staff Resources
The work required to implement the OYL Action Plan will require more staffing and technical support than currently available from participating departments. City staff supporting this project have been working part-time for many months. This report recommends the hiring of a co-ordinator for Phase One to ensure a focussed effort to coordinate the various components of the Legacy: build contacts, develop partnerships, implement, evaluate and revise programs, and communicate the outcomes of the Olympic Youth Legacy.
The OYL coordinator will develop and support a range of advisory groups and coordinate a task group to guide the work. Staff recommend that the co-ordinator be hired at a rate equivalent to that of a program co-ordinator for a period of 39 weeks at half time. The cost of this would be $25,000 in 2004, with a similar amount required for 2005.
Plan Details
A. Phase One Activity - July 2004 thru March 2005
1. Program Testing and Review
Where new resources are not essential: In daycamp settings around the city, Healthy Choices Daycamp Daze and Action Arts in community centres, neighbourhood houses, Kid safe Project sites and other child and youth-serving agencies are promoting the message of the values inherent to the importance of good nutrition and an active lifestyle. These programs are funded by the Vancouver Park Board, the Legacies Now Society and the Vancouver Agreement in July and August 2004. They are not part of the funding request in this report. The program testing approach will encourage City staff and other youth-serving organizations to conduct ongoing appraisals and evaluate their programs' potential to increase youth activity, in the course of building healthy lifestyles.
2. Pilot Project Implementation
Three streams of pilot programs will be developed, and community advisory processes constructed to steer the selection, implementation, reporting and consistent evaluation of these programs to measure increases in the level of youth activity.
· New City programs for youth (Park Board)
· Grants for youth-led cultural projects (Cultural Affairs)
· Community Partnership Grants for Youth Programs (Task Group)
A total allocation of $150,000 distributed equally among the three streams is recommended, although, based on community demand and actual costs, the final distribution of funds between the streams may vary slightly.
Participating City departments support youth differently and will develop these program ideas building on their strengths. Park Board will work with community associations, schools and other partners who will advise on physical activity, sport and cultural programs delivered directly under the established joint operating approach. Cultural Affairs and Social Planning will use their relationships with community-based agencies and youth to develop "grants-to-youth" ideas, and set up a program to sponsor projects led by youth to engage other youth. Partnership grants will make matching resources available to community partners to suggest their own innovative ideas through which to expand access by youth to arts and sport activity.
Each funding stream will require its own advisory process through which to engage youth and community partners in order to ensure transparency, adherence of program criteria to the Legacy's guiding principles, and relevancy to youth. A number of pilot programs, grants to youth and partnership grants have already been identified, and more options will be considered during further consultation with youth and with the community (see Appendix C).
The development of Pilot Projects will begin September 2004 and run until Phase One funds are exhausted, no later than March 2005. Phase Two projects will commence after a review of the first phase of projects, subject to Council approval.
3. Research, Consultation and Evaluation Preparation
Research, together with further community consultations, will identify a range of successful practices used locally and elsewhere, and provide information about existing gaps in services and opportunities. Ways to expand access to cultural and athletic activities will be emphasized, particularly with youth who are not currently engaged in activities that optimize their healthy physical and social development.
To ensure that established practices and new methods are widely understood and implemented, findings will be shared throughout the second phases of the work, not just the first. They will also inform the evaluation process that will measure outcomes, and provide for ongoing improvements. $10,000 is required for consultant services to conduct the research and consultation, and to prepare appropriate evaluation tools to measure pilot project results.
4. Training
Two streams of training will be undertaken:
· Practice Change: providing training to people who work with youth to change their practices based on the latest research; and
· Youth Involvement: providing training for youth and people who work with youth to support a range of models enabling youth involvement in developing and evaluating pilot projects.
The first training stream will strengthen the skills and abilities of youth workers to make their existing services more inclusive and/or to pilot new activities that engage a more diverse range of youth. This activity stream speaks directly to the Framework's guiding principle of systemic change, which is a commitment to ensuring that the Youth Legacy encourages changes in practice in existing youth serving systems. A willingness to expand capacity to include all youth is an added benefit of this work.
The second training stream will focus on how youth-serving systems can support youth involvement in the design, delivery and evaluation of their programming. This will also include support for youth to self-organize to provide arts, sports, cultural and physical activity opportunities for one another that build on their own interests and passions. This support may include (but is not limited to) participatory action research projects, which enable youth to talk with other youth about how they currently spend their free time, and how they might like to spend their time if they had more options.
A budget of $10,000 is required for the two streams of training.
5. Communications
There is a need to develop a consistent message about the Olympic Youth Legacy and its objectives, highlight the role of culture and athletics in improving the health of children and youth, expand partnerships, and leverage additional resources.
A key early activity will also be to consult youth about the most appropriate `branding' of the Olympic Youth Legacy concept with a more fitting, youth-friendly and relevant title. The current language is a working title, is too long and means little to youth. Once branded, the new project title will be used in consistent messaging throughout the project.
Much of the cost of communication will be in staff time, but staff recommend that the budget for Phase One include $5,000 for communication materials.
