program showcase 2009
DESCRIPTION
A showcase of ARPA's current programs an initiatives, first shown at the ARPA Annual Conference and Energize Workshop.TRANSCRIPT
PROGRAM SHOWCASEWelcome to the
Alberta Recreation and Parks Association
The Alberta Recreation and Parks
Association (ARPA) is a provincial
charitable not-for-profit
organization with a voluntary board
of directors dedicated to the
promotion of recreation and parks
and their benefits to the quality of
life of all Albertans.
We couldn’t do it without the volunteers!
ARPA Working Committees and Task Groups:
•
Education and Professional Development•
Children and Youth
•
Parks and Open Space•
Infrastructure and Utilities
•
Conference Hosting•
Communications and Marketing
•
Awards and Scholarships•
June is Recreation and Parks Month
•
Community Sport Development
ACE Communities
A four-year community development initiative to enhance quality of life in rural Alberta by strengthening leadership, collaboration, and innovation through recreation, parks, arts, culture, and heritage.
ACE Communities is driven by ARPA and delivered in partnership with Canwest, EnCana, and Rural Alberta’s Development Fund.
Active. Creative. Engaged.
Key Components:
•
Enhancing leadership for community building
•
Creating a network of ACE communities
•
Applied research and learning
•
Management and evaluation to capture the learnings
•
Youth engagement strategies
•
Social marketing
ACE CommunitiesActive. Creative. Engaged.
Flight 3 of ACE Communities began in fall 2009.
To date, there have been 30 Partner Communities supported through three flights.
Additionally, ACE Communities is offering support to 30 associated communities as an extended component of Flight 3.
ACE CommunitiesActive. Creative. Engaged.
ACE Communities has updated the Benefits Catalogue to reflect more recent research, and will preview this resource at the ARPA Conference.
The 2009 Benefits Catalogue now references over 700 studies documenting the benefits of recreation and parks.
ACE CommunitiesActive. Creative. Engaged.
Communities in Bloom Alberta
A volunteer-based program committed to fostering civic pride, environmental responsibility, and community beautification.
Communities in Bloom is dedicated to improving quality of life by encouraging active and engaged community participation, and promoting the value of green spaces and sustainable development.
People, Plants & Pride... Growing Together
Everybody gets to playTM
The Everybody gets to playTM
Community
Mobilization Tool Kit is designed to ensure recreational opportunities and their many benefits are experienced by children from low income families in your community.
Everybody gets to playTM
Success stories can be found online at www.everybodygetstoplay.ca
along with a
resource library of facts sheets, reports, and other supplements.
HIGH FIVE®
HIGH FIVE®
is Canada’s
only quality assurance program for recreation and sport programs for children aged 6-12.
HIGH FIVE®
Over 950 people in 44 communities throughout Alberta have attended HIGH FIVE®
workshops
since 2007.
HIGH FIVE®
In 2009, HIGH FIVE®
integrated research and aligned with the Canadian Sport for Life
model.
Coming soon to Alberta…
the HIGH
FIVE®
Sport Workshop.
Kids at Hope
Kids at Hope inspires, empowers, and transforms organizations and entire communities into environments where children experience success.
Kids at Hope
Originating in Phoenix, AZ and available throughout the United States, Kids at Hope is now being offered for the first time in Canada through ARPA.
Inaugural Kids at Hope Ambassadors:
•
Town of Hanna
•
Municipal District of Opportunity
•
Bert Church High School
•
Paddle Prairie Métis Settlement
•
Berwyn Community Services
•
Redcliff Action Society for Youth
Kids at Hope
Inaugural Kids at Hope Ambassadors:
•
City of Airdrie
•
SYC After 3 Youth Enhancement Program
•
City of Red Deer
•
Bashaw
Youth Drop-In Foundation
•
High Level Youth Activity Centre
•
Wainwright Military Family Resource Centre
Kids at Hope
Sogo Active wants Canadian youth from coast to coast to get more active and have fun!
This program connects youth and community groups to organize activities and lets youth track physical activity online and earn incentives.
Sogo Active
Through this program:
•
$20,000+ in seed grants have been distributed to community organizations to help youth become more physically active
Sogo Active
Through this program:
•
Nearly 1,000 youth from 80 community organizations registered in 2009
•
Approximately 100 Alberta youth will be given the chance to carry to Olympic Flame in the 2010 Olympic Torch Relay
Sogo Active
Congratulations to those offered Team Torchbearer positions for the 2010 Olympic Torch Relay:
•
Sogo Calgary (representing ARPA, City of Calgary, Boys and Girls Clubs of Calgary, Calgary YMCA, and Child and Youth Friendly Calgary)
•
Stony Plain’s Youth Ambassadors for Prevention and Promotion (YAPP)
Sogo Active
During the 2008-2009 campaign, 162 communities participated in Communities ChooseWell.
