Commonwealth Games Canada has been involved in over 125 sport for development and sport development projects in over 30 countries around the world. Brief summaries of some of these projects are given below which includes: their geographic location, partners involved, and the associated CGC initiative.
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development highlights sport as “an important enabler of sustainable development”. It recognizes the growing contribution of sport to the realization of development and peace in its promotion of tolerance and respect, and the contributions it makes to the empowerment of women and girls, young people, individuals, and communities, as well as to health, education, gender equality and social inclusion objectives. Thanks to the generous support of the Government and Canada and our other donors, CGC is proud to be one of the world’s pioneers of international sport for development and sport development work.
Promoting Gender Equality and Healthy Lifestyles
- Caribbean & Americas
- St. Lucia
- Caribbean & Americas
- Turks and Caicos Islands
Partners: Organization of the Eastern Caribbean States (OECS)
Initiatives: Canadian Sport Leadership Corps
CGC worked with the Organization of the Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) to promote gender equality in sport and proper nutrition among youth and sport communities of the Caribbean. Building on an existing sport administration program, this project involved adapting materials to provide additional skills training for women with the goal of creating more employment opportunities.
Ramotswa Youth Sports Association (RYSA) Support
- Africa
- Botswana
Partners: City of Toronto, Mathare Youth Sports Association (MYSA), Ramotswa Youth Sport Association (RYSA), South East District Council (SEDC)
Initiatives: Canadian Sport Leadership Corps
The Ramotswa Youth Sport Association (RYSA) was established though a partnership with the City of Toronto and the South East District Council. Its goal is to develop an organized, sustainable, sports infrastructure such that sports programs and accompanying healthy lifestyle and HIV/AIDS awareness information is accessible to all boys and girls within the South East District Council. RYSA uses a similar model as Kenya’s Nobel Peace Prize winning Mathare Youth Sport Association (MYSA). CGC helped facilitate a partnership to enable MYSA youth to help those in the RYSA based on their experience to date.
Ready & Able
- Caribbean & Americas
- Trinidad and Tobago
Partners: Trinidad & Tobago Alliance for Sport and Physical Education (TTASPE, now known as the Caribbean Sport and Development Agency (CSDA)), Trinidad & Tobago Paralympic Committee (TTPC)
Initiatives: Canadian Sport Leadership Corps
Ready & Able provides children with a disability sporting opportunities in their schools and communities. Participants learn life lessons and have opportunities to improve their skills and become empowered, while encouraging community integration and awareness of children with a disability. Activities have been adapted to accommodate persons with mild to severe disabilities spanning visual, mental, physical, and or auditory impairments. Working with TTASPE, CGC volunteers have supported the program’s planning, development, and delivery.
S4N Edmonton
- Caribbean & Americas
- Canada
Partners:
Initiatives: Sport for Newcomers Initiative (S4N)
Working with Action for Healthy Communities in Edmonton to increase newcomer youth sport participation rates and support social inclusion, the Initiative aims to build NSO organizational capacity through internship placements of SportWORKS Officers, who assist with the transfer of knowledge and capacity building at NSOs for staff and volunteers, by developing resources/materials, building partnerships with local sport organizations, seeking local program funding opportunities and by assisting with the accumulation of data for baseline results of pilot monitoring and evaluation for future programming and longitudinal indicators.
S4N Toronto
- Caribbean & Americas
- Canada
Partners:
Initiatives: Sport for Newcomers Initiative (S4N)
Working with the Jane Finch Community and Family Centre in Toronto to increase newcomer youth sport participation rates and support social inclusion, the Initiative aims to build NSO organizational capacity through internship placements of SportWORKS Officers, who assist with the transfer of knowledge and capacity building at NSOs for staff and volunteers, by developing resources/materials, building partnerships with local sport organizations, seeking local program funding opportunities and by assisting with the accumulation of data for baseline results of pilot monitoring and evaluation for future programming and longitudinal indicators.
