Four Young Canadians Play a Leadership Role As 6th Commonwealth Youth Games Set to Open Today!
OTTAWA – On the day of the 6th Commonwealth Youth Games’ Opening Ceremony, Canada can be proud of the four young professionals who are playing a leading role within the host Organizing Committee. They are part of Commonwealth Games Canada’s (CGC) SportWORKS program, in conjunction with Brock University and the Queen Elizabeth Scholars (QES) program. The Canadian Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Scholarships (QES) is managed through a unique partnership of Universities Canada, the Rideau Hall Foundation (RHF), Community Foundations of Canada (CFC) and Canadian universities. This program is made possible with financial support from the Government of Canada, provincial governments and the private sector.
The four Canadian SportWORKS Officers, who are Brock University students studying in the field of Sport Management, are Geordie Moss (Ottawa, ON), Luke Giffen (Minesing, ON), Matthew Spina (Sudbury, ON) and Emily Stratford (St. Catharines, ON). Moss and Giffen are Games Ambassadors for Canada, as well as Games Relations Managers, with their main role being to act as the liaison between 70 participating Commonwealth nations and territories and the host Operations Teams. Spina and Stratford are part of the Atos Games Management System Team, responsible for contemporary information technology solutions for the Bahamas’ largest international multi-sport event to date.
“These internships are a shining example of the QE Scholars’ mandate to promote global and local community engagement,” said Jeanne Gallagher, Manager, International Scholarships, Partnerships and Programs at Universities Canada. “We are extremely pleased with our partnership with Commonwealth Games Canada and Brock University and the global opportunities it’s providing our youth leaders.”
CGC’S SportWORKS program has been delivering social and economic development impacts through sport since 2001, and has partnered with Brock University since 2015 in delivering the Queen Elizabeth Scholars program. “Our students are gaining invaluable leadership experience and cross-cultural exposure through this program,” said Lisa Kikulis, Associate Professor of Sport Management at Brock University. “We are very proud of their contributions made through sport around the world.”
While all four students have been busy in the months leading up to the Games, their leadership skills will be called upon even more as the Bahamas are set today to host the largest multi-sport event in the country’s history. “It’s been crazy busy as we prepare to host what I believe will be the best Commonwealth Youth Games ever!” said Canadian SportWORKS Officer Emily Stratford. “I am excited to be based in the Athletes’ Village for the duration of the Games, and look forward to helping the Bahamas make this a memorable life experience for the 1300 athletes taking part in these Games.”
Since 1993, CGC has integrated sport for development (S4D) and sport development programming, to promote community and social development, and build national sport capacity throughout the Commonwealth. Through the SportWORKS program introduced in 2001, over 200 Canadians have worked on one-week to one-year placements designing and delivering sustainable sport programs and building sport system capacity. In that time, over 2 million youth in 39 Commonwealth nations and territories have been supported by Canadian SportWORKS Officers.
“With over 24 years of accomplishments, Commonwealth Games Canada has been a long term leader in the field of international development through sport”, said Richard Powers, President of Commonwealth Games Canada. “We are proud today of the role four of our SportWORKS Officers are playing in the Bahamas as the Commonwealth Youth Games are set to open. We wish them and all of the Commonwealth’s young athletes success at the Games.”
The 6th Commonwealth Youth Games open today at the Thomas A Robinson stadium in Nassau, Bahamas and go until July 23rd.
For information:
Commonwealth Games Canada – SportWORKS Program
David King
Manager, International Programs
613.244.6868 x228
Universities Canada
Jeanne Gallagher
Manager, International Scholarships, Partnerships and Programs
613.563.1236 x355
Brock University
Dan Dakin
Media Relations Officer
905-688-5550 x5353 or 905-347-1970
Team Canada on site at the Games:
Kelly Laframboise
Team Canada – Bahamas 2017
ABOUT THE BAHAMAS 2017 COMMONWEALTH YOUTH GAMES
The 6th Commonwealth Youth Games will host 1300 athletes aged 14-18 from the 70 nations and territories of the Commonwealth. This is the Bahamas’ largest international sporting event in its history, as well as the Caribbean’s largest ever international sporting event, with the last being the 1966 Commonwealth Games held in Kingston, Jamaica. Visit www.bahamas2017cyg.org for information.
ABOUT COMMONWEALTH GAMES CANADA
Commonwealth Games Canada (CGC) is the franchise holder for the Commonwealth Games and Commonwealth movement in Canada, and an active, contributing member of the Canadian sport community. The mission of CGC is to strengthen sport within Canada and throughout the Commonwealth by participating in the Commonwealth Games and by using sport as a development tool. Visit www.commonwealthgames.ca for information.
ABOUT CGC’S SPORTWORKS PROGRAM
As part of CGC’s integrated sport for development (S4D) and sport development programming which began in 1993, SportWORKS was introduced in 2001, as an initiative which sends Canadian sport leaders into developing Commonwealth countries on up to one-year placements to design and deliver sustainable sport-related programs. Since the program’s inception CGC has sent over 200 Canadian SportWORKS Officers to 39 developing Commonwealth nations and territories to assist organizations to deliver sustainable social and economic impacts through sport via 150 programs. Visit www.commonwealthgames.ca/sportworks/programs.html for more information.
ABOUT QUEEN ELIZABETH SCHOLARS PROGRAM
The Queen Elizabeth Scholars program aims to activate a dynamic community of young global leaders across Canada and the Commonwealth to create lasting impacts both at home and abroad through cross-cultural exchanges encompassing international education, discovery and inquiry, and professional experiences. Visit www.queenelizabethscholars.ca for more information.
ABOUT UNIVERSITIES CANADA
Universities Canada is the voice of Canada’s universities at home and abroad, representing the interests of 97 Canadian public and private not-for-profit universities. Visit www.univcan.ca for more information.
ABOUT COMMUNITY FOUNDATIONS CANADA
Community Foundations of Canada is the national network for Canada’s 191 community foundations. We are a philanthropic movement working across sectors to help Canadians invest in building strong and resilient communities. Visit www.communityfoundations.ca for more information.
ABOUT RIDEAU HALL FOUNDATION
The Rideau Hall Foundation works in close collaboration with the Office of the Governor General and many external partners to support initiatives that strengthen our national identity, build capacity and promote the advancement of a smart and caring nation through learning, leadership, innovation and giving initiatives. Visit www.rhf-frh.ca for more information.
ABOUT BROCK UNIVERSITY
Brock University is a comprehensive university located in Ontario's Niagara region, just an hour from the GTA. With nearly 600 full-time faculty members and researchers, Brock's robust academic scope offers more than 72 undergraduate degree programs and nearly 50 master's and PhD programs. Brock's student experience is enriched by an emphasis on experiential learning, as illustrated by community partnerships, volunteerism and one of Ontario's largest and most successful co-op programs. Visit www.brocku.ca for more information.
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