At the end of the campaign, the Town of Penhold and the Municipality of Strathcona County were recognized as the Overall High Achievers.
Communities ChooseWell
A new e-learning module titled “Empowering Albertans to ChooseWell”
was developed to provide community
leaders in Alberta with a rationale to take action to improve the wellness of their community.
Paul Brown of The Bear (100.3 FM) livens things up by providing narration throughout the module.
Communities ChooseWell
In 2001, June was designated “Recreation and Parks Month”
by
declaration of the Provincial Benefits Charter and government endorsement.
June is Recreation and Parks Month
Community Event Kits include prizes, posters, and tattoos.
Awards celebrate Champions of the Recreation and Parks Benefits Charter.
An online calendar is available to promote and share your June events.
Community Passports motivate children to experience nature in their community.
June is Recreation and Parks Month
June is Recreation and Parks Month
During Recreation and Parks Month in 2009:
•
Over 3500 Children and Nature Activity Passports were distributed
•
60 celebratory events were posted in the online calendar
•
83 new people signed the Benefits Charter
ARPA’s Facility Inventory Tracker System (FITS) is an online database that collects, analyzes, and reports on all aspects of community recreation facilities.
Facility Inventory Tracker System
With assistance from the STEP program, outreach for the enhanced FITS system was conducted in over 60 communities in 2009.
Facility Inventory Tracker System
AfterSchool Recreation
“What students do in the afterschool hours –
that critical
block of time between the final bell and when many adults come home from work –
has
profound impact on their physical, social, emotional and academic development.”
AfterSchool
Recreation Initiatives Final Report, 2009
This initiative aims to get Alberta children playing in nature for the betterment of their mental and physical health.
Updates are available through a dedicated Children and Nature listserv.
Children and Nature
Led by the Community Sport Development Task Group, ARPA is developing a municipal Canadian Sport for Life
strategy to help
Albertans develop a lifelong relationship with physical activity.
Community Sport Development
ARPA received a grant from Alberta Tourism, Parks and Recreation to initiate the Recreation Facilities Energy Assessment Program: Phase 1.
This program is being led by ARPA’s Infrastructure and Utilities Committee.
Energy Assessments
This yearly event gathers everyone from front line youth workers to policy makers in order to:
•
Share promising practices•
Engage in networking opportunities
•
Learn first-hand about youth development and its application to recreation
•
Return home with practical and applicable resources
Youth Development Through Recreation Services Symposium
This yearly symposium attracts delegates from all over Canada including the Northwest Territories, the Yukon, Nova Scotia, and Ontario.
Youth Development Through Recreation Services Symposium
The 2010 YDRS Symposium is scheduled for March 15–
17th, 2010 in Banff, Alberta.
The theme is “Building Youth Friendly Communities.”
Youth Development Through Recreation Services Symposium
The Parks Forum, held every two years, is spear- headed and organized by ARPA with noteworthy
financial support received from Parks Canada and Alberta Tourism, Parks and Recreation, along with a variety of corporate and community partners.
Parks Forum
This program recognizes the achievements of the groups and individuals who are leading their communities in strategic change that results in increased citizen engagement, high levels of participation in active living, and recreation and sport leading to healthier people and communities.
Lieutenant Governor’s Leadership for Active Communities Award
The Awards now have been established as a legacy awards initiative that will take place on a biennial basis. The next awards event is scheduled for 2011.
Lieutenant Governor’s Leadership for Active Communities Award
Foundations for Action: Vision 2015
Foundations for Action
is ARPA’s guide to help you and your communities shift to a brighter future.
Shifting to action for a better quality of life for all.
•
Be a catalyst, champion, and communicator
•
Shift the way you think, act, and work together with others
•
Make a difference in your community
•
Inspire others working in the quality of life sector
You can use Foundations for Action
to:
Foundations for Action: Vision 2015Shifting to action for a better quality of life for all.
Recreation for Life Foundation
A non-profit charitable organization that receives and manages bequests, sponsorships, endowments, and trusts.
Special events include the Annual Recreation for Life Golf Tournament
and biennial Recreation Industry Awards of Excellence.
Recreation for Life Foundation
The Recreation for Life Foundation:
•
Operates with a volunteer board of directors
•
Seeks corporate sponsors and other private funders
for priority
ARPA programs and services
•
Offers annual and planned giving opportunities
For more information on any of ARPA’s programs or initiatives, please visit:
www.arpaonline.ca