School Physical Education and Sport Program Development
- Caribbean & Americas
- Barbados
- Caribbean & Americas
- Guyana
- Caribbean & Americas
- St. Kitts and Nevis
- Caribbean & Americas
- St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Partners:
Initiatives: Commonwealth Sport Development Program
CGC led the development of core physical education and sport programs which were reflective of rural societies with: large numbers of students, very little space suitable for physical activity, and a shortage of equipment. Traditional indigenous games were also integrated into the programs as was a focus on gender equality. Teachers were involved in program development and were trained in the material, which included integrating those with disabilities. Over 100 Barbadian and Canadian schools were twinned to help students learn from one another and share each other’s culture.
Secretariat for the 13th International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA)
- Africa
- Kenya
Partners: Society for AIDS in Africa (SAA)
Initiatives: Canadian Sport Leadership Corps
CGC supported the organization of the 13th International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA) held in Nairobi. CGC volunteer resources helped to coordinate the event’s content as well as its logistics.
Skateistan
- Europe
- Germany
Partners: Skateistan
Initiatives: Sport Leaders Abroad Program
Skateistan is a sport for development project with initiatives in Afghanistan, Cambodia, and South Africa. It employs skateboarding as a tool to encourage interaction between youth of different backgrounds to breakdown social barriers and develop: conflict resolution skills, creativity, and leadership. Skateistan focuses on engaging the world’s hardest-to-reach youth aged between 5-17 years. CGC has helped increase Skateistan’s potential to attract sustainable funding and improve program monitoring and evaluation practices.
SOS Children’s Village of Zambia Trust
- Africa
- Zambia
Partners: SOS Children’s Villages, SOS Hermann Gmeiner School
Initiatives: Canadian Sport Leadership Corps
Around the world, SOS Children’s Villages provides loving homes for children who have been abandoned and orphaned where their basic needs for food, health, shelter and education are met. CGC helped develop youth and sport programs for the SOS Hermann Gmeiner School and SOS Children’s Village. This included planning and facilitating sport workshops, developing partnerships with local and international organizations, and assisting with fund raising initiatives.
South East District Youth Empowerment League (SEDYEL)
- Africa
- Botswana
Partners: City of Toronto, South East District Council (SEDC), UK Sport
Initiatives: Canadian Sport Leadership Corps
The South East District Youth Empowerment League (SEDYEL) is a youth-initiated football league which uses sport as a tool for youth development with special attention to the inclusion of women and girls. SEDYEL believes that youth who are engaged in physical activity and community processes will build leadership skills. CGC has developed and delivered community-based HIV/AIDS education programs, as well as mobilized local and international resources to help ensure the league’s sustainability.
Special Olympian Swimming Program
- Caribbean & Americas
- Barbados
Partners: Paralympic Association of Barbados, Special Olympics Barbados
Initiatives: Canadian Sport Leadership Corps
CGC supported the training of Special Olympian swimmers working closely with the Paralympic Association of Barbados and Special Olympics Barbados.
Special Olympics African Region
- Africa
- Benin
- Africa
- Kenya
Partners: Special Olympics African Region, Special Olympics Benin, Special Olympics Gambia, Special Olympics Kenya
Initiatives: Canadian Sport Leadership Corps
CGC worked with local and regional Special Olympics representatives to help offer various physical activity and education programs in communities throughout their countries. They worked with youth and coaches in training and implementing sport and physical activity programs.
Special Olympics Benin
- Africa
- Benin
Partners: Special Olympics Benin
Initiatives: Canadian Sport Leadership Corps
A CGC was responsible for assisting the Benin Special Olympics team with coaching, administration, and training.