B. Phase Two Activity - April 2005 thru November 2005
A Phase One Progress Report will be developed and presented to Council by Spring 2005, and will include a detailed plan for Phase Two. The focus of Phase Two will be to:
· Consolidate lessons learned and continue the dialogue in community
· Develop more new pilot programs as per the 3 streams above
· Consolidate partnerships with the community
· Develop additional sources of support
· Inform the public about the Youth Legacy Endowment Fund proposal
It is somewhat premature at this point to predict the relative successes of each element of Phase One of the Action Plan. The Phase One Progress report will serve to inform Phase Two pilot programs and advisory processes, and will detail the allocation of funds.
C. Phase Three Activity - December 2005 and beyond
The focus of this phase will be to prepare to sustain new programs and projects, to encourage the continuing development of others to respond to changing youth needs, and to prepare methods of governance for the allocation of funds from several sources. Ongoing support from the City, as well as other forms of monetary and in-kind support from the education sector, from other levels of government, from the private sector and from the community at large, will be developed.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
A total of $200,000 is required to fund the first nine months of the Olympic Youth Legacy initiative, between July of 2004 and March of 2005. Any unused funds for 2004 will be carried forward to the 2005 budget year. The designation of an additional $200,000 from the City's 2005 budget is requested to sustain the momentum created by the OYL, leading up to the proposed development of an endowment fund. Funding for the City's portion of the OYL is to be provided from the Special Projects component of the General Government budget. It is anticipated that funding from other sources will also be leveraged to expand the program.
Budget details for 2004 are outlined in Table 1.
Table 1
Phase I - Olympic Youth Legacy Budget (July 2004 - March 2005)
Activity |
Purpose |
Costs |
Administration |
New City Programs |
Sport, Arts & Culture Pilots |
$50,000 |
Park Board |
Grants to Youth |
Youth-led cultural programs for others |
$50,000 |
Cultural Affairs (OCA) |
Community Partner Grants |
Community agencies & groups |
$50,000 |
OCA & Park Board |
Research, Consultation & Evaluation |
What works? What's happening locally? How will we know if we've succeeded? |
$10,000 |
Task Group
|
Training |
Train staff, youth & others to outreach & support new youth activity |
$10,000 |
Task Group
|
Co-ordination |
Youth Legacy Project
|
$25,000 |
Task Group
|
Communications |
Communication materials |
$5,000 |
Task Group
|
Total |
$200,000 |
CONCLUSION
Youth are becoming increasingly inactive, and civic government can play an important role in addressing this issue. The 2010 Winter Olympics provide a unique opportunity to develop an early, yet lasting legacy for the benefit of current and future generations of Vancouver youth. Vancouver's Olympic Youth Legacy proposes to implement a series of pilot programs to demonstrate the benefits of participation to youth who are seldom engaged in school or community activities.
The development of pilot programs and discussions with youth, with youth workers and other adult leaders will place the needs of children and youth at the centre of the civic agenda, and raise awareness of the role of cultural and athletic activity in their lives.
Creating a lasting legacy for our youth requires partners and supporters from all communities and from all walks of life. While civic government may play a leadership role and allocate funds to pilot programs, it is anticipated that others will be inspired to participate as sponsors and active supporters under the banner of the City's Olympic Youth Legacy Program Framework.
- - - - -
Report from the Mayor's Forums on the Olympics and Paralympics
"IV. Vancouver's Olympic and Paralympic Legacy: An action plan for youth, sport and the arts
· To provide immediate and enduring benefits for the youth of Vancouver, I recommend that the City:
· Create a Vancouver Olympic Youth Legacy for Sport and the Arts for children and youth with the following elements:
· Enforce the goal established by the federal-provincial health ministers and recommended in the Romanow report to increase physical activity in children and youth by 10 per cent by 2010;
· Expand access to community sport, recreation and arts programs by 2010 for residents under 19, starting with free access to some recreational services, including public skating in 2003/04;
· Seek to double available time in gyms, fields, and informal play areas, including coaching and other support, by 2010, through integrated use of existing city, school and park facilities, development of `lighthouse' programs, athletes in residence programs and other initiatives;
· Seek voter approval in 2005 for the creation of a $10 million youth sports, recreation and the arts endowment fund ($5 million for sport and $5 million for the arts) to sustain the program, while seeking to increase the fund through strategic partnerships with foundations and other levels of government;
· Establish a youth and community-driven task force to design and implement the Vancouver Olympic Youth Legacy for Sport and the Arts with program funding for $200,000 to design and implement pilot programs in each of the next three years;
· Seek partnerships with the Vancouver School Board, the Vancouver Park Board, city amateur sport and recreation groups, LegaciesNOW, youth organizations, the private sector, other levels of government and other stakeholders to develop and implement the program.
VANCOUVER'S OLYMPIC YOUTH LEGACY FRAMEWORK
The Legacy Vision
Vancouver's youth are active, healthy and engaged in a wide range of athletic and cultural activities that nurture their mind, body and spirit.
Statement of Purpose
The 2010 Olympic Games are a catalyst for bringing the health and well-being of Vancouver's youth to the front and centre of the civic agenda.