Special Olympics Namibia (SON)
- Africa
- Namibia
Partners: Special Olympics Namibia (SON)
Initiatives: Canadian Sport Leadership Corps
Working with Special Olympics Namibia, CGC helped develop and implement a physical activity program focused on individuals with intellectual disabilities. This included: developing participant recruitment strategies for youth from rural settlements, establishing a youth support system by engaging their families, helping build organizational capacity to ensure the program’s sustainability, designing and implementing coaching training programs, and running athlete training camps.
Sponsorship and Branding Support
- Africa
- South Africa
Partners: African Commonwealth Games Associations (AGCA), South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC)
Initiatives: Sport Leaders Abroad Program
CGC assisted the African Commonwealth Games Associations in developing a marketing and sponsorship program and its associated grassroots initiatives. This projects included the development of a brand value proposition which was reviewed by 19 country leaders at the Commonwealth Games General Congress held in Glasgow in 2013.
Sport 4 All
- Africa
- Namibia
Partners: Community Schools (Namibia), Sports Coaches’ Outreach (SCORE), Namibia Volunteer Involvement Program (NAM-VIP), Sports Coaches’ Outreach (SCORE) Namibia
Initiatives: Canadian Sport Leadership Corps
Working with youth from the Namibian Volunteer Improvement Program (NAM-VIP), local schools, and our partner SCORE, CGC helped implement regular “Sport 4 All” days to promote physical activity and community engagement. Work was also done to improve the capacity of local sport committees to help deliver a sustainable community model.
Sport Capacity Building
- Africa
- Zambia
Partners: Sport in Action (SIA)
Initiatives: Sport Leaders Abroad Program
Sport in Action (SIA) is a Zambian NGO that works in schools and communities using sport and recreation as a development tool to help address health and social issues such as HIV/AIDS, and gender equality. The program: imparts life skills, builds capacity, and empowers children and youth, with the goal of creating more active and healthy lives. CGC provided training for coaches and community leaders in physical literacy, fundamental movement skills, and the skill’s relationship to performance in sport. Advocacy support was also provided for using sport as a developmental tool.
Sport Council Development
- Caribbean & Americas
- Guyana
Partners: Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Sport (Guyana)
Initiatives: Canadian Sport Leadership Corps
Through a strong partnership with the Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Sport, CGC help develop sport councils at the community, regional, and national levels. The collective goal of these councils was to increase the number of youth and adults involved in physical fitness across the country.
Sport Development: Football
- Caribbean & Americas
- Dominica
Partners: Dominica Football Association (DFA), Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports - Sports Division (Dominica)
Initiatives: Sport Leaders Abroad Program
CGC helped develop the capacity of football in Dominica through coaching workshops attended by youth sport officers, primary and secondary school teachers, academy coaches, and coaches from the Dominica Football Association. Technical workshops with football referees were also provided along with coaching sessions for national and district- level school teams.
Sport Development: Hockey
- Africa
- Botswana
Partners: Botswana Hockey Association (BHA)
Initiatives: Canadian Sport Leadership Corps
CGC helped further develop hockey in Botswana through drop-in sessions, school programs, festivals, refereeing, coaching, and assisting with an international tournament.
Sport Development: Rugby1
- Caribbean & Americas
- Turks and Caicos Islands
Partners: Turks & Caicos Islands Rugby Football Union (TCIRFU)
Initiatives: Sport Leaders Abroad Program
A SportWORKS Officer and former captain of the Cambridge University (UK) and Canadian Rugby teams helped promote the sport of rugby in TCI through coaching clinics, junior and national team development, and technical workshops for elementary school educators.
Sport Development: Rugby2
- Caribbean & Americas
- Turks and Caicos Islands
Partners: Brock University, Turks & Caicos Islands Rugby Football Union (TCIRFU)
Initiatives: Queen Elizabeth Scholars Program
CGC is working closely with the Turks and Caicos Islands Rugby Football Union (TCIRFU) to help further develop rugby on the islands. This has involved grass roots school programs, summer camps, interschool tournaments, as well as support of the U19 national team.
Sport Development: Swimming
- Caribbean & Americas
- Falkland Islands
Partners: Stanley Swimming Club
Initiatives: Sport Leaders Abroad Program
CGC worked with coaches and athletes to further develop their swim program which involved classroom and pool-based coaching and instruction.
Sport for All
- Caribbean & Americas
- St. Lucia
Partners: St. Lucia Olympic Committee (SLOC)
Initiatives: Canadian Sport Leadership Corps
CGC worked with the National Olympic Committee to help develop the country’s Sport for All strategy with the goal of increasing the physical activity of the island’s people.
Sport for Persons with a Disability (PWD)
- Caribbean & Americas
- Barbados
- Caribbean & Americas
- Jamaica
Partners: Commonwealth Sport Development Program (CSDP)- Caribbean Region (Barbados), Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA), Jamaica Paraplegic Association (later known as the Jamaica Paralympic Association (JPA))
Initiatives: Canadian Sport Leadership Corps
CGC worked with national staff to create sport opportunities for persons with a disability. They have worked to improve the capacity of coaches of athletes with a disability, develop and expand inclusive community sport programming, and provide training and competition opportunities for elite athletes with a disability.
Sport Information Resource Centre Development
- Caribbean & Americas
- Trinidad and Tobago
Partners: The University of the West Indies (UWI) Sport & Physical Education Centre
Initiatives: Canadian Sport Leadership Corps
The University of West Indies Sport Information Resource Centre (UWISIRC) is a joint initiative of The University of the West Indies Sport and Physical Education Centre and CGC. Its objective is to establish a physical and conceptual presence where the country’s sports community can access a broad array of sport-related information and resource material. It is also intended to be a multi-disciplinary and inclusive location that facilitates cooperation and partnerships between Trinidad and Tobago sporting and health agencies, departments, clubs, institutions, and related partners.
Sport Marketing and Sport Capacity Programs
- Caribbean & Americas
- St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Partners: St. Vincent & the Grenadines Olympic Committee (SVGOC)
Initiatives: Sport Leaders Abroad Program
CGC assisted the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Olympic Committee with marketing, sponsorship, and fundraising. This included helping to refine sport marketing property strategies, identifying further activation opportunities, and delivering sport-specific marketing workshops.
Sports Coaches' Outreach (SCORE)
- Africa
- Namibia
- Africa
- South Africa
- Africa
- Zambia
Partners: Sports Coaches’ Outreach (SCORE), UK Sport
Initiatives: Canadian Sport Leadership Corps
Sports Coaches’ Outreach (SCORE) is an international non-profit organization specializing in community development through sport and recreation. SCORE recruits and trains international volunteers, who are placed in communities, mainly in Africa, to implement SCORE’s programs. CGC has partnered with SCORE in many projects throughout Namibia, South Africa, and Zambia, and helped further develop the organization’s capacity and well as conducted program evaluation.
Sports for Juvenile Justice
- Caribbean & Americas
- USA
Partners: Philadelphia Youth Sports Collaborative (PYSC)
Initiatives: Sport Leaders Abroad Program
Sports for Juvenile Justice places juvenile offenders into one of several Philadelphia Youth Sports Collaborative (PYSC) member programs. These initiatives offer activities such as tennis, squash, fishing, lacrosse, and Ultimate Frisbee, as well as homework help, adult mentoring, and similar interventions. The program’s goals are to reduce recidivism rates, promote positive youth development, and cultivate adult to youth and youth to youth relationships. CGC worked with the PYSC to help establish an organizational growth plan.
Sports for Life
- Africa
- Lesotho
Partners: Lesotho National Olympic Committee (LNOC)
Initiatives: Canadian Sport Leadership Corps
CGC was involved in further developing and implementing the Lesotho National Olympic Committee’s Sports for Life, sport for development program which is an element of their Olympafrica Youth Ambassador (OYAP) program.