Key Messages
· Imagine: Create a vision for the holistic development of Vancouver's youth
· Inspire: Spark interest and tap into the passions of youth, particularly those not currently involved in athletic or cultural activity
· Include: Engage community stakeholders, including youth, in collaboratively developed, community-driven activities
· Investigate: Explore effective models and practices to push the creative envelope
· Implement: Pilot and evaluate projects that expand access to art and sport
Guiding Principles
A Holistic Approach to Health
Olympic Youth Legacy initiative acknowledges that youth health is promoted when they are involved in any of a diverse range of activities (sports and fitness, arts and culture, recreation) that enable them to identify and build on their unique interests, passions and skills and experience socially supportive environments.
Inclusion and Access
The primary purpose of the Initiative is to expand access to arts and sports activities for those youth who do not currently access existing opportunities for healthy development (for a range of reasons). The work of the Legacy Initiative is to catalyze creativity and innovation that enable youth and youth serving systems to better support diverse youth to access these opportunities.
Innovation and Creativity
The Legacy Initiative will provide research around the role of arts and sports in promoting health, examples of how arts and sports projects have been used to enable diverse groups of youth to access opportunities for healthy development and training on how to creatively respond to support youth in Vancouver.
Collaboration and Partnership
Youth and adults around Vancouver are using arts and sports to give youth opportunities to build their skills, access social support and develop their own unique skills. The Legacy Initiative is committed to building on this vast range of existing work, identifying new opportunities and bringing in new partners.
Youth and Community-driven Process
Within each of the funding streams set up by the staff group, the lead staff person will work with community partners to set up a community involvement process related to fund prioritization and allocation. Training will be provided to youth and youth workers around how to involve youth in the design, delivery and evaluation of projects, including through focused participatory action research projects.
Active Participation
The Legacy Initiative is emphasizing the importance of active, rather than passive, youth participation for example, playing street hockey instead of watching hockey, or designing a play rather than just watching one. While the passive and active may feed into each other, the active element must be present in funded activities.
Systemic Organizational Change
The Olympic Youth Legacy initiative will have a training stream to support people who work with youth to alter the types of services they provide, and the way they involve youth in that process.
Sustainability of New Programs Over Time
Vancouver has a rich variety of supports to youth, many of whom use arts and sports, and many of whom engage diverse youth populations. The challenge is to build the capacity of existing youth serving systems and to sustainably support pilots that may identify effective ways to fill gaps.
Evidence-based Practices
The Legacy Initiative will prioritize projects and activities that can demonstrate that they have had an impact on improving the ability of youth from diverse backgrounds to promote their healthy social development through accessing arts and sports activities.
Context
We do a lot already - the City promotes the health and well-being of youth through a range of programs, services and facilities
There are many active youth - 42% of youth are engaged in activities which promote optimal social, cognitive and physical growth and development
It's not enough - current opportunities do not meet the diverse needs and interest of the majority of youth
We can do more - thru Vancouver's Olympic Youth Legacy Framework
OLYMPIC YOUTH LEGACY ACTION PLAN: PROGRAMS
New Program Ideas
September 2004-March 2005.
A number of pilot programs have been identified, under three categories:
· City Programs
· Grants to Youth Programs
· Community Partnership Grant Programs
Each of the three funding streams will require its own advisory process to ensure transparency and fit with program criteria, and to ensure age-appropriateness and relevance to youth. Each stream will target youth of different ages. For example, "late nite" skating and other `cold fun activity' will likely appeal to the younger end of the age spectrum, from age 9/10 to 15/16; while grants to youth will be for 13/14 and older, and the Participatory Action Research may be ideal for even older youth beyond secondary school-age, and the community partnerships may target a different subgroup again.
Sport and Physical Activity Program Proposals to date:
· Late Nite Youth Ice Skating - Friday or Saturday evenings at one location
· Olympic Ice Painting Project - youth from around the city work with artists to design, create and present ice paintings in rinks
· Athletes in Residence - over a three-month period, potential Olympians infuse excitement in the value of sport
· Young Artists in Residence - artists work collaboratively with youth, in and out of school, to identify issues and interests that will form the bases of art projects
· Outdoor Explorations - urban youth will be provided with opportunities to experience new activities in natural outdoor settings
· Cold Fun Winter Sports - broomball, curling, ringette, sledge hockey
· Active Arts - in different times and places, hi-hop, taiko drumming, break dancing and stilt walking artists will lead activities
· Mad Skillz and Drillz - skill development for soccer, basketball, baseball and football
Grants to Youth Program
In keeping with the guiding principles for the Legacy, this component will be jointly developed with youth and community organizations. It will encourage and support youth-led cultural activity that builds on existing interests and sees young people include less engaged peers in the development of projects. While initiatives are expected to include film, new media, spoken word, dance, theatre, and other art forms, they may also encompass social change activities that include cooking, gardening and other community activities.
Community Partnership Programs
This component is intended to encourage and facilitate community partnerships between two or more agencies, with priority given to involving youth in idea, design, implementation and evaluation. The City and Park Board will work collaboratively on initiatives that follow Legacy principles.
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